A c.1940s Gibson L-50

Details

A c.1940s Gibson L-50
in sunburst finish, mahogany body, spruce top with f-holes, mahogany neck, nineteen-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with crown inlays, metal truss rod cover, wooden bridge and metal tailpiece; and a black hardshell contour case with pink plush lining and Lee Dickson's handwritten tie-on label Gibson L.50 S/Burst N.S.N. and adhesive paper label similarly inscribed

The L-50 was introduced in 1932.

Eric Clapton purchased this guitar as a tribute to one of his heroes Snooks Eaglin, who was pictured playing one of these models on an album cover. Clapton said that he bought this guitar because "... he wanted to sound like him..". He also remarked that he has played this guitar a great deal.
Gibson L-50/Sunburst

Literature

COLLETTI, Alex Amazing Grace Interview in Guitar World, Harris Publications Inc., June, 1993, p.52

Lot Essay

In an interview with MTV Unplugged producer, Alex Colletti, Clapton spoke of the origins of the song Alberta: "It's an old Snooks Eaglin song....he was a great, great player and singer who recorded on the streets of New Orleans. The variety of his repertoire was absolutely amazing, but that song 'Alberta' was accessible to me as a beginning guitar player because it consists of three chords and just strumming. It just lodged in my head as a very sentimental song, and part of early influences."

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