Which 'burst is he using in that lip-synced Beat Club footage of them doing "I Feel Free"? Is that the Summers 'Burst?
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Which 'burst is he using in that lip-synced Beat Club footage of them doing "I Feel Free"? Is that the Summers 'Burst?
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"And it seems to me perfectly in the cards that there will be, within the next generation or so, a pharmacological method of making
people love their servitude, and producing . . . a kind of painless concentration camp for entire societies, so that people will in fact
have their liberties taken away from them but will rather enjoy it, because they will be distracted from any desire to rebel by propa-
ganda or brainwashing, or brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods." Aldous Huxley, 1961
I totally agree. I've always thought it was the very best tone of all --- SO powerful and sweet. I did exactly the same thing when I was a teenager, too. How well I remember sitting on the couch looking at that cover every time I listened to the album on our console stereo, thinking all those years and many more beyond that I was hearing that Firebird Clapton was playing on the cover. Then I finally found out not too terribly long ago that it was indeed the Fool SG.Originally Posted by j45
I think most of us love that tone but in the studio, back in those years, I think the amplifier played just as important a part in the sound as the guitar. I recall reading that many of the English guitar players in the 60's used small Princeton or Champ type of amps...
...Ricky
yeah that's no FB - the Fool had something going on didn't it ?...that Grande Ballroom show is all Fool, and their best recorded performance imho.
Spoonful is my fav. studio cut (mostly due to the JTM45/100) - isn't that the LP ?
LP + KT66 = gracias
Jim
LTB golden era Pulsonic coned cabs/speakers
Yes, that is a Les Paul, but not Clapton's. He said in an interview in 1985 that he borrowed a Les Paul for Fresh Cream because the famous one he had played with Mayall had been stolen by that time ( during rehearsals for Cream. )
And 5 years later...
Do you think Clapton is playing his FB on the recording of Badge? The solo in particular.
I have wondered that myself. The live tracks are (to my ears) without a shadow of a doubt the Firebird, although I know that some say it's an ES guitar, and, whilst I totally disagree, I respect their opinion, because I was not there on the night. But I have also thought about the studio tracks. I thought I had read that he used the 335, but the tone of the guitar on all three songs makes me wonder.
Are there anay current pictures or recordings of that guitar?
I assume it is still in ECs posession?
Gibson should really reissue a regular CS or CC version. The success of the Bonamassa Epi FB1s shows that there is a demand.
I think the general consensus is that he gave/traded/sold it to Stephen Stills. There is a pic on the net of a FBI with the initials EC under the guard and it's claimed to be 'the' FB, but it's not, and if you look closely you can see holes from a vibrola removal, which of course EC's never had.
I agree about a CS reissue. I think they could only do a CC if they could get their hands on the original. The JB Epiphone FBs are great guitars. I had a strum on one at Anderton's in Guildford and also on one of the CC cherry FB IIIs, which was also a nice guitar.
I feel like J45 would know the answer RE: Badge, but I don't know if he posts here anymore.
Here's a cover (guitar parts only) that I made in Garageband with a Firebird this weekend. Annoyingly, I can't get any closer to the epic swirling bridge riff (despite hours spent experimenting with various amp/cab/pedal combinations) but the rest is sort-of in the ball park (I think). Sadly, I don't have a 335 to do a comparison.
You know the bridge is a guitar through a Leslie cab, right?
Thanks, yes. I did it in Garageband, Apple's computer simulator, and used one of their 'Leslie' pedal effects. If anyone knows a setting that gets significantly closer I'd be grateful to hear. I just can't imagine being able to get close to the record without a real amp and an actual Leslie cab. I'd really love to be proved wrong, though.
That was really awesome!!!
It's not a failure of your imagination, or of your technique. Reproducing the sound of an actual Leslie (not to mention the actual Leslie they used for that song, on that day, in that studio) is one thing that plug-ins have (so far) failed to do.
I am very pleased, at least playing live, with my older Hughes & Kettner Rotoshpere. The drive control on it really gets that "cranked Leslie" sound, like a Jon Lord or Goldy McJohn. That true "Badge" Harrison tone is tough is tough to nail, indeed.
"Know tubes, know tone. No tubes, no tone"
Although I have read many of the posts on this thread, which now is over a hundred, I have not read them all. I am most curious about the bridge on EC's Firebird. In the 60's Gibson's "lightning bolt" wraparound tailpiece was compensated for a wound G string, not the plain string used by the rock players of the late 60's and now, of course. From every photo I have seen to date EC appears to have been using the stock tailpiece of the FB1. His intonation on the live recordings, and when I saw him at the Forum in '68, sounded spot-on. Does anyone out there have any knowledge as to whether or not the tailpiece was modified or not? Am I the only one that has wondered about this? I owned an FB1 for a few years and am quite familiar with them. Thanks!
"Know tubes, know tone. No tubes, no tone"
Yes.
Re: Eric Clapton's Firebird Bridge
I have tons of pics of EC with the Firebird, but, unfortunately, none of the clearer ones show the tailpiece. As you say, the intonation always sounded spot-on, but unless the tp was modified it actually can't have been: the G must have been off a touch, but presumably not enough to be heard when playing.
I am very interested (and envious!) to hear that you were at the Forum. A few questions spring to mind, if I may... Can you remember whether you were at the first or the second night, the 18th or 19th of October? I think the 19th was the one from which the three live Goodbye tracks originated. And do you recall if he played the Firebird all night or if he switched guitars at all? There have been countless debates as to which guitar is heard on those live tracks on the record. To me, all three tracks sound unquestionably like the Firebird...but I wasn't there to bear witness.
Thanks in advance, Mark
Good Stuff.
Top carves are sexy
Hello, Mark. I was there the second night, the 19th. Still have the ticket stub! I definitely saw EC playing the Firebird. I thought I remembered him playing the 335, but I've been told (on this very LP Forum) that he didn't play the 335 during the Farewell Tour and was using the darkburst LP (the one he traded to Koss) as the backup. Deep Purple opened (they were amazing!) and Blackmore definitely played a red 335 the entire set. Perhaps I get the two mixed up. I was fairly far away from the stage but the sound was loud enough. In all my years I have only seen one photo of them at this show and he was playing the Firebird.I
I am very interested (and envious!) to hear that you were at the Forum. A few questions spring to mind, if I may... Can you remember whether you were at the first or the second night, the 18th or 19th of October? I think the 19th was the one from which the three live Goodbye tracks originated. And do you recall if he played the Firebird all night or if he switched guitars at all? There have been countless debates as to which guitar is heard on those live tracks on the record. To me, all three tracks sound unquestionably like the Firebird...but I wasn't there to bear witness.
Thanks in advance, Mark
I had seen Cream earlier in '68 as well, in Santa Barbara, at a small-ish venue called the Earl Warren Showgrounds. I was very close to the stage, on EC's side. He had the long hair & mustache, used the Fool SG, and smoked the longest cigarette I had ever seen (must've been European) during Ginger's solo in "Toad." Life changing show. I also saw Hendrix (and all the great 60's bands) there, and sat 4 seats from the stage, in front of Jimi!
As the saying goes "I many be old, but I saw all the good bands"
"Know tubes, know tone. No tubes, no tone"
I am very interested (and envious!) to hear that you were at the Forum. A few questions spring to mind, if I may... Can you remember whether you were at the first or the second night, the 18th or 19th of October? I think the 19th was the one from which the three live Goodbye tracks originated. And do you recall if he played the Firebird all night or if he switched guitars at all? There have been countless debates as to which guitar is heard on those live tracks on the record. To me, all three tracks sound unquestionably like the Firebird...but I wasn't there to bear witness.
Thanks in advance, Mark
Hi, Mark.
I replied to your comment once already, but didn't see it posted. Forgive me if two replies appear.
I saw Cream at the Forum for the second show, the 19th. Still have my ticket stub! I sat fairly far back but the sound system was very loud. I remember EC playing the Firebird, and thought he played the 335 but have been told (on this forum) that the 335 was not played during the Farewell Tour and only the now-famous "darkburst" LP (the one he traded to Koss) was used as his backup instrument. Deep Purple opened for them (they were awesome) and Blackmore played his cherry 335 for the entire set. Perhaps I got the two mixed up, who knows.
I was also fortunate enough to see Cream earlier in the year, Feb. 28th, at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara, CA. I was close to stage, in front of EC (of course). He had the long hair and mustache, played the Fool SG, and smoked the longest cigarette (must've been imported) I had ever seen during Ginger's Toad solo. Amazing concert!
I was turned on to Cream earlier in '67 and was a huge fan of theirs (and EC) already. Started playing in '66, so knew a little about guitars and amps by then. I saw all the major bands in those days, except the Stones & Beatles, so have been very fortunate enough to grow up in that golden time.
"Know tubes, know tone. No tubes, no tone"
Wow, fantastic memories of great days! Thanks so much for sharing.
I don't know if you have seen it, but there is a photograph of EC onstage with an ES guitar at what is rumoured to be the Forum on one of those dates. Careful study reveals that it has a bound headstock and the diamond-style inlay, so is not the 335 but a 355. I have never seen him with it on any other occasion. I wonder if it was borrowed? Also, listening closely to a desk recording of the 19th, the guitar on the opener, White Room, sounds different to the guitar on everything else, and, after White Room, you can hear the squeal of a jack being taken out and put into a guitar socket. And looking at the pic of him with the 355, both he and Jack are singing together, which could be I'm So Glad, but I reckon it's White Room. So I think he maybe used the 355 for the first number, White Room, then switched to the FBI and stuck with that for the rest of the show. If you've not seen the picture I can dig it out and post it, but I'm not sure how to do that on here. Cheers, Mark
Thanks, Mark. I'd love to see any photo of them playing at the Forum, especially on the 19th. Like I said, I recall him playing the Firebird and (what I thought was) the 335. I was far enough away where I couldn't have distinguished between a red 335, 345, or a 355. A fellow LP Forum member pointed out to me that EC didn't play his 335 during the Farewell Tour in the U.S., so that confused me. I think I saw the Forum photo on the Instagram @clapton_was_god page.
I find it funny that he didn't play it over here, but played it a majority of the time in the last show(s) at the RAH. Perhaps he didn't want to take it on the road over here at that point in time? Makes sense. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the 335's case has "Cream" stenciled on it.
"Know tubes, know tone. No tubes, no tone"
I too have seen that picture of Clapton playing a 335 or 355 at the LA Forum on Cream's US Farewell Tour in October 1968 and it's on 'clapton_was_god' Instagram page! Pretty neat because over the years many have posted that he did indeed play that guitar at LA Forum. I guess Kerry aka j-45 never saw that picture. I am unable to 'cut and paste ' the link to the picture--maybe someone here can.
How long ago did CWG post the 355 pic on IG? I follow that account(which is killer), but I don't recall seeing that.
I have it as a tab on my iPad. It has a date of October 21,2016 listed on his Instagram page.
This is just a screen shot. You can't right click and save images on IG. Def. a 355!
That's the picture--thanks for posting it! Another rumor dispelled!This is just a screen shot. You can't right click and save images on IG. Def. a 355!
I will try and find the photo over the next few days. The guitar in the pic is definitely not a 335. Like most others, I strongly suspect he didn't have the 335 with him on any of the US tours, and that the only time it was used live with Cream was the second set of the final Albert Hall concerts. From what I have read, it also appears that he had at least two 335s by the time of the Albert Hall in November: the one he himself says he bought with Yardbirds money, and one he bought shortly before the concert, the story of which I read during the course of the last year (...somewhere on the net).
He did indeed have 'Cream' stencilled on the case, but when that was applied, who knows. He certainly used an ES guitar for at least one number on the US tour: there is the pic I mention and also the recording of the guitar being switched over after White Room on one of the desk tapes that can be found on YouTube. I'll see if I can dig that pic out. I will have a good window of chance over the weekend, so hope to find it then.
That last US tour was so well photographed that I can't imagine the 335 would have escaped being pictured if he had it.
Cheers, Mark
Thanks, gentlemen, for that photo! I don't see a show dated on October 21, but do see that they played in San Diego on October 20th. Perhaps the picture shown below was taken then. The guitar does indeed look like a 355. I don't recall EC wearing suspenders during the Forum show. I did see a photo of EC with his FB1, so I'll try and find that again and compare it with the one shown below.
Upon listening to various recordings from Oct. 19 one can distinctly hear a difference in the tone of the guitar(s). One is thinner (FB1) and the other is noticeably richer (ES?). The plot thickens.
Thanks so much for your input! B
"Know tubes, know tone. No tubes, no tone"
Great! That's the one. Thanks for posting it
Mark ...do you have a link or some info on the cherry CC FB III ?
I think what you're seeing is a combination of his guitar strap and the shadow of the mic stand.
My old eyes!! He hardly seems the chap that would wear suspenders! The more I look at the photo the more it looks like the Forum. We have struck gold in that shot.
"Know tubes, know tone. No tubes, no tone"
Hi Gary, I just checked Anderton's site, and it appears they must have sold theirs, ditto Guitar Village, who are also about half an hour from me, in Farnham.
Here is the info on the Guitar Village page: https://guitarvillage.co.uk/products/gibson-custom-shop-collectors-choice-47-1964-firebird-faded-cherry
But I see the GuitarGuitar have two in stock. They have multiple stores across the UK.
https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/170308308557007--gibson-custom-shop-collectors-choice-cc47-1964-firebird-iii-235
Just one thing I was not too impressed with was the pickguard. It looked new and the plastic is very different from the originals. If I had one of these guitars, I would invest in either a very good repro such as a Montreux for about GBP 60 or, more likely, I would wait for an original 1963-65 guard to come up on ebay. They do from time to time, and I reckon you could get one for between 150 and 300 GBP.
Anyway, it was a really nice guitar all round.
I've set up a page on my website where I've gathered together my EC Firebird pics. I should have done something like this ages ago, because I can never find what I want and I am constantly worried about losing them. They were scattered across my computer's own drive and two external drive and I may have more elsewhere. I'll tidy it up when I get time, remove duplicates, etc. I'll also do the same shortly with the pics I have other guitars, the 335, Beano LP, Fool etc.
http://mybluesguitar.com/eric-clapton-gibson-firebird-i/
By the way, I think the first two pictures (after the two in the intro), where he is wearing the dark shirt and pale jacket, are from The Forum.
http://mybluesguitar.com/eric-clapton-gibson-firebird-i/
Thanks for posting the CC info Mark ...now that I've viewed it I do recall seeing it before ...btw, wouldn't it be killer to have a translucent cherry FB I though ..for the time being I'll have to live with my pelham 03
Yes, that would be great. And pelham blue is a cool finsh, too!
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