Clapton's Cream 335

Bruce R · Sep 2, 2018

I found this interesting bit of information by a member on a Cream Facebook page concerning the 335 Eric used during their farewell shows at the RAH in 1968:

.."Badge was recorded on Nov. 21 1968, 5 days BEFORE Cream's final Farewell performances at London's Royal Albert Hall which was on November 26. Clapton had just acquired his new (used) Gibson ES-335 two weeks before recording Badge from Jerry Donahue at the London Selmers music store (contrary to the lie & myth he had used it since the Yardbirds, both Yardbirds 335s belonged to Chris Dreja). In fact, Donahue recalls EC offering him tickets to the RAH farewell shows but Donahue already had tickets. He says Clapton loved the 335 and purchased it shortly after trying it out. He then used it for the entire second set of the Farewell concert at the RAH which thrilled Donahue who sold him the guitar but very likely also used it on Nov. 21 for the recording of Badge since the tone of that solo is fatter than a Firebird."

I have often wondered why we had never seen him playing a 335 during his tenure with Mayall and the time with Cream preceding the RAH shows. This makes sense to me.

The Shifter · Sep 3, 2018

There are so many conflicting reports about this, I don't know what to think. I'm pretty sure I started a thread about "Badge" and someone chimed in that it was his Tele Custom with the Strat neck. Man, I just don't know.

houndog31 · Sep 3, 2018

BGReed2 said:
I have often wondered why we had never seen him playing a 335 during his tenure with Mayall and the time with Cream preceding the RAH shows. This makes sense to me.

I too have wondered this and there have been a few articles on there being two 335's. I doubt EC would make up the story, he may have simply recalled using the Yardbirds 335 and blended the two together at some point causing the confusion. The Yardbirds connection doesn't add much to the guitar's legend at least in the context of it being the one used at the farewell concert.

bern1 · Sep 13, 2018

I’ve often also wondered why we did not see EC with any 33x style guitar until the RAH, considering his admiration for King and King and others. Maybe he just never found the “right one” until then.

Bruce R · Sep 14, 2018

bern1 said:
I’ve often also wondered why we did not see EC with any 33x style guitar until the RAH, considering his admiration for King and King and others. Maybe he just never found the “right one” until then.

Remember, Bernie, that we now have photos of EC playing a 355 at the Oct. 19 LA Forum show (I was there, and remember his him a 3*5, but was so far away I couldn't have identified the model), but it was only for a song or two and he switched to the FB.

Yeah, he's stated that he bought a 335 with his "Yardbirds money," so it's hard to believe that he wasn't sitting on one all those years. It's also hard to imagine he didn't even play it until the RAH Farewell shows, but when he hooked up with Mayall he was immediately enamored with Freddie King's Goldtop and set out to purchase one. We know he "settled" on a 'burst we call Beano, but that's another story.

I am quite happy to hear the account of the purchase of a block inlay 335 right before the RAH shows, and that makes sense, too! Only EC knows if there were one or two.

1242 · Sep 17, 2018

This whole business of the 335 is puzzling, to say the least. These are events from over 50 years ago, and it wouldn't surprise me if any one of the players invoved are mistaken in their memories. I myself certainly can't remember every last detail about guitars I bought and sold in the '70s.

I find it extremely hard to believe that if Eric had a 335 available he would not have used it even once when he joined the Bluesbreakers, and even harder to believe that when the 'Beano' Les Paul was pinched he would leave a 335 in its case at home and instead use borrowed guitars both for live work and to start recording the tracks for 'Fresh Cream'.

The waters are muddied even further by the 335's being referred to as the 'Cream' guitar and the recent appearance of an 'art' image on T-shirts and posters showing EC in his Cream days (late '67 appearance, with 'tache) holding that guitar. I recognized both the facial image and the separate guitar/hands image on that pic and posted some while back on one of the Facebook pages that it was a composite of two separate pictures. It is a fabulous guitar in its own right, steeped in history, from the second Albert Hall set to Blind Faith, Hyde Park in the late '90s and more, and does not need a reworking of history to justify its significance. The most offending claim is that it was used on the classic, live 'Crossroads' from March '68, which was, of course, the SG.

Bruce R · Sep 17, 2018

Very good points, 1242, thank you.

To further "muddy the waters' (sorry, I couldn't help myself), has anybody seen these photos that recently appeared on a Cream Facebook page? Supposedly taken at the Fillmore. Seems to indicate the shape and binding of a 335 on the bottom right, perched in a guitar stand behind the mic stand. I cannot verify the authenticity of the photo. There is another shot, very fuzzy, from this same gig (different angle and not from the same photographer) showing a tech handing EC the Fool SG as he's changing guitars.

Bruce R · Sep 17, 2018

Again, I cannot authenticate these photos. The photo shown in the previous post is on the Peden Vintage Photography website. He is a well known, successful photographer.

cincyguitar · Sep 19, 2018

Thanks for the awesome pic of Clapton with theFool SG...!

Bruce R · Nov 16, 2018

Does anyone out there happen to have a photo of Eric playing a block inlay 335 in his Yardbirds days? I have seen photos of him playing a dot inlay 335, presumably belonging to Chris, and a photo of him playing a block inlay 335 while he was still in the Yardbirds. Thanks!

Bruce R · Nov 16, 2018

Never mind, I found the ones I was looking for.

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fender69 · Nov 17, 2018

If you watch the George Harrison documentary by Scorsese, there is a photo of him playing the 335 way back when.

TM1 · Nov 17, 2018

If you look at the photo of the Yardbird's you'll notice that Chris Dreja is playing what looks like to me an old Harmony.. It's certainly not the 335 that we normally see him playing. I think the 335 belonged to the band as did Eric's Tele. When he got the Beano guitar he gave back the Tele to the Yardbird's. I think there's a story about it in "Strange Brew".. But we never see EC with a 335 until the Fall of `68.
I would bet that the one he used here in L.A. in Oct. of `68 was probably borrow from someone here and I bet prompted him to get one once he got back to London.

Melodyman · Nov 17, 2018

Currently working in a band with someone who was recording her last album with him when he was stricken and now is helping Jerry Donahue with his post stroke rehab. I can have her ask him if the above story is true..

The Shifter · Nov 18, 2018

Goddamn, I love the way Clapton held a guitar back then.

Bruce R · Nov 18, 2018

TM1 said:
ut we never see EC with a 335 until the Fall of `68.
I would bet that the one he used here in L.A. in Oct. of `68 was probably borrow from someone here and I bet prompted him to get one once he got back to London.

DB. The guitar he played at the Forum on Oct. 19th (the show I attended) was a 355. It's difficult to see but there is a block inlay at the first fret and the Custom inlay headstock.

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I thought for years that I remember him playing a 335 that night, as did Blackmore, but others swore that he never played his 335 during their Farewell Tour. When this picture was discovered it proved everybody right. I was too far away to tell whether it was a 335 or a 355, so it now makes sense.

Having a dot inlay 335 and a block inlay 335 both being owned by the Yardbirds at the same time is strange. I don't believe Dreja was ever photographed using a block inlay 335, was he? It is confusing, isn't it! B

Melodyman · Nov 19, 2018

I have passed on this question to my friend who will be having Jerry Donahue over for thanksgiving dinner. Being one of his closest friends for many years she is pretty sure that it didnt happen as stated since JD wasnt well known yet in 68. He didnt join Fairpoint Convention until later in 71-72 and by then Cream was done. Clapton dos say he bought it new from a London music store in 64 which would make sense as it was a 64 model..But as stated, there are many conflicting reports about this..Why he wouldnt have just said he bought it from JD in the first place is odd.. However I have sent her a pic of the 335 and she will get the scoop for us from him. Will let y'all know..

TM1 · Nov 20, 2018

I know Jerry through the Hellecasters. I've known him since 1996. My friend john Davis played bass with them. Also Susan Rey was working with him..

Melodyman · Nov 20, 2018

We must know each other. I have been working with both Sue and John regularly for years now....

1242 · Nov 20, 2018

This photograph is captioned as being taken on 20th January, 1964, so the 335 that Eric is playing is most certainly NOT the one that was auctioned off and sold to Guitar Center.

BGReed2 said:
Never mind, I found the ones I was looking for.

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Clapton's Cream 335

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