No. 0101970·blues-rock·3 blocks
Layla
One of the most passionate guitar performances ever recorded. Clapton's tone on Layla is raw, urgent, and biting: a Fender Stratocaster ('Brownie') through a cranked Fender Champ, with the tiny amp pushed to its absolute limits. The Champ's single-ended 5-watt circuit compresses and distorts beautifully when dimed, producing a thick, creamy overdrive with natural sustain. Duane Allman's slide guitar interweaves with Clapton's lead lines, and both guitars were recorded through small amps at high volume for maximum saturation.
Layla and Other Assorted Love SongsSignal path · input → output · 9 blocksLive values · Line 6 Helix
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster ('Brownie')
Pickups
SSS
Tuning
bridge+middle
Strings
standard
Volume Pedal
Deluxe Comp
Scream 808
Minotaur
US Small Tweed
1x8 Small Tweed
Dynamic Plate
Tilt
Volume Pedal
← Volume pedal
Pedal
100%
Deluxe Comp
← Studio compressor
Threshold
-32dB
Ratio
2:1
Knee
6dB
Attack
0.0s
Release
0.2s
Mix
0.5
Level
0dB
Scream 808
← Tube Screamer (modern push)
Gain
0.2
Tone
0.6
Level
0.8
Minotaur
← Klon Centaur (clean boost option)
Gain
0.2
Tone
0.6
Level
0.7
US Small Tweed
← Fender Champ (dimed)
Drive
0.9
Bass
0.5
Mid
0.6
Treble
0.6
Presence
0.5
ChVol
0.8
Master
1
Bias
0.6
BiasX
0.5
Sag
0.7
Hum
0.5
Ripple
0.5
1x8 Small Tweed
← Fender Champ 1x8
LowCut19.9Hz
HighCut20100Hz
Level
0dB
Pan
0.5
Delay
0
Dynamic Plate
← Studio plate (Criteria Studios EMT)
LowCut130Hz
HighCut8000Hz
Mix
0.2
Decay
1.8s
Level
0
PreDelay
0.0ms
BassFreq
100
BassBoost
0
VarDelayAmpl
0.6
Damping
4500
MatrFreq
0.3
Tilt
← Tilt EQ (global brightness)
Tilt
0.5
CenterFreq
1000Hz
Level
0
Engineer's note
File 010
One of the most passionate guitar performances ever recorded. Clapton's tone on Layla is raw, urgent, and biting: a Fender Stratocaster ('Brownie') through a cranked Fender Champ, with the tiny amp pushed to its absolute limits. The Champ's single-ended 5-watt circuit compresses and distorts beautifully when dimed, producing a thick, creamy overdrive with natural sustain. Duane Allman's slide guitar interweaves with Clapton's lead lines, and both guitars were recorded through small amps at high volume for maximum saturation.
— Eric Clapton
Sources · Verified by
Field notes for this tone
All field notes →Marshall Silver Jubilee vs. JCM800: The Overlooked Middle Sibling
The 2555 Silver Jubilee sits between the JCM800 and the JCM900 in both era and gain structure. Here is what makes it different, who used it, and the settings that get you there.
When the V30 Is Still the Right Speaker: Medium-Gain Rock and the Case Against Modern
The Celestion V30 takes a beating in modern djent contexts, and that criticism is fair. But in the medium-gain rock zone (Marshall plexis pushed to breakup, Bluesbreaker-stacked Twin Reverbs, AC30 territory), the V30 is still the speaker its 1990s reputation was built on. Here is when to choose it, and what it does that nothing else quite does.
Les Paul Junior Tone Recipe: Single P-90 Into a Clean Amp Is One of the Best Rock Tones
One pickup. One volume. One tone. No neck position, no coil split, no menu. The Les Paul Junior's single bridge P-90 into a clean amp is a complete tonal system. Here are the settings that prove it.
