Riff Tone

After Midnight

Eric Clapton

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely 1970s, 'Blackie' or similar, maple neck)

AmpFender Twin Reverb (likely late 1960s/early 1970s silverface, possibly modded by Cesar Diaz)

PickupsFender single-coil Stratocaster pickups

Amp Settings

gain5

bass6

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb3.5

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1970, original 'After Midnight' single. Clapton was known to use his Stratocaster with a Fender Twin Reverb for this era. No evidence of pedal use for the riff section; overdrive comes from amp pushed to breakup. No chorus, delay, or modulation audible in riff. No evidence of compression or wah for riff. Settings estimated based on typical Clapton/Fender Twin studio use for this period.

Tone Character(10)

edge-of-breakup tube crunchbright and articulatetight and percussive rhythmdynamic, touch-sensitive responseslightly compressedclassic Strat 'quack'clear single-coil attacksubtle spring reverb ambiencefocused midrangeno audible modulation or delay

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, syncopated rhythm playing with clean muting and dynamic picking to achieve the signature edge-of-breakup tone, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast passages.

Sources

Eric Clapton's Guitar Rig, Gear & Pedalboard | Equipboard

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