Eric’s Psychedelic SG or Fool Guitar is a standard production 1964 Gibson Les Paul SG with no PAFs. Originally, these guitars came with the Deluxe Vibrolo as standard.
Eric’s Fool Guitar is not a 1961 SG model as commonly believed as it has six screws on the scratch plate. Gibson started using six screws on the scratch plate in 1964. Only four screws were used prior to that time.
The guitar’s original factory color is unknown. In early 1967, Eric commissioned “The Fool” (Dutch artists Simon Posthuma and Marijke Koger) to paint it. The artists are primarily known for their association with The Beatles and the gigantic mural on the outside wall of the building that housed the band’s Apple Boutique. (Around this time, they also painted a Fender bass for Eric’s Cream bandmate, Jack Bruce.)
Eric used the Fool Guitar during the recording of “Disraeli Gears” and would play it on stage until the band broke up in November 1968. It is also referred to as the “Psychedelic SG”.
In December 1968, Eric loaned the guitar to singer Jackie Lomax, when he played on sessions for Lomax’s album, “Is This What You Want?” (Apple). The guitar remained in Lomax’s possession for four years. In 1972, Lomax sold it to Todd Rundgren in a very bad state of repair. Rundgren paid Lomax $500 for the Fool Guitar and re-named it “Sunny.” Rundgren used the guitar regularly on stage. He later had several copies made and placed the original in storage. At some point, he had the original restored and the paint retouched. In 2000, Rundgren sold the original Fool Guitar at a Sotheby’s auction for $150,000.
For more information and photos of this famous guitar, visit the Fool Guitar Page of the Cream Site.
