Ginger Baker

Ludwig Silver Sparkle Drum Kit: 20"x 11" Bass, 22"x 11" Bass then 22"x14", 1940's 6.5" black finished Leedy Broadway wood Snare, 12x8" & 13x9" top toms, 14x14" &  16x14" floor toms. Snare tuned high, toms and bass low. On the final tour Ginger used a Ludwig 5" Supraphonic metal snare (right).  Drum fittings were originally Rogers then a mixture of Rogers and Ludwig including customised.

Zildjian Cymbals: (Initially[see below left]:) 13 " light weight hi-hat*, 22" riveted crash-ride** or  20"  ride, 18" & 16" crash, cow bell; (by mid 1967:) 13" hi-hat, 22" riveted crash-ride**, 20" ride, 18", 16", 14" & 13" crashes on three double tier stands, 8" choke (spalsh), cow bell. Stands were mainly Rogers with some Ludwigs and some customised fittings,

**16 large rivets with washers. (Chip Stern)

Ludwig Sticks

FULL DETAILS ON GINGER'S DRUMS

(Sources: Chip Stern, Bob Ciani "Great Rock Drummers of the Sixties", Ginger Baker interview, Dan Tingstrom, Warren Baker)

Farewell Concert Sound Check

Jack Bruce

1966 - Fender 3 Switch Bass VI (6 string), minus vibrato arm (right) - an awkward instrument because of the unusual smaller gauge strings. The electrics were damaged when it was painted for the Murray the K show and Jack had to get a new bass.

March 1967 – Danelectro Long Horn (left) though he still used the now psychedelic painted Fender for TV and other 'promotional' occasions. The Danelectro was a very good bass but was manufactured to a price and didn't stand up to the rigours of professional touring

July/August 1967+ – Gibson EB-3 (bottom). A short scale (30.5" vs standard 34") bass using the Les Paul SG light body. Jack's particular sound was a result of the guitar's sound, Jack's technique  and the  marshall stacks up loud. Jack popularised it but it's peculiar sound lost popularity in the early '70's. It ceased production in 1979. Note: Jack's EB3 was later customised by the addition of a diode in the circuitry to maintain and accentuate its fuzzy tone after Jack dropped the dual stacks.

FULL DETAILS ON JACK'S BASSES

Eric Clapton

1966 – 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard sunburst finish with double black coil PAFs( above right) - a magnificent guitar! Eric got it second hand but in as-new condition. It was stolen in early '67 but whether he would have continued to use it on stage is debatable.

Early 1967 – Gibson 1964 Les Paul SG 'Standard' (right) with tremelo arm fastened down and later replaced with new tail pieces. Black Gibson Les Paul Custom for some studio work on Gears Sessions (Lawdy Mama/Strange Brew lead at least plus rhythm on other tracks).

The SG retained the humbucking coil sound of the Les Paul but the lighter body allowed greater microphonic feedback. Its feedback was easier to control then that of the Stratocaster. Eric could retain his signature Les Paul crunch, get a more refined woman tone and incorporate Hendrix type pyrotechnics. Eric had this guitar painted by The Fool for the Murray the K show.

A Gibson ES335 12 string (possibly Rickenbacker) used on "Dance the Night Away".

The Gibson SG used on Wheels of Fire Live and In the Studio.

Martin and Guild 6 string acoustic guitars

Vox Wah-Wah pedal purchased from Manny's music store in New York during the Gears sessions.  On some of the Goodbye studio tracks he played through a leslie box.

Mid 68 – Gibson ES335 (left), Gibson Reverse Firebird I . (see Live Cream). The Firbird's single pickup and body gave the 'weird' tone exhibited on   and on "I'm So Glad", "Politician" and "Sitting on Top of the World"  on Goodbye. It was also used on "Sunshine" from the Summers Brothers Show (through a half stack producing the 'toy guitar' sound). The use of the ES335 (a classic semi-hollow body) was a throwback to the Yardbirds and Casey Jones

Strings: Sound City Extra Light Gauge, Fender Rock & Roll Light Gauge. Set with a low action.

Thanks to Jeffrey M. Aarons for advice on Eric's  guitars

FULL DETAILS ON EC'S CREAM GUITARS