Slowhand Eric Clapton's iconic yet mysterious Gibson ES 335

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In Tony Bacon's 'The Gibson 335 Guitar Book', Jerry Donahue, the American guitarist known for his work with Sandy Denny, Fairport Convention, Chris Rea and others, recalls a memory from when as a teenager he worked at Selmer's music store on Charing Cross Road in London:

“I sold Eric his red Gibson 335 not more than two weeks before his final performance with Cream at the Albert Hall,” Donahue recalls. “It was one of my main highlights of working at Selmer’s. We had a nice conversation during the process, and just as we were wrapping it up, Eric mentioned the upcoming shows in a manner that felt as though he was about to offer me a complimentary ticket or two. But I told him I’d already bought tickets, and he seemed pleased. You can imagine my amazement and joy later as I sat watching Cream come on to the Albert Hall stage, Eric with the 335 strapped on. He played that guitar for the entire evening. I was filled with pride.”

Tony Bacon's book also records what Eric Clapton himself said about the guitar in the Christie's 2004 auction catalogue:

"“This is the second electric guitar I bought. I had a pinky red Telecaster, and then this … I bought this brand new, either from Denmark Street or Charing Cross Road … I went and bought [this] guitar [as soon as I saw it] with the first money I managed to save up [by] playing with The Yardbirds … I’ve had it ever since.”

Clearly, these two memories do not agree. It's a long time ago, so this is hardly surprising. In this video we'll have a look at a few indisputable facts.

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