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Riff Tone

Layla (Acoustic Live)

Eric Clapton

Guitarblues1990s

Original Gear

GuitarMartin 000-42 acoustic guitar
AmpDirect to PA (no traditional guitar amp; acoustic DI box likely used)
PickupsFishman Matrix Infinity (undersaddle piezo, likely factory-fitted for live use)

Amp Settings

gain0
bass6
mid5.5
treble6
reverb3.5
presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live acoustic performance, 1992 MTV Unplugged session. Clapton used a Martin 000-42 acoustic with onboard pickup, plugged directly into the venue's PA system via DI. No evidence of electric guitar, amp, or traditional pedalboard in the riff section. All sources referencing Strat/Champ are for the original 1970 electric studio version, not the acoustic live version.

Tone Character(10)
crisp and articulate acoustic soundwarm, woody resonanceclear note separationpercussive strumming attacknatural acoustic sustainslight room or plate reverb from live mixdynamic fingerstyle and strummingintimate, unplugged feelbalanced frequency responseno audible overdrive or distortion

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate acoustic technique, including syncopated strumming, clean chord changes, and dynamic control to capture the live feel.

Sources

Eric Clapton's guitar, amp and equipment set up (historical 1963-2014) - Where's Eric!Layla album tone. : r/Guitar - Reddit

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