Eric Clapton acquired this guitar around 1978 or 1979. Back then, Clapton would sometimes go around and shop up dust-collector 50's and 60's Pre-CBS Strats when they were out-of-fashion and worth just a few hundred dollars. He would play them, or gift them away to his musician friends. At one point, some went under the chopping block and picked apart. (Three of his purchases would become "Blackie", his most famous Strat.)

This particular 1954 Hardtail was one he kept. It was used by him primarily as a slide guitar for the tour of 1979. Clapton actually prefers blocked off tremolo Strats (Springs gives it characters according to him) but he kept this one simply because it was a '54. But he just used it for Slide mostly.

We do know that the neck is made by Tadeo Gomez in September 1954.

Not much more is known about this other that hardtails from '54 is not very common. Few were actually made, and there is no known history about this guitar before Clapton got it.

In 2022, he decided to auction it off. The starting bid was a crazy $1.000.000 dollar, but it eventually failed to sell. for that price and nobody bought it.

Fast forward to 2024, i have no idea where this guitar is now. Still with Clapton, or with someone else?

If you know, drop me a line.