Someone needs to build Clapton an amp

[heisthl]

Read the last line:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/1 ... index.html

[tele_player]

Excellent!

[gearhead]

Wanna take wagers on how many amps will be coming his way? LOL

[TimS]

That guy could make any amp sound good. Would be interesting to hear him playing through a Dumble, though.

[ayan]

That guy could make any amp sound good. Would be interesting to hear him playing through a Dumble, though.

Or bad... with the wrong guitar in his hands. He needs to lose the active electronics IMHO. In the Hyde Park concert video, he sounds great on the 345 (335? I forget) but the Clapton Strat sounds not-so-good. Best tones for me where back in the 60s, or even in "EC Was Here" from the 70s, for which he lost Brownie/Blackie and played an Explorer instead... Fat, creamy sound.

Gil

[TimS]

Or bad... with the wrong guitar in his hands. He needs to lose the active electronics IMHO.

I'll second that. The only time I've even remotely liked his tone with active electronics (if he was even using them then) was on the Lethal Weapon soundtrack.

My favorite Clapton tone, believe it or not, is the one he had on the Layla album. Ratty and bluesy, yet sweet. It was perfect for the music he was playing at the time.

[nickt]

Or bad... with the wrong guitar in his hands. He needs to lose the active electronics IMHO.

I'll second that. The only time I've even remotely liked his tone with active electronics (if he was even using them then) was on the Lethal Weapon soundtrack.

My favorite Clapton tone, believe it or not, is the one he had on the Layla album. Ratty and bluesy, yet sweet. It was perfect for the music he was playing at the time.

Personal favourite is his tone as "Maestro Mysterioso" with the Beatles (While My Guitar Gently Weeps) - another great sound was for the "Edge of Darkness" sound track.

I think he's a guy who needs someone else calling the shots to bring out his best.

[TimS]

Personal favourite is his tone as "Maestro Mysterioso" with the Beatles (While My Guitar Gently Weeps)

Can't believe I forgot about that one! Now that you mention it, that might just be my favorite too.

[Bob-I]

I haven't like Clapton's tone since the Dominos, and even that at times was too thin. To me he just sounds over processed and dry. I miss the good ol' "Woman" tone of the Cream days, THAT was real tone.

[skyboltone]

That guy could make any amp sound good. Would be interesting to hear him playing through a Dumble, though.

Or bad... with the wrong guitar in his hands. He needs to lose the active electronics IMHO. In the Hyde Park concert video, he sounds great on the 345 (335? I forget) but the Clapton Strat sounds not-so-good. Best tones for me where back in the 60s, or even in "EC Was Here" from the 70s, for which he lost Brownie/Blackie and played an Explorer instead... Fat, creamy sound.

Gil

Yup. His tone on the Cream Reunion (is that Hyde Park?) just sucked. He needs a great amp camoflaged in a Twin Reverb box. And some Fralin or Lollar pups, and an alder strat. Maybe a Callaham. Fender couldn't care less as long as it says fender on the front.

[skyboltone]

I haven't like Clapton's tone since the Dominos, and even that at times was too thin. To me he just sounds over processed and dry. I miss the good ol' "Woman" tone of the Cream days, THAT was real tone.

That was Gibson/Marshall tone.

[skyboltone]

This ain't bad, though he sold that guitar to GC.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MUpc0YNkkJ0

[RJ Guitars]

I have a couple of DVD's with lots of vintage Clapton footage... One Yardbirds history and a 2nd Cream History... I forget the exact titles of them. but both have a lot of cool vintage clips of EC long before he was involved with the Fender sponsorship.

In the early days it seems he always had a telecaster and usually was playing through a Selmer Amp. Even after Cream was well established he was playing his funky painted SG through a big Selmer. It's only the later footage where he shows up with the Marshall and a Les Paul.... after the band was big and famous. In my book that early Cream tone is the best Clapton ever sounded... and it's my guess it was a Selmer amp.

It's been my assumption that the Cream recordings were with the SG and the Yardbirds stuff was all with the Tele... simply because every piece of footage I've seen shows them with that equipment during that time.

I haven't seen much Blues Breakers footage so I dunno what he used. I understand the Layla Sessions were recorded with a champ. I know at one point he was famous for playing a Gibson Byrdland hollow body, but I couldn't say what songs he recorded with it.

After watching those videos I gained a heavy respect for those old Selmers. They were really cool looking amps and I suspect we heard them on a bunch of early Clapton recordings. They definitely used them in the live performances on the video recordings.

Maybe somebody will build him a Selmer??

rj

[Fischerman]

That Cream reunion really disappointed me just because of the guitar he played and the tone he got. For my ears, his tone peaked on tracks like Spoonful.

[G-Dorian]

That Cream reunion really disappointed me just because of the guitar he played and the tone he got. For my ears, his tone peaked on tracks like Spoonful.

I agree. Spoonful and Crossroads. That was his best tone, to me.