![]() ![]() ![]() The last word on the location of this instrument is actually from noted guitar addict/collector Joe Bonamassa, who told Guitarist magazine in 2016 that ". Since the time of its theft the guitar has gained a rightful reverence, with its cultural significance increasing its worth from the hundreds of thousands into the millions. Clapton theorized that whoever stole the guitar also stole the plush case that he loved as well a week later. The ad also noted the guitarist’s thick leather strap with the names Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, and Big Maceo carved on the inside. When a wanted ad was posted for the guitar by the Mirror, it was noted as having "a very scratched back" and numerous cigarette burns on the front. According to Clapton, the guitar was stolen out of the Cream rehearsal room and that, as a result of the theft, he was in the middle of borrowing guitars while considering his next move. Throughout this era and up until the album’s release in July ‘66, this was the guitar through which Clapton distinctively displayed his mastery of the blues, the guitar Clapton was playing when Londoners proclaimed on the walls, "Clapton is God."īeano was set to be Clapton’s main axe in Cream too before its theft just days after the release of the Blues Breakers album. It is, in many ways, the guitar that defined the sound of the British blues explosion.Īs is well known among fans, this guitar takes its name from the Beano children’s comic that Clapton is reading on the cover of the Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton album. It was Clapton’s most famous pre-Cream guitar, and for good reason-the tone. This guitar is generally understood to be a 1960 Standard Burst (though, as we’ll discuss below, there is some debate). Inspired by Freddie King’s regal use of a Goldtop LP, Clapton bought his own Les Paul second-hand in 1965 from the Lew Davis guitar shop in London. Today, we’re taking a look at six of the rock world’s most famous stolen guitars and the stories behind them.Įric Clapton's "Beano": ‘59/’60 Gibson Les Paul Standard (Burst)įirst up is perhaps the most important guitar in all of British Blues- Eric Clapton’s "Beano" Les Paul. ![]() While the advent of the internet and online marketplaces have made it easier for stolen instruments to be rediscovered and recovered, even some of the most historic stolen instruments in popular music folklore remain missing today. Doing basic, responsible things-like recording serial numbers and taking pictures of distinctive features-is good practice, but even still, there's no guarantee that these moves will always lead to getting your gear back. Historically, when your gear gets stolen, you need luck on your side to get it back. As players around the world have regretfully and routinely discovered, you can always get a new guitar, but you can never truly replace a guitar that you’ve deeply connected with. Outside of death or injury, there’s no bigger bummer for a musician than having your prized instrument stolen. "My guitar is gone" are four words that no guitarist should ever have to say. ![]()
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