Eric Clapton

From the Archive Jimmy Page could have been a Yardbird before Jeff Beck, had he accepted the somewhat clandestine offers of the band’s management

From the Archive Beck was asked to follow Slowhand’s footsteps out of the Yardbirds and into the Bluesbreakers before he decided to go solo

Dubbed the ‘Fretless Wonder’, the Les Paul Custom waltzed onto the scene in 1954. This particular mid-’50s model found its way into the hands of two guitar heroes

Beyond the tales of Clapton’s lost ’Bursts, the guitarist reached for a variety of instruments during his tenure in Cream, from the iconic ‘Fool’ SG to a mid-’60s ES-335

From the Archive The two had huge respect for one another and quickly became close collaborators, resulting in a historic record

The Fender Stratocaster would just be a glorified carpentry project without the players who danced across its neck and gave it life. Here we celebrate 25 of the best

When his ‘Beano’ ’Burst was stolen, Slowhand reached out to Andy Summers for a replacement – and the guitar became the sound of Cream

From the Archive In a rare interview conducted in 1968, Hendrix offered his thoughts on the rivalry that had been forced on himself and Slowhand

In a 1992 GW interview, the late Howlin' Wolf guitarist of 23 years told tales of taking (with permission) one of Eric Clapton's favorite Strats (before giving it back), fistfights with his boss, studio shenanigans, and the day Hendrix played Wolf's guitar with his teeth...

He hit big with his 1976 debut, Careless, went on to be attacked by John Belushi in Animal House, and appeared in Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. As he suspends retirement for a farewell tour, he reveals the last musical item on his bucket list