Eric Clapton

First launched at the NAAM show in 1973, the miniature battery-operated Pignose amplifier was used on many classic rock recordings of the 1970s. Clapton said that he had recorded all the guitar parts of his 1974 song Motherless Children using a Pignose amp, which may well have been this particular amp. Other notable examples of recordings with a Pignose include Joe Walsh's Rocky Mountain Way.

This amp was purchased whilst on tour in Belgium in May 2006, and was used on stage with Gibson L-5s during the 2008/9 tours.

In a video titled "LEGENDS ERIC CLAPTON STEVE GADD MARCUS MILLER JOE SAMPLE DAVID SANBORN PUT IT WHERE YOU WANT IT," uploaded by marcus68777, Eric Clapton is seen using a Fender '59 Bassman LTD amplifier.

Eric Clapton is associated with a late 1950s Fender Twin Amplifier, as detailed in a Christie's listing. This amp features a tweed covering, a metal plate labeled "Fender Twin-Amp," brown speaker cloth, two 12-inch speakers, and a control panel with four inputs, three switches, and six rotary controls.

Eric Clapton has been using a 1958 Fender Twin Amp, modified to increase the output by the late Cesar Diaz, for recording since the late 1980s. This model of amp was first seen on stage on the Blues nights during the 1991 Royal Albert Hall 24 Nights season. When Clapton started to play more blues numbers on stage in 1993, initially he used the Tweed Twin for the early part of the set, alongside his Pete Cornish/Soldano/Marshall rack set up. By 1995, Clapton was using the Tweed Twin Amp exclusively and had by this time acquired a number of spares. In 1997, Fender Amp Custom Shop built three replicas of his modified Tweed Twin using vintage parts and old pine, to replace the vintage Tweed Twins for stage use.

Acquired by Clapton in the 1980s and extensively modified by Cesar Diaz in 1986, this amplifier was reputed to be his favourite amp, the sound of which helped him to shape the rich guitar tone of some of his most significant performances in the prolific 1990s. The highlights include appearances at the 1992 Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Celebration, Nothing But The Blues/From The Cradle Tours of 1994/1995 and The Hyde Park concert in 1996.

Clapton used a Dumble Overdrive Special on his 2013 US tour.

Clapton used a Vox AC30 and a Telecaster when he played with the Yardbirds

https://www.whereseric.com/the-vault/guitars-amps-and-related-equipment/eric-claptons-guitar-amp-and-equipment-set-historical

In his interview with Dan Forte for Guitar Player magazine in 1985, Clapton commented that he was using a pedal board with a bank of presets built for him by an engineer that worked with Steve Lukather, namely, Bob Bradshaw. Lukather met Clapton as a part of the Los Angeles 'A Team' of studio musicians during the recording session there for the tracks to be included in the album Behind the Sun.

Clapton's guitar technician explained to Dan Forte that it was a programmable foot switching system which would allow the user to pick out presets and punch them into the memory. He further commented that the units in the rack at the time consisted of an Ibanez Harmonics/Delay, a DBX 160 compressor, a model SDE-3000 Roland delay, a Dyno-My-Piano Tri Stereo Chorus, that had three choruses in one, a Boss CE-1 chorus, and a Boss Heavy Metal pedal that Clapton heard Lukather using and liked. He added that Clapton used 'a bit of chorus, the CE-1, and a dash of compression'.

This Bradshaw system was in use until 1989 and was coupled variously with The Marshall amps (1985-c.87) in Lot 87, The Dual Showman amps (1988) in Lot 88, the Soldano amps (1988-89) in Lot 91 and the Dean Markley amps (1985-87) in this lot.

During the period from 1984 to 1988, Clapton's amplifiers were usually placed off-stage in a position accessible to his guitar technician and only the Marshall speaker cabinets were visible on stage to the audience. However, on rare occasions when Clapton was guesting at other acts' concerts, the amplifiers were placed on stage and hence visible to the audience. However, the presence of the Bradshaw system was manifest on the ever-present foot-controller on stage. Either of the two foot-controllers in this lot could be spotted on stage at Clapton's foot during his Behind The Sun world tour and The Live Aid appearance (the foot controller and the rack case were both visible on stage) at the JFK Stadium in 1985, various Prince's Trust Rock Galas with George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Tina Turner during this period, his Royal Albert Hall residencies which originated in this period, Nelson Mandela Concert at Wembley Stadium with Dire Straits and Clapton's 25th Anniversary tour of Japan with Elton John and Mark Knopfler in 1988.

In his interview with Dan Forte in Guitar Player magazine in1985, Clapton explained that he has recently gone back to Marshall amps from the Music Man amps that he had been using.

Mike Hill, formerly a director of Marshall Amplification recently recalled that, in 1984, he was contacted by Clapton's guitar technician and visited him at Shepperton or Bray Studios where he was rehearsing for Roger Waters' tour and personally delivered Marshall 1959 Super Lead and 1987 Lead 50 amplifiers and 1960 speaker cabinets.

Clapton's guitar technician commented to Dan Forte that having tried the 50W amplifiers brought by Mike Hill, Clapton loved it and bought two of the 50W (1987) and 100W (1959) models, which are the amplifiers in this lot.

Clapton went on to use these amplifiers for the 1984 Roger Waters Pros and Cons of Hitch-hiking Tour as well as Clapton's subsequent tours from 1985 to 1987 including his appearance at The Live Aid concert at JFK Stadium on 13 July 1985.

Eric Clapton owns a 1970s Lab Series L5 amplifier, a model also favored by B.B. King for its signature sound. This particular amp was acquired by Clapton in the USA, as noted in a listing by Bonhams.

The 1962, 2 x 12” combo was called the ‘Bluesbreaker’ because it was famously used by Eric Clapton with the influential British blues rockers, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, in 1966. It was this heady, ‘high in the mix’ sound that made the legend of the 1962.

This is Fender's first artist signature amp which is based on a 50s Fender Tweed Twin which Clapton loves.

"Eric had what he considered to be the Holy Grail of amps [the 1957 Twin Amp in Lot 92]. But since he only had one he was afraid of damaging it on tour... Our mission was to clone that amp, which was a quite difficult task. We first analysed Eric's vintage amp to the specs then we searched for old parts. After all that, it still didn't sound right. At that point, John Page suggested old pinewood. We found some that came from an old church's floor and that made the difference. We nailed it and we built a total of three. We built them and then subjected them to the acid test... Eric's ear. He loved them and declared them to be the exact replicas and gave one to BB King as a gift."

Serial No. 2629360, top control style open-back cabinet in beige covering, oxblood grille cloth, leather handle, cream control panel with six rotary controls, toggle switch, pilot lamp, jack input, 8-inch speaker, 120V model; and original cardboard box; the amp signed on the back by Eric Clapton in black felt pen

Eric Clapton appeared to have used this amplifier or the same model at a St Valentine's Day dance at Cranleigh Village Hall, Surrey on 14 February 1977 when his band, featuring Ronnie Lane, was advertised under the pseudonym, Eddie and The Earth Tremors.

Whilst it was a JTM-45 2x12 combo that Clapton used at the Bluesbreakers 'Beano' album recording sessions at London's Decca Studios in April 1966, he played through an early Marshall JTM-45 head with a block logo, identical to this amp, through a white grille cloth 4x12 Marshall cabinet whilst on stage with John Mayall's Blues Breakers as photographed here. It is reputed that at the end of the infamous Glands residency in Greece, a twenty year old Clapton left his Marshall amp there and returned with only his Les Paul guitar thereby losing the amp. It is possible that it was the set-up in the photograph that was lost and Clapton began using the combo amp instead. It follows that Clapton's recordings that pre-dated the Glands trip including Telephone Blues, I Am Your Witchdoctor and Bernard Jenkins with John Mayall were in fact recorded, not with a 'Bluesbreaker' combo amp, but with a JTM-45 head like the one included here through a 4x12 cabinet.

Saw the Fender Super Sonic Twin amp being used on the Crossroads festival in 2010.

This '57 Tweed Twin amplifier and its companions, Lots 129 and 132, were issued as a limited edition of fifty to accompany the Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster Crossroads Model and were likewise sold to benefit the Crossroads Centre.

Eric Clapton used a 1982 Fender Princeton II Reverb amplifier, distinguished by its Serial No. F312558, featuring a front control style open-back cabinet with black tolex covering, silver grille cloth, and a black control panel with eight rotary controls. This amplifier is equipped with one 12-inch speaker and operates on a 120V US plug. Details of this specific amplifier are documented in a Bonhams auction listing.

This amp was loaned to and used by Derek Trucks whilst on tour as a member of Eric Clapton's band during 2006 and 2007. Trucks mostly played his Gibson SG on stage through a pair of blackface Super Reverbs side by side. This amp was set up as Trucks' main amp whilst his own amp was set next to it as the second amp.

Serial No. LO-71545, front control style open-back cabinet in black tolex covering, black plate stamped Princeton Chorus, gray grille cloth, black control panel with fifteen red rotary controls, three push buttons, six jack inputs, rocker switch, two 10-inch speakers, 240v, UK plug.

Serial No. 930300915, front control style open-back cabinet with black tolex covering, black grille cloth, one 10-inch speaker, gold-colored control panel with six rotary controls, one rocker switch, two jack inputs, 120V, US plug; signed on the back by Eric Clapton in black felt pen

Eric Clapton owned a 2003 Marshall 1962JAG Limited Edition "Bluebreaker" amplifier, notable for its special point-to-point wiring on a gold-plated chassis and Jaguar cream-colored leather upholstery, as documented by Bonhams.

Eric Clapton is seen using this amp or its companion at his concerts at Staples Center, Los Angeles, 18 and 19 August 2001 in the live video One More Car One More Rider released in November 2002.

Eric Clapton owned a 2003 Fender Bass Breaker Model '59 'Nike', as documented by Bonhams. This amplifier blends the design of a Fender tweed Bassman with a Marshall Bluesbreaker, featuring a Bassman amp section paired with two 12-inch Celestion G12 speakers, instead of the original four 10-inch Jensen alnico speakers.

Clapton ordered this amp the day before the opening of the first Crossroads Guitar Festival, 3 June 2004. Fender delivered it directly to him at Fair Park Centennial Hall in Dallas, where the Festival was held.

In his 1988 interview with the Japanese Young Guitar magazine, Eric Clapton referred to the Fender Dual Showman as being his stage amp before he started using Soldano amps (see lot 91). Clapton used these Dual Showmans as his main stage amps between 1987 and 1988.

Eric Clapton owned a mid-1960s Supro S6698 Sportsman amplifier, as documented by Bonhams.

This portable amp, although not big enough to be Clapton's main stage amp, was featured in Clapton's first ever video shoot, directed by Godley & Cream in 1985, for his hit single with Warner Brothers, Forever Man. Clapton also used this amp during a number of low key appearances including with Stan Webb at Finchley Cricket Club following a charity cricket match in August 1986.