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Clapton's Cream Tone


Bill-Murray

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Yeah, sure. Buy just about ANY boutique amplifier made today, most of them have that tone built in.

I am not trying to 'diss' you in any way, but I think Clapton's <cough cough> 'woman tone' ...is a complete joke.

That 'woman tone' is basically a blues tone that has been bastardized by the boutique amp builders as something that was, but really never was.

It's a false myth, and if you want to believe in it, that's fine, but at least know what you're asking for.

You show me ONE great blues player from the early days that sounded ANYTHING like that. As far as I know, it simply does NOT exist. Until the '60's white boys anyway.

I consider that tone as baby-suckling pap. Liquid formula. Gerbers for blues noodlers.

It muffles any mistakes you make, it evens out any real character your playing might have in it, it is like 'beginners formula' for blues noodlers.

I am a freaking blues hound, and none of my blues heroes EVER had a tone anywhere near a hundred miles of that 'woman tone'.

I call it 'beginners tone', or 'amateurs tone', or 'Gerbers tone', or 'BS Boutique tone' myself, although YMMV.

Please don't let yourself fall into that pit, 99% of the blues out there played by card carrying blues guitarists sounds nothing like that.

That sound is for bedroom wannabe players who want to imagine themselves up on stage and want some sort of tone to approximate that situation.

As usual, that's my opinion, YMMV.

Easy, low wattage way to that tone would be a Dr. Z. Charmen Ghia w/ an overdrive footbox in front.

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Hey Drak, I respect you and all, but what the hell was that?? When did I once say anything about "Blues". I love the blues, but NEVER said I was trying to get that tone. That's easy, a hollowbody and a vox or fender. I did say "Marshall plexi stack", name me one blues guitarist from the 60's who used a marshall plexi stack. I think that tone is awesome, download sunshine of your love, give it an unbiased listen. How can you call that tone bad?? And screw boutique amps, if I wanna blow that kinda money, I'd get a plexi. And then you say Clapton has no character in his playing, that's a joke. I know he borrowed alot from Robert Johnson, etc. But he's still great.

EDIT: I'd like to hear what you think of Hendrix too, cause he looked up to Clapton....

Edited by Bill-Murray
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Well, I'm not trying to start an argument you know, but I always speak my mind, whether it's a popular opinion or not, I am not one of those politically correct posters, I'll say exactly what's on my mind, you are free to disagree at any time. And if you disagree, I hope you DO, I like peoiple who voice their opinions. This world is becoming a little TOO politically correct for my blood lately...but I digress...

So thats what 'that' was all 'about'. As I stated, I wasn't dissing you or your tonal objectives.

Actually, a lot of white boys started using the Marshall stacks in the '60's, but if you weren't talking about blues tone, OK, forget everything I said. I read a LOT of posts from guys trying to cop EXACTLY that, so please forgive me, obviously I have erred in my ways, hehehe. :D

And I TOTALLY agree, SOYL has tremendous tone, at that volume, played by that guy, but when you hand some blues wanker an amp that can do that in his bedroom at teeny weeny volume levels, well, something is bound to get lost, if you get my drift...

And as far as Clapton, he has GREAT tone as long as he's trying to be Clapton. As soon as he tries to emulate every other blues player (on that blues disc of his) he sucks assawind

I stand by that statement all day long. I bought that CD, and every single cut I heard, I could easily name you a REAL blues guy whos' style he was trying to emulate, and emulate -badly- he did. I would rather listen to the real thing every time.

But as long as he's playing Eric, he's great.

Sooooooooo, where does that leave us?

The reason for your question seems to be lost somewhere now.

You ask how to get that w/o a Plexi stack. Well, at what volumes are you looking to get that sound? It's not too awfully hard, but it DOES depend on what volume level you want to achieve that sound at.

Balls in yer court podnuh. B)

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Yeah, I didn't want this to get into an argument. I also love blues tone, Buddy Guy is one of my favorite guitarists. But it's cool, you guys can close this topic down, I pretty much got the tone I want. I agree people are too polite and politically correct. If you have something to say, then say it, you know? That's why I respect you so much, plus you make a mean axe. Now to smooth everything over, a nice friendly emoticon :D

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Yes, there's no argument here at all.

But by backing out, you are playing the politically correct game.

Please bring on your side of the conversation!

Dammit! B)

I WANT to hear what you're after, and I'm not trying to 'stuff' your side of the issue, why would we close this topic down? I'm not angry, I'm not close-minded, I'm not going to tell you that your point of view sucks (unless you try to say his blues CD is wonderful, hahaha!, just an opinion tho :D )

So let's talk about Cream tone!

At what volume are you trying to cop that old Eric/335 semi-hollow/ ballsy tone?

(and I'm not remotely ruffled, so there's no need to smooth anything over :D )

Sheebs, should I apologise so's we can talk? :D

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Hey Drak, I'm not French, you don't have to apologize to me :D. Hey check out this video, they were playing really sloppy, probably were just working on the song, but I feel it's really cool.

http://vintageamps.com/PlexiPalaceUBBcgi/u...c;f=16;t=005278

Yeah, Clapton in Cream was awesome. He kinda wussed out and when he did his pop crap after that. I actually didn't get a chance to check out his blues album, I did see the Crossroads festival on TV. He basically ripped off they other musician's style, and I don't think that's cool at all. Kinda like what Page did too. I'm working on that song, and I got most of it down except the solo, it's really fun to play. What kind of music do you like, blues??

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hey! you guys are sure dang funny!

back to the topic at hand, clapton's woman tone. i approximated it with an alder, mple/rosewood strat and a duncan 59 trembucker into a tech21 trademark 10, fender blues junior and a peavey classic 30. ymmv though. but i did fiddle with the tone knob on the strat to get what i wanna hear.

just my 0.02.

dani

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Thanks daniboy. I am pretty much happy with the tone I have. We're gonna do a show at a battle of the bands at school next month, and we're gonna do a cover of it. Maybe I'll try and record it and put it up here. If it's bad, of course some mystery guy is gonna put it up so I can save what little dignity I have after getting hassled by Draky-Boy here.

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Yeah, if I had a panic room I'd be in one right now holding a gun and staring at a picture of drak. I'd probably be wearing some cool red berre' (SP) and I'd be carving an apple with a huge fillet knife. But not taking my eyes off of his picture while I was carving and eating my apple.

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I've just got a gibby LP special and a fender twin solid state. I get pretty good tone (not great) with my neck pickup, tone to 10, gain around 3 or 4 and limiter around 2. Of course I got all my bass and treble how I like it...

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I use this tone alot, but I use my neck pickup. I read somewhere that the *correct* way to get the woman tone is to use the bridge pickup, with the tone rolled down.

I preffer using the neckpickup- I use it alot for solos (woman tone or no)- I find it a much more responsive pickup to use.

Luke

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