“I remember one night, in particular with the Firebird,” explains Eric Clapton. “It was a Cream show in Philadelphia, and it was one of the greatest gigs I ever played.”
NASHVILLE, TN (August 20, 2019) By acknowledging its iconic past and leaning into the innovative future, Gibson, the legitimate leader in professional instruments proudly presents the Eric Clapton 1964 Firebird I. A pre-sale will officially begin on August 20, all Gibson Eric Clapton 1964 Firebird I guitars will be sold through Guitar Center and on GuitarCenter.com in the United States as well as through select International Gibson dealers, visit www.gibson.com for further details.
In the 1960’s and 70’s, Eric Clapton’s use of a Gibson Firebird represented some of the most inspired, fiery and influential playing of his legendary career. Although Eric had previously played a Les Paul, ES-335 and an SG, it’s always been the 1964 Firebird I that Clapton remembers as being a truly outstanding guitar. “I remember one night in particular with the Firebird,” explains Eric Clapton. “It was a Cream show in Philadelphia, and it was one of the greatest gigs I ever played.”
Gibson Custom Shop is proud to present this limited-edition reissue of Clapton’s famous Firebird, made using authentic construction methods and precise dimensions scanned from vintage 1964 Firebird models. Every Eric Clapton 1964 Firebird I guitar is outfitted with a newly-developed Alnico V Firebird pickup to recapture the scorching output and searing tones of the original. Each 1964 Firebird I will also feature an Eric Clapton signed backplate, a replica of the strap he used, a reproduction of the guitar’s original case, a Certificate of Authenticity booklet and more. A limited quantity of Eric Clapton 1964 Firebird I guitars will be sold through Guitar Center in the United States as well as select International Gibson dealers.
The release of the Gibson Eric Clapton Firebird I will launch simultaneously with the 2019 Crossroads Guitar Festival in Dallas, TX, taking place Friday, September 20 and Saturday, September 21. At the festival, the limited-edition guitar will be displayed in the Guitar Center Village alongside the Gibson ES-335 guitar used by Eric Clapton on numerous landmark recordings, including the enduring Cream hit and festival namesake “Crossroads.”
Eric Clapton 1964 Firebird I Specifications
Body
Weight Relief
None
Finish
Nitrocellulose Lacquer VOS (Vintage Patina)
Neck
Neck Material
9-ply Mahogany/Walnut Neck-Through
Neck Profile
Authentic ’64 Medium C-Shape
Scale Length
24.75″ / 62.865cm
Fingerboard Material
Indian Rosewood, Hide Glue Fit
Fingerboard Radius
12″ / 304.8mm
Number of Frets
22
Frets
Authentic Medium-Jumbo
Nut Material
Nylon
Nut Width
1.687″ / 42.85mm
End-of-Board Width
2.24″ / 56.89mm
Inlays
Pearloid Dot
Hardware
Finish
Nickel
Tailpiece
Lightning Bar Wrap-around
Tuners
Deluxe Banjo Tuners
Pick Guard
3-Ply White/Black/White Firebird Hot-stamped
Truss Rod Cover
Black 1-Ply Gibson Hot-stamped
Control Knobs
Black Top Hats w/ Silver Inserts
Electronics
Bridge Pickup
Firebird Alnico V
Controls
1 Volume, 1 Tone
Miscellaneous
Strings
.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046
Case
Custom Eric Clapton Firebird
Included Accessories
Eric Clapton Certificate of Authenticity, Eric Clapton strap, Eric Clapton picks, Eric Clapton case.
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