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Is Clapton's Fool SG in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

Bruce R

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Mar 2, 2007
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I haven't read much about the Fool SG since the excellent article in Vintage Guitar magazine a couple years ago. I've been told it now resides in the R & R Hall of Fame, so is this true? I thought it was in the possession of an unspecified collector.
 

Wilko

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Rundgren sold the guitar in 2000 at auctionfor around $150,000 to pay off a tax debt, donating 10% to Clapton's Crossroads Centre. The Fool was resold to a private collector a few years later for around $500,000.
 

Bruce R

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Thanks, Wilko, great article. Published in 2013 I noted, so it's been 5 years. Who knows if it is the original one or not being displayed, we just have no idea - do we.

I talked to a friend that knew Jackie, from a local town, Ojai, CA. He said Jackie was still upset after all those years at Mr. Rundgren because he felt he had only "loaned" the guitar to him (even though a $500 payment was made!).
 

Wilko

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Love Ojai. Spent some time at the Ojai Valley Inn.

And the Bionic Woman was from there!
 

cincyguitar

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If that rich collector wants to loan the Fool SG to me....I won't complain...:dude:
 

Cream Fan

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That article still got one thing wrong. The SG only ever had the Maestro Vibrola tailpiece. In 1967 it sported the full functioning unit. He simply kept the arm rotated out of the way and didn't use it. Still, those vibrolas will allow for tuning fluctuations and it's my belief that by 1968 Clapton grew tired of that and removed the arm and the spring and had the remaining "trapeze" part drilled to facilitate stringing, thereby ending up with a unique combination stoptail and trapeze. I did this with my Clapton SG and not only is the tuning rock-solid, but the tailpiece adds a really nice chime to the tone.
 
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