Riff Tone

Layla

Eric Clapton & Derek & The Dominos

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1956 Fender Stratocaster 'Brownie'

AmpFender Champ (tweed, late 1950s, 5-watt combo)

PickupsFender single-coil pickups (original 1950s spec)

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6.5

mid6.5

treble7

reverb2.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1970. Clapton used his 'Brownie' Stratocaster into a cranked Fender Champ for the main riff section of 'Layla'. No evidence of pedals or effects other than amp reverb. Duane Allman played slide parts on a Gibson Les Paul through a Marshall, but the main riff is Clapton's Strat/Champ setup.

Tone Character(10)

thick and compressedbuzzy upper midrangewarm, rolled-off highsslightly harsh treble edgevocal-like sustaincranked small amp breakupnotable single-coil attacktouch-sensitive responsewoman tone (tone knob rolled down)lively, aggressive pick attack

Difficulty

The riff is fast and syncopated, requiring tight muting and control, as well as dynamic picking and expressive vibrato for the signature tone.

Sources

Learn the playing styles of every Eric Clapton era with this epic lesson Eric Clapton's 50 Greatest Guitar Moments Dave's Corner: Cringeworthy Tone – Great Playing | Reverb News

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