aaamusic | On 21, Nov 2010

UK musicians have revealed their number one Guitar Hero is Eric Clapton, according to new research undertaken by the UK’s largest musical insurer, Allianz Musical Insurance, this week at Guitar Nation Live.

Guitarists that visited the Allianz stand during Guitar Nation Live were asked to declare their guitar idols – those famous guitarists who have been a great musical influence on them. The top five guitarists amongst these musos are:

• 1. Eric Clapton
  2. Jimi Hendrix
  3. Jimmy Page
  4. Jeff Beck
  5. Chuck Berry

Respondents also declared that Eric Clapton’s ‘Blackie’ Statocaster was the guitar that they’d most like to own, further cementing him as the ultimate guitar legend.

The top five guitars that musicians would like to own are:

• 1. Blackie Stratocastor, played by Eric Clapton
  2. Double neck Gibson, played by Jimmy Page
  3. Number one strat, played by Stevie Ray Vaughan
  4. Les Paul, played by Les Paul
  5. Red Special, played by Brian May

Robin Stagg, Allianz Musical Insurance’s Claims Manager and guitarist said, “It’s great to see that the UK still has a strong rock star tradition.  At Allianz we want to make sure that guitarists can keep living like their guitar heroes by protecting their instrument should it be damaged, lost or stolen.”

The survey also asked about the guitarists’ own ‘inner rock star’ by finding out the most unusual place the respondents had played their guitar.  More than a third of musicians (38%) have played on a beach and some even made claims to playing on a plane, the underground and even three guitarists had played on a rollercoaster.