Eric Clapton has been named as UK musicians’ top guitarist in a new poll
conducted by Allianz Musical Insurance.
A survey undertaken by the firm at Guitar Nation Live led to Clapton being named as the number one guitar idol for the majority of visitors to the show.
Musicians were asked to reveal the guitarist that had been the greatest inspiration to them and Clapton topped the pile, with Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Chuck Berry completing the top five.
Clapton is the only person who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times and throughout his career he has been viewed as one of the most influential guitarists of all time.
In addition, Clapton’s Blackie Stratocaster was also declared the guitar visitors would most like to own, followed by Jimmy Page’s double neck Gibson, the number one Strat, played by Stevie Ray Vaughan, the original Les Paul and Brian May’s Red Special.
“It’s great to see that the UK still has a strong rock star tradition,” said
Robin Stagg, Allianz Musical Insurance’s claims manager.
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 per cent) have played on a beach and some even made claims to playing on a plane, the underground and even on a rollercoaster.
Meanwhile, research carried out by the musical instrument insurance firm earlier this year found that video games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band were helping to inspire a large number of people to learn an instrument in the UK.
A survey of over 2,000 respondents showed that one in five people who play such games will go on to take up a musical instrument.

A survey undertaken by the firm at Guitar Nation Live led to Clapton being named as the number one guitar idol for the majority of visitors to the show.
Musicians were asked to reveal the guitarist that had been the greatest inspiration to them and Clapton topped the pile, with Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Chuck Berry completing the top five.
Clapton is the only person who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times and throughout his career he has been viewed as one of the most influential guitarists of all time.
In addition, Clapton’s Blackie Stratocaster was also declared the guitar visitors would most like to own, followed by Jimmy Page’s double neck Gibson, the number one Strat, played by Stevie Ray Vaughan, the original Les Paul and Brian May’s Red Special.
“It’s great to see that the UK still has a strong rock star tradition,” said

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 per cent) have played on a beach and some even made claims to playing on a plane, the underground and even on a rollercoaster.
Meanwhile, research carried out by the musical instrument insurance firm earlier this year found that video games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band were helping to inspire a large number of people to learn an instrument in the UK.
A survey of over 2,000 respondents showed that one in five people who play such games will go on to take up a musical instrument.