An EMPTY GUITAR CASE connected to musician ERIC CLAPTON fetched a large sum at auction, selling to a collector for £4,500 plus fees at Ryedale Auctioneers in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire.

The battered guitar case was stamped ‘DEREK AND THE DOMINOS’ and ‘FRAGILE’. Derek and The Dominos was a blues/rock band formed in 1970 and fronted by Eric Clapton.

Auctioneer Angus Ashworth of Ryedale Auctioneers, said: “The bidding war for this guitar case shows the demand for memorabilia associated with iconic musicians, especially someone as influential as Eric Clapton. Often, items linked to famous artists can fetch high prices, even if they are not the instruments themselves. The story behind the item, such as its history or specific events associated with it, can greatly enhance its value.”

“The guitar case had good provenance, as it was gifted to the owner of Leeds-based Ric Rac Studios by a roadie who toured with Derek and The Dominos in the 1970s."

The band’s only studio album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, was released in 1970 and did not achieve huge success upon its initial release, but went on to receive critical acclaim. A single from the album, Layla, inspired by Eric Clapton’s infatuation with his friend George Harrison’s wife Pattie Boyd, went on to achieve chart success. The album is now viewed as a defining record of Clapton’s career.

Also part of the contents of Ric Rac Studios, and achieving a high price in the sale, was a rare early Vox amplifier, circa late 1950s. The amp was in poor condition, and parts of the case were held together by gaffer tape. Bidders spotted the rare item (the same model was used by English rock group The Shadows) and pushed the price up to £5,900 plus fees.

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