Gibson announces Eric Clapton 1964 Firebird I guitar

Pre-sales underway through Guitar Center

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 is officially underway, 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.

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 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 20th and Saturday, September 21st. 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.”

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com