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.
What we checked
Computed by a program, on this recipe, every time this page is built. How this works
Preset files — 1 of 3 complete
- Helix builds complete — every block in the recipe is in the file
- Quad Cortex 3 blocks replaced with a stand-in model
Which ones
Replaced with a stand-in: Studio Comp, Search Cortex Cloud for 'Fender Champ' capture, Tilt EQ. These load cleanly but are not the model named above — the file will sound wrong here until we map them. Set these blocks by hand.
- Katana 3 blocks replaced with a stand-in model
Which ones
Replaced with a stand-in: Crunch, Blues Drive (Booster), Plate. These load cleanly but are not the model named above — the file will sound wrong here until we map them. Set these blocks by hand.
What we didn't check
- Nobody played this through a real amp. There is no human listening test behind any number on this page.
- The settings are reasoned from the sources below, not measured off the record.
- No audio has been rendered for this recipe yet, so you cannot hear it before you load it.
- 3 platforms on this page (TONEX, Kemper, Fractal) get a model pointer, not a preset file — nothing was built or checked for them.
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The mic is listed because the chain uses it, not because anyone paid for the placement.