Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • "She knew what she'd created": Back to Black
  • Trower's '80s supergroup
  • Music theory tricks
  • Stage Tour game
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Guitars
  2. Electric Guitars

Musikmesse 2010: Clapton's Blackie and SRV's Lenny in pictures

News
By Chris Vinnicombe
Published 24 March 2010

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Not just any old vintage guitars...

Not just any old vintage guitars...

The Burst Brothers, Dave Belzer and Andrew Berlin, are celebrities in the world of vintage guitar collecting. Although famed for their love of 'bursts - 1958-60 sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standards to be precise - their presence at the International Vintage Show at Frankfurt Musikmesse 2010 is setting Stratocaster lovers' pulses racing.

Why? They've flown over to Germany two of the most valuable and famous electric guitars in the history of popular music: Stevie Ray Vaughan's Lenny and Eric Clapton's Blackie. Priceless? Nearly. Certainly the list of classic recordings on which these Fenders have featured is too long to list here.

MusicRadar was lucky enough to get inside the glass case in which the Strats are housed at the show and get up close and personal with two of the most important instruments in the history of electric blues, still strung with the original strings played by their former owners, battle-scarred and oozing vibe. What follows is vintage guitar porn of the most hardcore kind. Proceed with caution......

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
Lenny

Lenny

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
Scratchplate detail

Scratchplate detail

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
Headstock

Headstock

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
Bridge inlay

Bridge inlay

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
Around the back

Around the back

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
Blackie

Blackie

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
Fingerboard detail

Fingerboard detail

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
Headstock

Headstock

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
Blackie's back

Blackie's back

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
And then the glass case was locked...

And then the glass case was locked...

To find out more about the Burst Brothers and their love for all things vintage, visit the official Burst Brothers website.

Stayed tuned to MusicRadar for more vintage guitar porn from the International Vintage Show at Frankfurt Musikmesse 2010.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
Chris Vinnicombe

Chris Vinnicombe worked with us here on the MusicRadar team from the site's initial launch way back in 2007, and also contributed to Guitarist magazine as Features Editor until 2014, as well as Total Guitar magazine, amongst others. These days he can be found at Gibson Guitars, where he is editor-in-chief.

Latest in Electric Guitars
Jackso Pro Series Phil Collen PC1-E
Artists Phil Collen on why you can play anything on his new Jackson, and even nail those Hysteria tones
 
 
Fender American Ultra Luxe 60s Stratocaster
Guitars Fender CEO admits regret over S-style cease-and-desist campaign – but says it will "improve" guitar design
 
 
PRS Silver Sky Defender in front of a matching Defender 4x4.
Guitars Who knew classic Land Rover Defender paint jobs would look so good on John Mayer’s Silver Sky?
 
 
Fender Limited Edition American Professional Classic Telecaster with Silent System
Guitars Has Fender finally solved the problem of single-coil hum with this “innovative breakthrough”?
 
 
Harley Benton SC-550 Plus Fishman Fluence
Guitars Harley Benton just factory modded its SC-550 Plus and sent it out with Fishman Fluence Classic humbuckers – active, multi-voiced, hum-free pro pickups in a sub-$500 guitar
 
 
Epiphone Joan Jett Olympic Special
Electric Guitars Epiphone brings back the Joan Jett Olympic Special and gives the single-pickup powerhouse an all-new look
 
 
Latest in News
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK - MAY 05:  Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood pose backstage during the exclusive launch event of The Rolling Stones new album “Foreign Tongues” at Weylin on May 5, 2026 in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for UMG)
Artists Andrew Watt says he kept thing loose when he produced the Stones, but also added a surprising synth sub-bass
 
 
Brian May
Guitarists “It blew me away so badly”: Brian May says that hearing Jimi Hendrix made him question whether he should be a guitar player
 
 
Prodigy
Samples Want to sound like The Prodigy? Download this free pack of Prodigy-style samples
 
 
(EDITORS NOTE: A special effects camera filter was used for this image.) Olivia Rodrigo at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
Artists Olivia Rodrigo on how being a "novice" guitarist led to a happy accident when she was writing The Cure
 
 
Jackso Pro Series Phil Collen PC1-E
Artists Phil Collen on why you can play anything on his new Jackson, and even nail those Hysteria tones
 
 
Oasis Dont' Look Back in Anger poster crop
Gigs & Festivals “Please remain vigilant”: Oasis warn against scammers in the forthcoming Live 27 ticketing bunfight
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...