Solo Tone

5:01 AM (The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking, Pt. 10)

Roger Waters

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely 1970s, Eric Clapton's main studio guitar for this album)

AmpMarshall JCM800 1959 Mk II Super Lead (100W head) into Marshall 1960 4x12 cabinet

PickupsFender single-coil pickups (stock or vintage-style, as per Clapton's Strat of the era)

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb2.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1983-1984 sessions for Roger Waters' 'The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking'. Clapton used his Stratocaster into a Marshall JCM800 1959 Super Lead, as confirmed by multiple sources. No evidence of pedal use for the solo; tone is achieved via amp and guitar. No evidence of effects loop or rack effects for the solo section.

Tone Character(10)

compressed, crystal-clearsinging sustainvocal-like finger vibratowide, even amplitude bendsarticulate and expressiveBritish crunchupper-register claritydynamic and responsiveslightly scooped mids but not thintouch-sensitive

Difficulty

The solo requires advanced bending and vibrato technique, rapid position shifts, and expressive dynamic control, making it challenging for most intermediate players.

Sources

Eric Clapton's 50 Greatest Guitar Moments | Guitar World Eric Clapton's Amplifiers | Equipboard “Cool with a capital C”: Eric Clapton’s Marshall JCM800 that rocked 1.5 billion people at Live Aid is up for sale | MusicRadar May 8, 1984: Eric Clapton Lets Loose with Roger Waters on 'The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking' | Guitar World

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