‘In his own words, Clapton tells his story through the history of his instruments.’ – Rolling Stone

In Six-String Stories Eric Clapton reflects on a legendary career as told through the tools of his trade: his guitars. Collected together here for the first time are the instruments Clapton sold in three record-breaking auctions between 1999 and 2011 to benefit the Crossroads treatment centre he founded in 1998. Featuring some of the most famous guitars ever played, Clapton guides the reader through nearly 300 instruments as he discusses their provenance, reveals insights about his own playing, and shares anecdotes from each chapter of his spectacular life in music.

‘One by one these guitars were the chapters of my life. They belong to a very well-loved family.’ – Eric Clapton

The Author

Six-String Stories (Bookstore Edition)

20 years since the first collaboration between Eric Clapton and Genesis, we are honoured to present the definitive collection of his guitars.

24 Nights and Live in Japan - now both sold-out and highly sought after editions - have both captured significant periods in Clapton's life; but Six String Stories spans his entire career to date.

'These books are milestones.' - Eric Clapton

The Manuscript

Six-String Stories (Bookstore Edition)

Eric recalls the instruments he bought to emulate his heroes, the guitars with unknown origins that became their own legend, the ones that never left his side, and the legacy they left behind.

'These guitars have been really good tools; they're not just museum pieces. They all have a soul and they all come alive.' - Eric Clapton

You can see and hear the guitars in use, with playlists and concert dates accompanying the instruments used on records and at public appearances. Our 50-year documentation of Clapton's performance history, included within the book, allows you to further reference the guitars against Clapton's life's work.

Historical and technical information is provided for every piece of Clapton's vast collection to complete the story behind each guitar.

The Photography

Six-String Stories (Bookstore Edition)

Every piece in Eric Clapton's extensive collection has been photographed, showing the beauty of the design and the wear and tear often caused by years on the road.

'As an avid rock or blues fan I would look at all the pictures in this book.' - Eric Clapton

The instruments are also shown in play, with performance shots of Clapton taken by over 80 of the world's best photographers, including David Bailey, Terry O'Neill, Dominique Tarlé and Lord Snowdon. See Clapton's evolution from the psychedelic sixties, through the stripped-back seventies, electric eighties and unplugged nineties, right up to the 2011 Crossroads auction.

Six-String Stories (Bookstore Edition)

The Crossroads Guitars 1999-2011

Bookstore Edition

Beginning with his blues roots and early days, Clapton chronicles his entire career through the tools of his trade: his guitars. SIX-STRING STORIES is told through Clapton's own words, with background information for each instrument and archival photography spanning five decades.

Page size: 194mm x 244mm
368 pages