Eric Clapton Reacts to His New Martin Guitars and Fender “Blind Faith” Telecaster
Eric Clapton gets a first look at the Martin guitars created for his signature Crossroads 2026 Collection from long-time friend Michael Doyle. In the below exclusive Guitar Center video, Clapton and Doyle discuss the legendary guitarist’s passion for acoustic guitars and playing acoustic, while looking at the Guitar Center-exclusive Martin 000-42 EC and Martin 000-13 EC (Guitar Center-exclusive through 1/27/27). The conversation also explores the acoustic blues artists whose recordings inspired Clapton to pick up the guitar.
“I started on the acoustic,” says Clapton. “And when I practice, I practice on an acoustic. It makes you play a certain way. I always revert to what I heard as a kid that made me want to play, and that was acoustic blues.”
Michael Doyle shows his long-time friend Eric Clapton the new reissue inspired by the vintage Fender Telecaster Clapton played in Blind Faith. Part of the Eric Clapton Crossroads 2026 Collection, the Guitar Center exclusive Blind Faith Telecaster was built at Fender’s Corona, California factory (the 2019 reissue was a Custom Shop model) and joins other Clapton signatures, such as the Martin Custom Shop 000-42 acoustic, Martin 000-13E acoustic electric and Ernie Ball 2026 Crossroads electric guitar strings.
“That was the thing about Fenders—the bits of parts,” says Clapton. “Good fun. Like Lego [blocks], you could make your own guitar. Which I did with my Blackie Stratocaster. It was made from four different vintage Strats.”