Eric Clapton has long been a proponent and collector of street art. In March 2001, he appeared on stage at the Royal Albert Hall with a vividly painted Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster. This guitar is known as the Crashocaster or Crash 1. The well-known graffiti artist, John ‘Crash’ Matos, painted the alder body for Eric as a gift. Crashocaster was Eric’s main working guitar through the 2004 World Tour.
During the Japan Tour in November / December 2001, Eric played a second multi-colored Strat. Also painted by Crash, it is known as Crash 2. It was seen much less frequently on stage. On 15 March 2004, Eric introduced Crash 3 at a benefit concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall. This guitar was specially executed by Crash to be sold at the Eric Clapton & Friends For Crossroads Antigua Auction on 24 June 2004. Eric played Crash 3 from that date, throughout his European / UK tour, at the Crossroads Guitar Festival and the beginning dates of his US Tour. He played Crash 3 for the last time on 23 June 2004 in Albany, New York. It sold at auction the following day for $321,100.
In his exclusive interview with Where?s Eric! in April 2003 (Issue 34), Eric revealed he had commissioned an entire series of graffiti guitars. He owns a total of 10 painted by a variety of graffiti artists including Stash, Daze and Futura. Eric graciously allowed the magazine to publish colour photographs these beautiful instruments in November 2003 in Issue 35.
To date, the only guitars from his personal collection to be played in public have been Crashocaster and Crash 2. Crash 3 was never intended to be part of Eric’s personal collection as it was created especially for the fundraising auction.
Eric did not use any of these guitars for the Cream Reunion Shows in May 2005 or on his 2006 / 2007 World Tour.
All of the “Graffiti Strats” are Fender custom shop guitars with noiseless single coil pickups and the same circuitry as the Eric Clapton Signature Model.
