Amp settings - that Clapton sound

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dan_alive
dan_alive Posts: 123
edited July 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
Hey guys,

I was listening to Clapton on SNL and was wondering how i can get that bluesy warm chunky sound.... this description is shit I know but I'm hoping someone can give me a hint of what settings to try on my Hot Rod Deluxe tube amp...

Thanks heaps
Dan.
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"It is I, with the empty bladder!"

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Post edited by Unknown User on

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  • Pacomc79
    Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by dan_alive
    Hey guys,

    I was listening to Clapton on SNL and was wondering how i can get that bluesy warm chunky sound.... this description is shit I know but I'm hoping someone can give me a hint of what settings to try on my Hot Rod Deluxe tube amp...

    Thanks heaps
    Dan.


    do you have any overdrive pedals Dan?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • dan_alive
    dan_alive Posts: 123
    Hey Paco,

    Yep, I've got a multi-effects pedal by BOSS. I was hoping I could get it through the amp's drive channel... I'm going to muck around with it now :)

    What would you suggest with the overdrive pedal settings?

    Dan.
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    "It is I, with the empty bladder!"

    www.nowalletevolution.com
  • Hiwatt
    Hiwatt Posts: 19
    He doesn't use any pedals, his guitar "strat" is the main thing here. He uses Fender Strats with Lace Sensor pickups, and the last tone nob is actually a 25db mid boost which he uses to overdrive his clean channels. He might uses some sort of a boost/overdrive pedal like a tube screamer. Clapton is well known for using these strat's and 4x10 tweed bassmans, or a clone of one such as a Victoria Amp. The main thing for his tone though is the strats with the boost and lace sensor pickups. Through a Hot Rod Deluxe, I would say turn the gain to about 3 on the regular drive channel, crank your mids, and lets the master volume really break up the amp.
  • dan_alive
    dan_alive Posts: 123
    Thanks Hiwatt :)
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    "It is I, with the empty bladder!"

    www.nowalletevolution.com
  • mccreadyisgod
    mccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    What era? Recent, or vintage?

    You could always start searching for an old Marshall Bluesbreaker combo amp... basically a Plexi combo... but was it a 2x12" or a 4x10"??? TAFKAMIG prefers to believe it was the 4x10"...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • Pacomc79
    Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by Hiwatt
    He doesn't use any pedals, his guitar "strat" is the main thing here. He uses Fender Strats with Lace Sensor pickups, and the last tone nob is actually a 25db mid boost which he uses to overdrive his clean channels. He might uses some sort of a boost/overdrive pedal like a tube screamer. Clapton is well known for using these strat's and 4x10 tweed bassmans, or a clone of one such as a Victoria Amp. The main thing for his tone though is the strats with the boost and lace sensor pickups. Through a Hot Rod Deluxe, I would say turn the gain to about 3 on the regular drive channel, crank your mids, and lets the master volume really break up the amp.


    I concur. with the settings and all that. The TBX circuit is very nice and a huge part of the overdrive but there are several 25db+ external clean boosts you can add in line that are farily inexpensive that will help you attain that warm sound without bringing the house down with volume. You want a nice fat full range boost. I think you can get pretty close to Clapton's tone with that amp even without the boost, play with the gain level and mids until you get that blusey tone, try it at first with the reverb completely out then add just a bit as you go. The most important thing is natural power tube overdrive and speaker breakup just like Hiwatt mentioned.

    (clean) boost is kind of a misconception. Boosts make your guitar hotter ideally without adding colour. Essentially it makes your guitar sound bigger and hotter so it makes the amp work harder without changing the EQ. That's the lovely transparent sustain rich light compression that everyone that plays blues at least seems to love so much.

    Another user of the Fender TBX circuit is Pete Townsend, you can clearly see him reach for it (First tone knob) on his strat in the "Live at Royal Albert Hall DVD"


    here's an example for you. But a bit pricey. http://www.pedalgeek.com/cgi-bin/new_shop.cgi?config=&uid=DLIGgwAA1090611592&command=link--tmrm
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.

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