I can't imagine how much time it took to put this together! I really appreciate it! Love Clapton and his sound... and have always wondered what was used at different times in his career! Great job and thank you!
Nice one, Ramon :) Some extra info - Clapton also used a Pignose amp at the end of the Layla sessions. This was an early model, before they were on general sale.
Great video! Just a little note: the couple of Fender Twins that Eric used for Cream reunion in 2005 were the 40 W ‘57 reissue Twins, with 5e8a circuit and Weber designed Eminence built alnico speakers. He used this model from 2005 until 2011, when the EC Twinolux (based on Fender ‘57 reissue Twin, not casually equipped with the same Weber/Eminence speakers) started to appear on stage.
Yes - he has said in interview that these are close enough to his Bluesbreaker amp but critically are consistent in production so he doesn't have to worry about a theft, breakdown on tour.
I remember a magazine interview with SRVs guitar tech where he said he was asked to work on Claptons tweed Fender as it was one he had had set up for UK voltage despite it being vintage American EC plugged in and started playing in front of the Tech who was just so mesmerised at his playing! Clapton said “this isn’t good is it?” the Tech saying “yes yes it’s fine!“ And Eric is replying “but aren’t I smoking?” Only to get the reply “yes you’re really Smokin’, man!!” And then the Tech looked up and saw fumes coming out the back of the amp so immediately pulled the plug on a confused Clapton!
Totally agree. A great player can take anything and make it sound decent . Too many players , spend thousands on amps , guitars and pedals , when in reality , they would be better spending money on lessons , or simply practice more .
The old saying in guitar playing is 100% true: It's all in the player's hands. ANY decent to excellent guitarist will still sound like himself ( or herself ) regardless of the guitar or rig they use..........outside of the typical characteristics that each guitar & amp is well known for. But those unique nuances...........that's all in the hands of the player.
Wonderfully detailed rundown of Eric's amps through the years. Way more than I was expecting. Excellent work! At 22:10 was surprised to see him wearing a T-shirt that says Niagara Falls, Canada.
I’ve been busy for months, just getting some time to caught up your videos. Great video here man. I love your dedication to getting this level of detail in your research. Thanks for your dedication Goose!
Thank you so much…this is a fantastic piece of work. I’d not heard of your channel, YT popped it up, content quality superb, instantly subscribed, which I rarely do.
I never heard a tweed Fender amp in person until I built one about 12 years ago. It was a '59 Princeton kit with an upgraded 10" speaker. I carefully upgraded the tubes, wiring and other components. One of the mellowest and cleanest amps I've ever heard. Great video!
My ears can feel the years playing in bands since I was a kid… it literally amazes me they weren’t all deaf as a post before the solo years, or at least had bad hearing problems like tinnitus.
Here before but gone ;) Insane amount of research done here. Staggering amount of history ! 10 in '67 so all in with Cream's Fresh Cream. Saw him in '07 as a 50th BD gift. Amazing with Derek Trucks playing i read his last show with them then, Ca's HPP, next, the ABB in Sacto. Never looked for amps....Amazed just to be there :) I might never have gigged without EC's influence. Cheers, TGS !
Exellent work Ramon, thank you, as dependable and knowledgable as ever. I have an old Tru Voice, it's loud but i wouldn't say the sound quality is great , how far things have come.
Unbelievable collection of history with photos and tons of informative narrative. Brilliant! Great job. I was learning guitar in the later 60s and when listening to Clapton and then his Crossroads version with Cream his solos there just grabbed me a blew me away. I thought how the heck am I going to play that? I basically was still in the learning phase. I’ve followed Eric to this day. There are a good bunch of guitarists out there over the years. Whew!
Pete Townshend probably recorded with a Marshall JTM45 head before anyone else and used distortion or overdrive on it. Check his tone on "Out In The Street" and "The Ox" from 1965
Just one more thing - This marvelous video will remain in my constant rotation. I'm going to set out to search on your channel for similar Hendrix, Page, Townshend vids with great hopes I'll find them. 😉 Cheers from Texas 🇺🇸
This is really awesome. I like finding out about the history of how Eric Clapton got his sound. Eric Clapton is my favorite guitarist, followed by Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Cheers! ✌️🎸
Never any mention of The Graham Bond Organisation, which is when many of us, first got to hear Eric's playing. Basically Cream + one. Not complaining, as this is a great informative upload. Many thanks!
I'm pretty sure only Jack and Ginger were in the Graham Bond Organization, along with Graham Bond on keys, vocals and sometimes sax, and Dick Hexstall Smith on Sax. The guitarist in thst band was John McLaughlin
Thanks man! Yes this was an interesting one, I had some good reference books but there's always gaps that you need to fill in by searching for the correct jnfo.
Eric said in an interview that he saw Hendrix & the Who with the Marshalls. So he ordered one for himself. He didn't like the sound of the speakers the cabinet came with, & asked that Marshall install JBLs. You can see the JBLs at time stamp 18:00 with the silver dust covers showing thru the grill cloth.
Great work l love the detail, I would like to add l saw Eric Clapton with the Blues Breakers.He was playing though an Echolette combo ,this was at a gig in Woking's Atalanta ballroom... 23 may 66 ,he played "I'm your whitchdoctor" and really got the guitar to feedback, as on the record, I'd be interested to hear if anybody else remembers that. I always thought that's the amp he used on the record.At the time ,l was playing in bands. and seeing how great he was ,certainly was a very inspiring experience.
Fantastic job with this video history of the most important amps in history! A boatload of work and research went into this I'm sure and it's very much appreciated my friend... world class stuff honestly...keep reaching higher brother.. between yourself and Keith Williams at 5 Watt world 🌎 there's an incredible historical record being established to document the most important aspects of Rock and blues music... invaluable service you are providing to these great musicians who paved the way for generations...mad respect ✌️👊🤘😁🎸🎶
@@TheGuitarShow you are very welcome..meant every word..mad respect to you folks.. forever following..🤘😁🎸🎶.it's so important...every day we lose more of the older generations and the stories and legacy that they all individually possess is unfortunately lost with that if we don't take care of the history and make sure it's passed on to the next generation...that's the only way it will survive.. because mainstream music as a whole is not rock and blues anymore....bless u all🤘
Loved seeing this Ramon just wondered if a video for the history of Erics Effects is planned? I'd love to understand a bit more about the soldano era Rack...
Loved this video!! Many thanks to all that made it . I know a lot of research went into it. One thing I'm curious about, The red telecaster Eric played in the Yardbirds was owned by their manager and when Eric left Jeff Beck played it. It was mentioned in the video that Eric played the same tele in the Bluesbreakers. The tele in the pic with the Bluesbreakers does not appear to be red, though it does have a white pickguard and rosewood neck like the red one, it appears to show wood grain like a butterscotch, possibly?
As a long-time user of a solid state Sessionette 75, I'm pleased to see that you didn't miss out the fact that EC used Rockette 30s in the 1980s. Great amps, and not a valve in sight.
Great work! Three additions: 1. It's been reported in several places, and confirmed by Bobby Whitlock via his YT channel, that Eric and Duane also used a Pignose amp during the Layla sessions. 2. I saw Derek and Dominoes 12/6/70 at Syracuse, NY Duane also played (one of two appearances with DatD, the other being Tampa, FL). Eric used a Sunn Coliseum head and either 2 Sunn Cabinets or Fender cabinets - definitely not Marshall. 3. There's a video of Eric's band on the Japan tour with George Harrison and he is pretty clearly playing his Soldano. Thanks for the thorough history.
Hey Mike, I'd say much more likely to be a misremembered memory by Bobby Whitlock. Layla sessions were Aug-Oct 1970. Prototype Pignose 7-100 amps were handed out to various rock stars for promo purposes in 1972! Apparently Duane Allman had a prototype in 1970 but it's use on these sessions could be just promotional talk (or he did use it, but as a practise amp). Also, if you listen to the recordings I feel there is just too much clarity in the guitar sounds for it to be emanating from a battery powered amp with a 5 inch speaker! Fender Champ's as Tom Dowd stated, seem much more likely.
Excellent overview. Great research work. Before I started making amplifiers, I was not understanding how much artists and their personal needs and taste have influenced the early stages of companies like Marshall. Now I totally get it. Marshall was not a giant company that made their amplifiers at few factories in different countries. They were few people and their families helping out. They were client driven, supplying what was asked from them. Also, an interesting point for me was that he used JCM800 and Soldano. Both were and are considered high gain amplifiers but were capable of much more. Warren Haynes uses SLO100 as well. Mike Soldano has great life story. He deserved more than people know. Mesa should pay him royalties for every double and triple rectifier for using his work to make their amplifiers. Sure everything is copy of something but it's not nice to do that and take share of the market away. Anyhow EC was and is master of tone using what ever he wanted to complement rest of the gear and get his sound. Disregarding what he has used you coild hear him playing. Even when he changed styles and level of gain. That's part of what makes him a legend.
Leslie West used Sunn amps and his distortion sound was incredible. His tone was renown for it's smooth crunch. I may be wrong, but I don't agree that Eric was going for a "very loud clean sound" with those Sunn amps, but I'm not an expert. Maybe he was. I just know about Leslie's (accidental) experience with them. I believe it was the record company who sent him those Sunn amps. When he opened up the boxes and saw Sunn amps, he said "What the fuck am I gonna do with THESE!!" (Rhetorical question?) But after he hooked them up he was very pleased with the sound, and so was everybody else.
I used to play through full stack. Nothing spectacular, Peavey 100 watt tube head through a Kustom bottom cab and Crate top cab. That thing sounded absolutely beastly! Now I'm older and run that head through a 2x12 cab 😂
Great video bro 😎. Super fascinating, its no wonder hes lost alot of his hearing. Loud loud loud is the way! My current rig is a 60s leslie, and a 1981 Marshall jcm800 50w into a 70s marshall cab. I used to play the jcm800 in stereo with my plexi super lead, in my house, cranked. My plexi needs tubes though i just haven’t changed them.
The Tremolux seen in the rehearsal photo, during The Blind Faith era is capable of surprisingly good saturated sound with a Y connector to both channels. I had one in 1970 (two cab stack) that I covered Blind Faith and Cream tunes. For more overdrive, I used a device called an LPB-1, a simple solid state pre-amp. Eric appears to be plugged into a pedal, maybe a fuzzface that was popular at that time. Many have thought Hendrix cranked his Marshalls to 10, but his overdrive was through a fuzzface and octavia pedal, the Marshall was his pedal platform, mostly clean.
