Has Eric Clapton's Legendary "Beano" Les Paul Burst Been Found?
Eric Clapton's "Beano" Gibson Les Paul Sunburst, the ax he used on the legendary Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton sessions in 1966, is one of guitardom's true holy grails.
The guitar—which can be heard on the Bluesbreakers' powerful recordongs of "Hideaway," "Steppin' Out" and "Have You Heard"—was famously stolen after the young Clapton finished recording the album with John Mayall, John McVie and Hughie Flint—and has never been seen again.
Earlier this week, however, guitarist Joe Bonamassa told the U.K.'s Guitarist magazine that he knows the location of the long-lost instrument.
"It's a '59, not a '60, it's got double-white [humbucker] in the front and it's got a double-black [in the bridge]," Bonamassa said, challenging the widespread belief that it was a '60 model. "It has a pretty plain top and it is in a collection on the East Coast of America. That's all I can tell you—and that's all I will say. It still exists and I haven't seen it, but I have it on good authority from people who have. And it's got the little 'fingerprint' by the pots and they can trace it back."
If he's correct, this is pretty serious stuff. Several theories have been put forth over the decades regarding the guitar's fate—but the guitar has never been spotted, let alone authenticated.
"I don't know if Clapton would even want it back at this point," Bonamassa said. "Truth be told, would he even recognize it 50 years on? I guess so. Maybe it'd be different if he'd scratched his name on the back of the headstock or had recorded the serial number. But then Jimmy Page has got back his Custom three-pickup that he played in the Albert Hall in 1969."
One has to wonder if Bonamassa is bluffing about Clapton’s guitar, or if he’s trying to negotiate its return. Bonamassa and Clapton have performed together before, and as a collector he’s certain to appreciate the guitar’s personal value to Clapton.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
The guitar has come to be known as the "Beano" Les Paul because of the Beano comic book Clapton is reading on the cover of Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton. On the album, Clapton burns and bedazzles like a futuristic amalgam of his many influences, including Freddie King, Otis Rush, Hubert Sumlin and Buddy Guy. Amazingly, Clapton was only 21 (about to turn 22) when Blues Breakers was recorded in March 1966. Even if he had simply vanished or faded away after the release of the album that summer, he still would have earned a respected place in the annals of electric blues guitar.
Bonamassa's British Blues Explosion tour is in full swing this month. The tour pays tribute to the Sixties fretwork of Clapton, Page and other less-important U.K. blues-rock legends.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
“From metal machines to versatile all-rounders”: Explore the Ibanez GIO range – a powerhouse of the high-performance guitar market that caters to every discerning taste
“Trump Guitars is not in any way officially connected with Gibson”: Trump Guitars backtracks after Gibson cease and desist and takes Les Paul-style guitars off the market