Riff Tone

Worried Life Blues (Live)

Eric Clapton

Guitarblues2000s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely Eric Clapton Signature or similar, mid-2000s live rig)

AmpFender '57 Twin-Amp Reissue (tweed, live rig, no built-in effects loop)

PickupsFender Vintage Noiseless Single Coils (Clapton Signature Strat stock pickups)

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6.5

mid7

treble6.5

reverb3

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live performance, mid-2000s era; Clapton typically used his signature Stratocaster with Vintage Noiseless pickups into a cranked Fender '57 Twin-Amp Reissue for live blues sets. No evidence of drive pedals for the riff section; overdrive comes from amp volume. Wah pedal not used in riff section. No evidence of additional pedals or effects for the main riff.

Tone Character(10)

thick and saturateddynamic, touch-sensitive breakupwarm and singing sustainarticulate but not harshclassic blues crunchfull-bodied midrangeslightly scooped lowsclear note separationresponsive to picking dynamicsedge-of-breakup overdrive

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate-level blues technique, including shuffle rhythm, dynamic picking, and control of amp-driven breakup for expressive tone.

Sources

The Anatomy of Eric Clapton’s Guitar Tone — Pro Audio Files Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 - Premier Guitar Clapton Stratocaster | Page 4 | Guitar Forum

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