Was Eric Claptons best work recorded using Fender or Gibson guitars?
Both. His two best groups were Cream and Derek and the Dominos. With Cream he used a Les Paul, then switched to an SG, and then started using a Gibson ES-335. It was when Derek and the Dominos began that he started using his signature Fender Strat. I would say the gear wasn’t as responsible for the quality of his work as much as the people he was working with. Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker were two of the greatest musicians of the 60s, and they were very good songwriters as well, which helped make up for Clapton’s lack of talent in that area. With Derek and the Dominos, Bobby Whitlock helped provide the much needed songwriter and vocal support, which Clapton never developed as much as his guitar playing. The guitars provided slight stylistic differences, but no matter which guitar he uses, he always sounds like Clapton.
