Guitar Center and Eric Clapton have teamed up once more for an exclusive collection featuring limited edition electric and acoustic guitars from Martin, Fender, and PRS – plus a special signature set of electric guitar strings from Ernie Ball.
This long-standing collaboration supports the Crossroads Centre, in Antigua, with a portion from each sale going to support the addiction recovery unit. And there are some special guitars in the lineup. Special? Clapton prefers “sacred”.
“Music has always been my most reliable source of inspiration, or salvation,” said Eric Clapton. “These guitars are sacred things to me.”
He might have a point. The Blind Faith Telecaster fits that description, and here it is makes a welcome return. So-called after the hybrid Telecaster with the Stratocaster neck that Clapton played with the short-lived supergroup, it was last released in 2019, a Custom Shop dream machine made by Fender Master Builder Todd Krause, marking the 50th anniversary of the band that only existed in 1969.
This one does not have the aged lacquer on the neck like its predecessor but it is replete with Custom Shop detail, right down to the slight gap in the neck pocket.
Clapton put this guitar together on his kitchen table, swapping out the original Tele neck for a Strat neck, he took it out with Cream. But then decided to take the neck off of his Brownie Strat, that soft-V profile just perfect for this Tele. The Strat’s neck is a smidge thinner, hence the gap.
This comes fitted with a pair of Alnico 2 ’63 Telecaster pickups. You’ll find the ashtray bridge cover in the guitar case, plus instructions on how to return it to ‘50s wiring. It’s amazing, and there are only 130 of them, each priced $4,999.
Gabe Dalporto, CEO of Guitar Center spoke of the gear retail giant’s long-standing support for the Crossroads Festival and the addiction support centre it helps fund.
“For more than two decades, we’ve partnered with Eric Clapton and the Crossroads organisation to create iconic instruments, with powerful stories behind them, and put them in musicians’ hands,” says Dalporto. “The 2026 Crossroads Guitar Collection continues that tradition, with every one sold supporting a cause Eric has championed for decades.”
Think of Clapton and you think Martin guitars, and this year’s collection does not disappoint – not least because, at $1,899, the Martin 000-13E Eric Clapton represents a more affordable option, and a very nice guitar it is too, with its 24.9” scale, the Golden Era 42-style snowflake inlays on ebony, Slowhand’s signature on the fingerboard.
It has a solid spruce top, Ziricote fine veneer on the back and sides, and lots of MTV Unplugged mojo.
At $9,699, the Martin Custom Shop 000-42 Eric Clapton Ziricote is the first of his signature Martins to be made from ziricote. It looks incredible with that shade top 1935 Sunburst finish. Brand-new pre-War stylings for the serious player.
Last but by no means least, we have Martin making a withdrawal from its premium tonewood bank, putting together a $24,999 000-42 with Brazilian rosewood on the back and sides. It does not get any better. They’re only making five of these, for obvious reasons. Clapton has signed the soundhole label and the COA, and this, well, this is the ultimate Clapton acoustic. “See if you can spot this one… [plays Layla].”
John Mayer is among the special guests at this year’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, which takes place over the weekend of September 26 to 27 and also features the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Julian Lage, Joe Bonamassa, Buddy Guy, Billy Gibbons… The lineup is incredible.
When you see Mayer take the stage he might possibly be sporting this new-look PRS Silver Sky in Incline Blue. This augments the traditional birds inlay with the Crossroads logo at the 12th fret. It has a commemorative neck plate, too. PRS has only made 70 of them and they’re priced $3,750.
And if you’re not in the market for a new guitar, that’s okay, too, because Ernie Ball has got in on the action with Clapton signature packs for that Stratocaster (or Tele/Strat hybrid, SG, Les Paul etc) in your life, gauges 10-46 as per Slowhand’s preferences, three sets in a tin for $29.
These are all available from Guitar Center and historically all of these limited run guitars sell out in no time. Head over to Guitar Center for more.
