Eric Clapton's Stage-Played Gibson Firebird Guitar. Of his treasured personal guitar collection, Eric Clapton once said: "Th... (Total: 1 Item)

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Eric Clapton's Stage-Played Gibson Firebird Guitar. Of his treasured personal guitar collection, Eric Clapton once said: "The guitars themselves represent the journey I have made through music over the past four decades of my life, they reflect my tastes in music, and sometimes the heroes I have tried so hard to emulate. They all have a place in my heart and in my life, and each one tells a part of my story." Heritage is proud to offer Mr. Clapton's personally-owned '91 Gibson Firebird, played by Clapton on his From the Cradle Tour in 1995. Included is irrefutable video documentation of this guitar in Clapton's hands onstage, as well as provenance from its sale at Clapton's Crossroads auction in 1999.

A Gibson player for much of his early career, Clapton was given the red Gibson Firebird minutes before the September 13, 1995 show in Philadelphia. Clapton's guitar manager Lee Dickson recalls that a fan asked him to give the guitar to Clapton with his best wishes. Thirty minutes before the show, Dickson brought the guitar to Clapton and relayed the fan's message. Eric then asked that it be re-strung for him with some .010 gauge strings. In a classic example of Clapton's dedication to his fans, he reached for the guitar mid-show and proceeded to play the blues classics "Third Degree" and "Reconsider Baby." According to Dickson, the fan's screams of joy could be heard over everything else. (Visit our website for streaming video of this moment, courtesy of photographer Minoru Tsubota.)

Originally offered in the Christie's 1999 auction of Clapton's guitars, which benefitted the Crossroads Centre at Antigua founded by Mr. Clapton, the red Firebird was subsequently acquired by a collector in New Jersey. Per the collector's wishes, a portion of this sale's proceeds will also go to the Crossroads Foundation, in honor of Mr. Clapton's dedication to the center and th