Getting the Clapton Tone.

Offset

victorludorum said:

"Drunk uncle at a funeral wake singing". I think I might have heard it all now. So off the money it's frightening. 

Accurate or not, it was bloody funny.  Oddly enough, Clappo's voice is one of the things I like most about his music.  His playing is one of the things I like least :-)

<retreats as mass brawl breaks out>

vasselmeyer

Gassage said:

@crunchman ;

That's helpful and yes, of course.

This is the tone...it's absolutely wonderful. As is the playing in this- Eric at his finest.

This makes me feel old...that clip is from nearly 30 years ago.

Hootsmon

What you need is a Kingsley Jester Custom....;)

Neilybob

I wonder if this pre-amp pedal would help you get closer to that sound? 

JSA Effects Porta IV https://reverb.com/item/72709302?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=72709302

DefaultM

Don’t bother with any of that amp stuff you mentioned, just get the Digitech Crossroads pedal straight to desk and you’re sorted.

tone1

Yep…..I’ve always wondered how Clappo got his sound. I assumed it was the active onboard boosty thing he uses….

thecolourbox

Sorry for potentially derailing the thread but actually strangely for me my comment was actually a back handed compliment to him because while I was criticising his singing (which I stand by nonetheless, and the awful piano playing), his tone and playing was actually quite enjoyable and especially so in what was a crowded mix. I just wish the video had started at that point and without the song song sing along bit at the start.

My comment was badly worded perhaps, but of course I'm sure Eric of all people should forgive that!

bbill335

his good tone back then in the NBTB days were playing a 335/other semihollow, the strat sound was always a lot more nasal and reedy in comparison. was he using soldanos at the time? who cares really, compressed heavy-midrange tones aren't exactly hard to get, and there are many routes there. just step on a tubescreamer or klone or something.

feel like this period was the first time he was singing the way he always wanted to, he figured something out. it's refreshing to see him looking "workmanlike", in the tshirt and loose trousers. i saw a fairly recent pic of him on stage wearing some awful hooded letterman jacket, hood up, looking as ridiculous as his sociopolitical ramblings.

jdgm

vasselmeyer said:

Gassage said:

@crunchman ;;;;

That's helpful and yes, of course.

This is the tone...it's absolutely wonderful. As is the playing in this- Eric at his finest.

This makes me feel old...that clip is from nearly 30 years ago.

Wear glasses, use a compressor along with all the other stuff.

Seriously - they always say tone is in the fingers and Clapton exemplifies that IMO.  The playing is always very logical - downstrokes on strong beats, A goes to B then C, so to speak, and so he never wastes notes.  Superb call and response player.  He is also a very learned man as far as post-war electric blues guitarists (20th century) go.

Kittyfrisk

jdgm said:

vasselmeyer said:

Gassage said:

@crunchman ;

That's helpful and yes, of course.

This is the tone...it's absolutely wonderful. As is the playing in this- Eric at his finest.

This makes me feel old...that clip is from nearly 30 years ago.

Wear glasses, use a compressor along with all the other stuff.

You make him sound like tyre fitter or a sandblaster.

Philly_Q

DefaultM said:

Don’t bother with any of that amp stuff you mentioned, just get the Digitech Crossroads pedal straight to desk and you’re sorted.

Absolutely.  Oddly I'd just been reading an old review of it before I saw this thread.

richardhomer

I’ve seen him three times in the last 18 months; RAH in May 2022, Woking Leisure Centre ‘dry’ New Year’s Eve show (capacity about 1000 people) and RAH in May this year for the Jeff Beck Tribute. I was close to the front on each occasion and was surprised how much level was coming from his amp - much of what I was hearing was definitely from the back line, rather than the PA.

Though his sound wasn’t massively distorted, I reckon the power stage and speakers were being driven hard. At Woking there wasn’t even a wah pedal - it was guitar straight into the amp. The guts of the amps were built by Dumble incidentally - though they appear to be Tweed Fenders.

This is from the Beck Tribute show - EC’s tone is huge:
https://youtu.be/d5Cx4exM2sI?si=m6PNTk_2dNWjoJ37

jdgm

Kittyfrisk said:

jdgm said:

Wear glasses, use a compressor along with all the other stuff.

You make him sound like tyre fitter or a sandblaster.

Wow what a compliment!!  I didn't realise you'd heard me play!!!

Axe_meister

Personally I think the best sound he had was his 80s/90s Soldano and TC electronic rack gear. 
Saw him in 89 on the Journeyman tour, the sound was awesome, plus lots of variation from song to sing, now we have the same tone + maybe the Leslie song after song after song.

CloudNine

Offset said:

Accurate or not, it was bloody funny.  Oddly enough, Clappo's voice is one of the things I like most about his music.  His playing is one of the things I like least :-)

<retreats as mass brawl breaks out>

I agree with this. I am no big Clapton fan, aside from a few outings with the 335 which are exceptional, but the thing I usually come away with after watching, is how good his singing is. I must have had some serious pre conceived notion many years ago that he couldn’t be a good vocalist, because I still feel a bit surprised, even after the 100th time of watching him sing really well. 

Jez6345789

Hi Eric does not like to comment on these threads but said if you find it please send it home to me lol

littlegreenman

"Off Topic"? Surely should have been moved to "Guitar" by now? @digitalscream @Roland ;

digitalscream

littlegreenman said:

"Off Topic"? Surely should have been moved to "Guitar" by now? @digitalscream @Roland ;

Emp_Fab

Absolutely.  Get this music stuff out of my yard immediately !!!

littlegreenman

digitalscream said:

littlegreenman said:

"Off Topic"? Surely should have been moved to "Guitar" by now? @digitalscream @Roland ;