Eric Clapton's Latest Rig Rundown by John Bollinger

[effectsman]

Clapton has been the biggest buzzkill this year. Sorry.
Todays morning storhy in Rock I just read:

When Eric Clapton Felt ‘Insulted’ by Eddie Van Halen, Brian May

They hoped Slowhand would enjoy his ’Star Fleet Project’ dedication - but he didn’t.

ultimateclassicrock.com

Eric was right. That was complete shite!!! Wish I could have those 12 minutes of my life back LOL

 

[Jollyb]

I also prefer the sound of a Strat with tremolo over a Hardtail. The Hardtails are cool as well, but as you wrote they remind me more of a Tele. I adjust the tremolo with 4-5 springs and the plate rests on the body, aka decked tremolo.

No doubt. I think if you follow the timeline Clapton was looking for a non Tremolo fender. The Blind Faith Tele was Eric looking for a hard to find hardtail strat at the time. So he put the strat neck on the tele. But he really liked that 2 position bridge middle on a strat. Then while he was in Nashville he just bought up all those 50s strats on sale and took them apart and found what he liked best from each of them. During that time he realized He liked the lighter routed strats best so he just blocked the trem. 50 yrs later nothing has changed. I count Blackie as one of my top 3 all time favorite guitars ever. Over brownie because it's so personal the way Eric literally built it.

 

[fishleehooker]

Eric was right. That was complete shite!!! Wish I could have those 12 minutes of my life back LOL

Yeah but EVH was probably kinda trying to light a fire under Clapton. It was the 80s afterall. Can you imagine Clapton playing the solo to Beat It in his safe 80s style? (actually Clapton wouldn't have since it isn't 12 bar blues, aka quitting the Yardbirds over For Your Love) Ed was trying to get his childhood hero's fire back and was rewarded by Eric being a prickly. Ed def has no idea on the blues and likely had some stuff in his system. If anything Clapton should feel bad about the Cocaine song that everyone responded to in ways that were more damaging than a coked out 80s blues shred.

 

[Jollyb]

Eric was right. That was complete shite!!! Wish I could have those 12 minutes of my life back LOL

Sometimes you just have to respect honesty. I don't think Eric was trying to be rude or discredit anyone. I've heard Eric give such grace and be so complimentary towards players. That recording is what it is.

Eric was so generous....he didn't want to do a Cream reunion. But he knew that Ginger and Jack could use the payday. He helped players like delany and Bonnie, and jj Cale.

WhenvSRV came out he was so complimentary towards Stevie and Jimmy. He included Jimmy is every tour he could after he died. Eric just called starfleet for what it was.

 

[Jollyb]

Yeah but EVH was probably kinda trying to light a fire under Clapton. It was the 80s afterall. Can you imagine Clapton playing the solo to Beat It in his safe 80s style? (actually Clapton wouldn't have since it isn't 12 bar blues, aka quitting the Yardbirds over For Your Love) Ed was trying to get his childhood hero's fire back and was rewarded by Eric being a prickly. Ed def has no idea on the blues and likely had some stuff in his system. If anything Clapton should feel bad about the Cocaine song that everyone responded to in ways that were more damaging than a coked out 80s blues shred.

You don't know that and ED had his own issues at the time. Clapton was sober and he owned the 80s and the 90s. You don't think so.....thats obvious. Fine but stop pretending like you know what EVH was thinking . Lol.

 

[speedtaco]

I really enjoyed that video @bandmaster , thanks for posting! Must be nice to have Dumble build your amps.

 

[fishleehooker]

You don't know that and ED had his own issues at the time. Clapton was sober and he owned the 80s and the 90s. You don't think so.....thats obvious. Fine but stop pretending like you know what EVH was thinking . Lol.

This was Ed AND Brian. What was Brian's issues? They were just trying to do something nice for their hero who seemed to really appreciate it.

 

[LarryBirdsFace]

He stole his best friends wife, disparaged the black musicians he built his career on, and trashed a lot of his contemporaries, and people who looked up to him. He's a grade a A-Hole.

I think it's funny that he would trash Eddie and May for not getting into traditional blues on a fun tribute to him, when he was putting out the cheesiest pop of his career.

I like Clapton's playing, but thinking he's anything other than guy with the right notes in his fingers, is pretty off base.

 

[Jollyb]

This was Ed AND Brian. What was Brian's issues? They were just trying to do something nice for their hero who seemed to really appreciate it.

Eric takes his music seriously. He said appreciated the gesture but if had given it his approval then he would have to lie.

"One side was a kind of a fusion thing – really very interesting, great to listen to – and the other side was a blues jam,” he told Musician magazine in 1986. “It was so horrible. And they dedicated it to me."

He obviously takes the blues very seriously. If they just jammed it would have been fine. But when they called it Bluesbreaker and dedicated it to him ..........

He went further: “They took turns to play solos, and just went head-at-it, with everything they knew. And there was no dynamics, no build-up, no sensitivity. I was very disappointed.”

Clapton was so stripped down he didn't even want his name used in Delany and Bonnie. He got as far away from Les Paul's and Marshall's as he could. A strat into a Champ. That's it. He was into reggae other forms of acoustic stripped down bare bones music.

To play like they did and dedicate it to him rubbed him wrong. He was honest. I respect the heck out of that. I love EVH. But he got his ass kissed alot. Sometimes you need someone to say whoa! That's not good bro. Your better then that. Brian as well.

 

[Matlock]

Not taking the bait here anymore. CLAPTON S good deeds far outweigh any bad. The sold his soul to MTV crap was 100% in connection with unplugged and that little series he kicked started. He also played some ballads and pop tunes with some famous young artists. Funny how Santana does it he's being "cultural and giving back" but Clapton sold out.

The recent Clapton media blitz is for 1 reason and 1 reason only. Again I'm not taking the bait so " Stop it".

Cancel culture is valid and those who say it's not are either not paying attention or agree with it or who's getting canceled.

Relax. No one going to Clapton shows cares about this stuff. His shows will sell fine to his fans and those finding Ambien not quite strong enough.

 

[Jollyb]

Relax. No one going to Clapton shows cares about this stuff. His shows will sell fine to his fans and those finding Ambien not quite strong enough.

Go Braves!!

 

[bandmaster]

Must be nice to have Dumble build your amps.

Yes indeed quite an experience and no "bad amp day" ever since.

 

[paulbearer]

Ok here is my take. Erics evaluation of the music sent to him is 100% spot on. It is just a jam between two friends. Nothing special for Ed or Brian. HOWEVER< Eric seems to be a classless putz in his reaction and hearing his other personal thoughts has lowered his standing on my totem pole for him. AND being an alcoholic isn't a prize winner in anyones book. But I have found that a drunk person will shout out truths & true colors. You get to know what they REALLY think. I went to dinner once with a client who liked to drink, boy, did he say some insteresting, insulting, third party ****, he didn't want to say to me.

Truth. That plus personal burnout on EC licks after the ‘Blues Jam’ 90s has him squarely in my rear view mirror now.

 

[jwalker99]

If after reading Eric’s auto biography all I could say is the title should have been A Wasted Life. He was high or drunk for 2/3 of his career . A shame since as a player he has moments of brilliance

 

[Blue_Precision]

Not coming out and defending himself in light of UCR putting out this story, especially is light of all the other negative clapton news, is a form of mismanagement. i.e., letting negative stories pile up will tarnish.

The "other stuff" from '76 is pretty indefensible...

 

[Terry Hoffman]

Before jumping all over Clapton, we should put some things in context. The Starfleet album was released in 1983. The quotes attributed to Clapton are supposedly from 1986, and some of the quotes from EVH and May are much later. In reality we don’t know when Clapton said those things. Also, when EVH criticizes Clapton’s post-Cream work, we don’t know that context. That article jumps around with quotes spanning decades. So I think it’s fair to say the article is a bit of a hit piece, certainly not legitimate journalism.

As for Clapton, he is known to have said a lot of awful things, especially before he got sober. The comments attributed to EC by the article are terribly uncharitable. He has said he regrets many of those moments, a great deal of which were when he was very drunk. That doesn’t in any way excuse it, but EC has since done his best to change his ways. To use that article to say Clapton has “been a buzzkill this year” is less than fair, as those comments were not recently made.

As to the Starfleet collab between EVH and May, it’s pretty crass, not at all subtle, and lacks the kind of dynamics that EC favors. I think EC’s assessment of the effort, while mean,is probably correct. He didn’t need to be such a prick about it, way back when he commented, but it’s nothing to lose your buzz over in 2021.

Everybody does and says things that people don't like. If one is without fault, then cast the first stone, other than that, walk away and, mind your own business.

 

[GMGM]

It seems like is less about "Guitars in General" than maybe a "Coffee House" topic, haha.

I think EC forgot that he already blamed alcohol related neuropathy his hand problems, way back in 2016. He was looking at retirement, because he could barely handle a guitar back then. But now he blames the vaccine.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...e-damage-that-makes-playing-guitar-hard-work/

https://modernneuropathy.com/eric-c...trate-the-effects-of-alcohol-on-nerve-damage/

Also, to be fair I listened the Brian May / EVH tribute recording, and it's pretty rough if you ask me. Eric probably should've bit his tongue - considered May's and EVH's standing in the guitar universe had long been established. But it's really no worse than anything Yngwie ever said.

 

[zestystrat]

On the RR, I would have liked to seen DB2’s gear as well. Im sure they did one for him, ill have to go find it.

I agree that EC (and his lack of a good publicist) has done a lot to tarnish his legacy. I was a huge EC fan but Im over it with him. It started after reading his autobiography and has gone downhill from there.

The Star fleet thing: either it’s a journalist taking a partial quote or the guy just has bad manners lol

A simple “I was honored” and no one spends another second caring about it or that album.

He is an anti vaxxer, there really isnt any other way to look at it. From his recent releases with VM and his decision not to play in vax mandated venues.

Plus his story make his stance even more ridiculous:

Clapton had a pre-existing condition called peripheral neuropathy, which affects the nerves in his hands. He’s been talking about it for years.

There’s some good info here:

الصفحة الرئيسية | مسبار

misbar.com

 

[zestystrat]

Yikes! That web preview….

I can PM a screen shot if anyone wants it.

 

[GenghisBomb]

Before jumping all over Clapton, we should put some things in context. The Starfleet album was released in 1983. The quotes attributed to Clapton are supposedly from 1986, and some of the quotes from EVH and May are much later. In reality we don’t know when Clapton said those things. Also, when EVH criticizes Clapton’s post-Cream work, we don’t know that context. That article jumps around with quotes spanning decades. So I think it’s fair to say the article is a bit of a hit piece, certainly not legitimate journalism.

As for Clapton, he is known to have said a lot of awful things, especially before he got sober. The comments attributed to EC by the article are terribly uncharitable. He has said he regrets many of those moments, a great deal of which were when he was very drunk. That doesn’t in any way excuse it, but EC has since done his best to change his ways. To use that article to say Clapton has “been a buzzkill this year” is less than fair, as those comments were not recently made.

As to the Starfleet collab between EVH and May, it’s pretty crass, not at all subtle, and lacks the kind of dynamics that EC favors. I think EC’s assessment of the effort, while mean,is probably correct. He didn’t need to be such a prick about it, way back when he commented, but it’s nothing to lose your buzz over in 2021.

I second absolutely everything in this post. Also, since when did we need our musical heroes to be without controversy? Trust me, if you got to *really* pick your favorite musician's brain for an hour, and they were 100% honest with you, you would walk away horrified. I am not a fan of some of Clapton's COVID-related comments, but you know what, he's a peculiar old rich man, and his worldview is going to differ dramatically from mine. But I tell you what, when he lays those slow hands on a guitar neck and starts playing...*magic*.

Hilarious to hear EC **** on that Brian May song. It is a waste indeed.

The article posted is lousy journalism. Eric Clapton isn't even the dreaded "anti-vax". Instead, he had the gall to speak out about a negative vaccine reaction he had and now the press finds clips from 1986 and of him saying he didn't like a Brian May song to make it a dramatic story. Lame.

*Exactly*