top of page
Martin D28 guitar front.png

Eric Clapton's
1974 Martin D-28

The "Wonderful Tonight" Guitar

"Wonderful Tonight" is Eric Clapton's most popular song by every measure. 

 

It is his best-selling single, and the song has been streamed on Spotify 449.4 million times and played on classic radio some 40 billion times.

  

Provenance

This 1974 Martin D-28 acoustic played a significant role in Clapton's career and has a special place in his legacy, as  "Wonderful Tonight" was written on this guitar. Clapton described this Martin as his "chief guitar throughout the 1970s" and said he was never separated from it during this period. He used the guitar extensively for recording, writing, and stage work and is pictured playing it on many occasions.

Gallery

Description

  • Serial No. 353275

  • Natural finish

  • Rosewood body

  • Spruce top

  • Mahogany neck

  • Twenty fret ebony fingerboard with dot inlays

  • Ebony pin bridge with fitted transducer and two floral inlays

  • Black pickguard and barcus berry mini jack input strap button

  • Large sticker on side of body with blue lettering: "She's In Love With a Rodeo Man" as placed there by Eric Clapton

Case​

  • Grey hardshell contour case with white stencilled lettering "ERIC CLAPTON GROUP TULSA, OKLA. DELICATE ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT HANDLE WITH CARE" 

  • Blue plush lining and Lee Dickson's handwritten tie-on label Martin 000-28 (Rodeo Man) 53275 and adhesive paper label similarly inscribed; case containing a red strap

​​

In their auction notes, Christie's wrote that this was his chief guitar throughout the 1970s. Clapton confirmed this when he said, "I've had it since the '70s, and that guitar went everywhere with me."  

From the Archive

"Wonderful Tonight" first appeared on the Slowhand album and Clapton wrote it for his wife, Pattie Boyd. Formerly George Harrison’s wife, Boyd was also the inspiration for “Something” and “Layla.” She tells the story about Eric writing the song in her biography “Wonderful Today.” 

We All Have a Few Wonderful Tonights in Our Lives

"Wonderful Tonight" videos across YouTube have amassed more than 490 million views. *(Filtered for 10M and up.)

 

Official Channels

Warner Brothers (From the Vault): 140M

Eric Clapton (Live @MSG 1999): 121M

Eric Clapton (Live in San Diego): 54M

 

User Uploads Featuring Claptonn

@goulding234 (Lyric Video): 64M

@Clark200666 (Lyric Video): 50M

@KatimaciJD (Live Show): 22M

@castroalessandro (Live Show): 19M

@TheMatchMePodcast (20th Anniv. EP): 11M

@MrGoodmusiclover (Live Show) 10M

We All Have a Few Wonderful Tonights in Our Lives

bottom of page