Riff Tone

Layla lead tone

Eric Clapton

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard

AmpMarshall JTM45 (cranked, no master volume)

PickupsPAF humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb1

presence4

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1970; Clapton used a 1960 Les Paul Standard (sometimes called a 'Beano' Les Paul) through a Marshall JTM45 head and cabinet, no pedals, for the main riff/lead tone on the original Derek and the Dominos 'Layla' recording. No evidence of effects pedals or additional processing on the riff section.

Tone Character(10)

thick, saturated British crunchsinging sustainmid-forward punchaggressive, biting attackslightly compressed power tube overdrivevintage humbucker warmtharticulate pick attackdynamic response to pickingclassic rock driveno audible modulation or delay

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, accurate picking, expressive bends, and tight timing with the band, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

Eric Clapton "Layla tone" : r/BossKatana - Reddit How to get a "Layla" tone on basic equipment ? - forum topic Eric Clapton Live Aid Tone : r/guitarpedals - Reddit [QUESTION] Layla- Electric version : r/Guitar - Reddit Clapton's Layla tone | Guitar Forum - The Gear Page

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