Guitar tuition: How to sound like Eric Clapton lesson

[PANICBLADE]

w-what? clapton used an sg on crossroads.

[h4ckb0x7]

"When Eric used the bridge pickup he usually backed the tone off, like this", then they zoom in on the tone knob, SMH!!!!

[PBANDSNOW]

Is this one an R0 or R9? It look's R9, but it's got reflector knobs.

[lesleypaul59]

...i own a live-dvd with cream: no words, f***n' best solo EC ever played (=> 335) ! LES (but this a good video-demo !)

[contact1araya]

yeap this is original Clapton tone..................now is all Fender man.

[JonSellsOut]

ExperIment?? Oh hells yeah, I will!! I`m goin to college you know ;)

[bjparhamguitars123]

what is the song at 2:03

[TobyBallMusic]

@bjparhamguitars123 Crossroads

[henkiewessel]

what were u using to crank the amp up full, but keep the volume down?

[Guitar1hero23]

@henkiewessel an atteunuator

[FlipsidesBand]

Listen more critically, be more discerning - you're not close to the sound - you have to use the real speakers at a minimum - pre-Rola G12 and G12M 20 Celestions. I understand though - those are not exactly available but trust me ( I've been playing since 1963 ) - I have those speakers and old Marshall's and the most important thing is those speakers.

[JRBrockmusic]

Sorry, but your voice make me and my friend feel physically sick :)

[Dogslow]

how to sound like Eric ? I am not a fan I saw him live once,he looked like an average Joe who had just clocked on and coudnt wait to get off

[rishino]

In case you didnt know, the 3 kings are:

B.B King

Albert King

Freddie King

[pipsqueek14]

you cannot sound like EC. sound like him is impossible :D

[TheHuMoCa]

Theres just something about that woman tone that makes me squeal

[jonw82]

Same with Jimmy Page. I don't know what it is, it's frustrating not to be able to pinpoint it. I guess it's all preference in the end.

[jonw82]

Claptons sound bores me to tears.. I don't know why.. sorry Clapton fans.. I clicked this video out of curiousity not to bash. The funny thing is I sort of unintentionally sound like Claption sometimes, not because I like to but because my hands haven't developed yet into the more advanced players I aim for.. and this in between comes out sounding like Clapton.. but that's a different topic, when I was talking about boring above, I meant his tone. Feel the same about Brain May. Uninspired.

[tigerber1]

@jonw82 But Clapton was Jimi Hendrix' favorite player and NO ONE sounds like Brian May. You think that you know better, but there might be something that you're missing.

[simonbaker4]

@jonw82 I agree - for some reason Clapton mostly bores me too, not sure why. I think it's the content of the leads, they aren't musically compelling somehow. Obviously he is virtuoso technique-wise.

[dabvbm]

@jonw82 listen to while my guitar gently weeps / george version

[thefaketahare]

@jonw82 either you're a subtle troll or just brainless.

[Someone5287]

Are you using any kind of ekstra distortion equipment on this demo?

[burmanmusic]

That woman tone is killer (2:35)

[zonkmachine]

Who is this guitarist?

[jedblues]

@zonkmachine this is neville martin, he was the editor of guitar techniques and the guitarist in the wild cats

[DeanLisi]

The only way to sound like Clapton is to... hire Clapton

[burmanmusic]

@DeanLisi oh i dunno, I can fake his accent pretty well :)

[1954telecaster]

it would help if this douchebag could actually play

[jedblues]

@1954telecaster he makes his living in a well known band, i doubt you get out of your bedroom loser

[zonkmachine]

@jedblues Who is this guitar player?

[8LocKDowN8]

Help , my guitar is buzzing really badly ever sence I add my 3rd string, its not fret buz iv never had it and its ANOIYING!

plz replay!

[congoairman]

Excellent Job. Thank you sooooooooooooo much!

[kidmumudf]

With all due respect, but where is the FENDER STRAT???

[1970JimiHendrix]

@kidmumudf Eric Clapton didn't use a Strat. until Later in his carrier.

[hammett8]

@1970JimiHendrix he used to use a gibson sg

[1970JimiHendrix]

@hammett8 Yes, I know he used to use an SG. But he used an ES-335 a few years before he bought the SG in 1967.

[teddyt18]

Hi yall im still not sure how to get the 335 out of my hh blacktop do i turn the tone or the gain low

[fredsassy5]

"WOMAN TONE"

[waveman1981]

its all in the fingers guys, tone is half it.

[rcflybry]

@waveman1981 Amen my brother.. Amen! Many never understand this!

[scottd291]

Clapton may say he used the 335 to play crossroads! BUT I think Clapton is talking about the Farewell Concert in London 1968. He would not take the 335 out of the UK so the Winterland definitive version was done with a SG and not a 335. I think this is all for sales of the Clapton 335. Clapton left the his SG at the house of George Harrison's and did not go back for it! This guitar was sold for $500,000 but no one knows who owns this SG now

[bchant19]

what attenuator did u use with the bluesbreaker

[brainrutten]

@bchant19 Don't know if your question has been anwerd, but he used a Ultimate Attenuater.

[cousinbros]

what is the crossroads tone again?



[gbrycki]

Guitar "tuition"? Not to be nit-picky, but shouldn't that be Guitar Tutorial?

[IAmTheLawNr1]

no idea what he's talking about

[snapascrew]

attenuators are kind of dumb... because since the db level is lower with them the speakers don't break up the same way

[yoyomaniac01]

@snapascrew that would be the tubes breaking up, dude; not the speakers.

[snapascrew]

@yoyomaniac01 exactly what I'm saying.. it pushes the tubes as if they were at a loud volume but it doesn't push the speakers and break them enough...

[FeralArtist]

@snapascrew Well then don't use it for live shows. Enough said. Only use it for practice.

[snapascrew]

@FeralArtist ....

[MrTonefingers]

Thanks, my humbucker guitar has come alive

[Rob919Gore]

sound like the tone for the the lead on reelin in the years by Steely Dan

[Howardsend88]

@Rob919Gore , for that reelin sound see pro guitar shop demo of the 'Jetter Jetdrive Overdrive', just fantastic

[kujofox]

not gonna lie that was pretty damn accurate.

[rishino]

"The Woman Tone":

Clapton used full on every setting on his amp, (Treble, Bass, Contour, Volume, etc, etc) The Neck pickup tone down to 0 or 1, and full on the volume.

[CMSpida]

heres how to play like eric clapton

PRACTISE and GET AMAZING

[AKMAC82]

I hate being an ass here...but I gotta say it...LOSE the Attenuator. It's doing that fizzy thing to the top end. I've wrestled with those forever

[taariqtaariq]

@AKMAC82

yes I agree, marshall tube amps have better  tone with any gizmos at all.

[neballen12]

whaat king of guitar does this guy has???

[danne9501]

@neballen12 Gibson ES 335

[brainrutten]

@neballen12

Don't know if your question has been answert.

It's a 1966 Gibson ES-335 with orginal PAF's

[bolijack]

To demonstrate Clapton you need a Strat dude :-((

[Den3musketer]

@bolijack why when he is focusing on the cream era the most...he used an sg at that time...335 is closer to the sound than a strat because the strat he used were fitted with singlecoils where the 335 is fitted with humbuckers...

[bluestingray67]

@Den3musketer Really not true, he did use the "Fool" SG/Les Paul quite a bit but he was always trying to find an equal to the '59 Les Paul that got stolen. If you go searching for Cream photos you will find him playing a 335 in the farewell concert as well as Firebirds and Explorers at other times. A 335 doesn't sound anything like a Strat. A little "woodier" than a Les Paul and not as bright as an SG

[bluestingray67]

@bolijack What are you like 12 ? The Clapton Legend was built on Gibsons and Marshalls ! You need to immediately go get the "Beano" Bluesbreakers album !

- And Wheels of Fire ! Go -now!!!

[RJiminez51]

@bluestingray67 its ironic that his legend was built on gibsons but then later he swithed to strats.

[RD400D78]

@bluestingray67 i think his best is layla. album of course not song. why does...

[Echioderm]

@bolijack

Not really, look at his pre-190 stuff, with Cream and The Blues Breakers, he used an Sg, Les Paul and ES-335. Check out his Gibson Woman tone. Eric Clapton didn't sound as good after he changed to strats in my opinion!

[jeudhas]

@Echioderm exactly right! i love that sg of his!! its just one the most coolest guitars ever!! and the tone is ofcourse awesome!! the strat sound..its fits his old man look, but the sound isnt half as good as what it was with john mayall and cream

[coal1987]

@Echioderm i thought i was the only one who thought so! He doesn't even play Cream songs with a humbucking guitar. Clapton's early days with the Blusbreakers and Cream were the best.

[Echioderm]

@coal1987

I agree, wish he'd kept to his humbuckers and marshalls, not the crappy strat tone he uses now

[redlynx69]

@Echioderm As a musician he has evolved and changed, so even though it was really great when he used Gibsons etc., his musical interests changed. After all, it was him who decided on the original tone/style, therefore he's the only person who has the right to change it as and when they want - that's what makes his so succesful as a musician.

[unabonger777]

@Echioderm he used a telecaster with the yardbirds

[Carthsgtr]

@Echioderm

I wouldn't say after he changed to strats, but after Derek and the Dominos I simply can't see an answer other than that drugs messed him up to why he lost what he had.

[besamemucho5]

@Carthsgtr he never "lost what he had" he still has it and still as good....whoever wrote "clapton is god" on the walls of the subway, way back in the sixties, is making more sense now that we can look at or better yet listen to all the music he created or was involved with...

[Carthsgtr]

@besamemucho5

That's simply fanboy talk. These days there are plenty of guitarists who can do what he does and do it better. In all honesty though I think he is at a higher level than he was during the eighties and nineties.

[hillbillygenius72]

@bolijack Not really, he only uses the strat because of its playability, his strats are modded to sound really close to gibsons.

[hendrixkixas]

@hillbillygenius72 Do you know any specific mods his strat has to make it sound similar to a Gibson?

[hillbillygenius72]

@hendrixkixas he has noiseless pickups paired with a midrange booster to simulate humbucker sounds, and he has a block of wood between his tremolo block and the body of his guitar to simulate the stoptail bridge on gibsons.

[agbasp]

@hillbillygenius72

Not exactly. If he wanted it to sound closer to a gibson he'd put humbuckers in it.

All he really added was a midboost to give the guitar some more warmth.

[endurancemusic]

@hillbillygenius72 if thats true why does he use single coils instaid of humbuckers , i personally think he moved to the strat because the bridge pickup cuts through more then that of a hubucker 

[taariqtaariq]

@bolijack

no the man is showing us EC sounds  from the mid to late 60's. he never used a strat until after Cream.

[dirtyTony666]

Hi

thanks for sharing its really a great vid, can you please share your combo settings ???

thanks

[ddayrocks]

What finish is that on your 335?

[m1j3]

Can you do this on a Fender Frontman 15r?

[Czoofie]

what is the thing he said hes using? An etenuator? what is that?

[sakmtg]

An attenuator is a device placed between the output of an amp and the speaker. The amp can now be turned up overdriving the tubes to get that great distorted sound but volume can be lowered to manageable levels.

[taariqtaariq]

@sakmtg

JCM 900 2 x12 marshalls have gain controls on the drive channel that go to 20 not 11,and the master volume can be set to 3 so you get the Cream screaming sound without gizmos or deafness.

[luit13]

It's called an attenuator. An attenuator is an electronic device that reduces the amplitude or power of a signal without appreciably distorting its waveform. So you can set the volume of the amp on full without the output that normally goes with that. Cool right?!

An attenuator is effectively the opposite of an amplifier, though the two work by different methods. While an amplifier provides gain, an attenuator provides loss, or gain less than 1.

[demonix0220]

wats the song he plays by clapton at 2:03?

[LongLiveTheBlues]

@demonix0220 crossroads mate

[Peateeify]

Yeah you are right, I think there is just too much "Modelling" with pedals for everything these days when really all you need is a good tube amp and a good guitar!

PS and a a bit of playing ability!

[builditwithlegos]

A lot of guitarists forget how much variety in tone you can achieve just by using your guitar and hands, and never touching the amp.

[EJG5150]

Perfect tone!!!

And it only costs $5,000 to $15,000

I wish I could have this rig

[Hoopermazing]

Not me... While a 335 neck isn't as skinny as a lot of electric guitars, I wouldn't pay a dime for a guitar with anything less that a 1¾" nut-width.

As for the amp, I'm a Fender man all the way.

[EJG5150]

Im a Gibson Marshall man.

I am a big Eric Clapton Fan and i think it's cool that my name is Eric as well.

[MyManDan]

agreed

[DetroitDen]

This is very useful. and concise...WELL DONE

Agree..'.the player creates the tone', but I also believe it's a combo of the player, gear, and how the artist utilizes the gear.

[clarkewi]

Well done!

[tombolo191]

wow that crossroads tone was right on!

[kinikitee]

JmAA7192 you're a clueless twat.

[SamOnGuitar]

Amen to that! :P

[Fileno93]

theres to much bass in it... it doesnt have a clean sound...but distortion is good!

[StevenChandlerArtist]

dang it, you just gave me another hole in the head to cram my 18th guitar in...and 4th amp, dang!

[JmAA7192]

The tone comes from the player not the equipment.

[TripleWolfje]

steppin' out!

[thinman57]

Brilliant, thanks so much!

[Deadfreeeak]

A 335 does not quack.........strats do though.

[Radomu]

great lesson

[agbasp]

Define "Like."

You can get into his range, but you'll never be able to play exactly like someone else.

It's not hard to reach Bluesbreakers or Cream tone if you have the right gear.

[ajatkinson2004]

ur crazy

[GeoStratocaster]

My next guitar, hopefully! Great video.

[Theloniousfunkk]

can you elaborate?

[TheMullerFan]

wow

[Aiden057]

Top notch demo, thanks very much.

[TheMullerFan]

ouch

[rw5791]

what is that,a reissue BB.They're crap.

[carlitos07way]

wtf he didnt die!

[lidesnowi]

To me he did !

[MrMusicM67]

fuck u

[lidesnowi]

oooohhhh

[Shelbones01]

idk if lidesnowi doesnt know anything about him or doesnt like his tunes since then lol

[MrMusicM67]

wtf he didnt die

[08MXZX]

????? then how did i just see him in concert with steve winwood?

[hardrockerdave94]

He doesn't literaly mean he died, he just means that he changed a lot of his style from 1970 onwards.

[umangu]

Are the knobs set up differently from a Les Paul?

[TyrackT71]

PLZ TAB THE LAST SONG!!!!

[shredknowledge]

I would love to get some of your lessons on my site man. wow

[jonnyrocketballs69]

he should give lessons in being SEXY

[lordOFbrooklyn]

always some faggot floatin around on youtube

[jonnyrocketballs69]

i love you

[buckbuck666]

thx bro good stuff

[wblakews]

I still prefer my Eko guitar and Susui amp... wait a minute... no, I don't : )

[filerocktheworld]

This amp is just wonderful when its cranked a bit. Clean, nah.

[2pactoliveanddieinla]

sounds just like clapton

[LanceVsWild]

Aww man, that rich, creamy, veluptuous, woman-tone! gotta love it.

[mistad00m]

get a les paul !

[anosan]

who are the three kings?

[Stoplightcity]

BB King, Albert King and Freddie King.

[cifer1994]

@Stoplightcity tom delonge^^

[mistro92]

@Stoplightcity and earl mate

[wannabrewju]

BB. King

Albert King

Freddie King

: )

[lespaulrules123]

u want a way to sound like eric clapton well i got bad news U CANT!!!! u have ur own tone u can plug into his rig and u will sound like u

[shreddingjake]

"sound" and "tone" are different. sound you can imitate, at it is quantifiable. we can get a SOUND like Clapton, and the guy in the vid is showing us how to do so. however, TONE is different, as tone is more like each players fingerprint, and no two are the same, even though very different players may have very similar sounds. you are correct in that we cannot achieve Clapton's tonal identity, but we CAN easily copy Clapton's sound.

[rhydiantitch]

thats why he siad "like"

[lespaulrules123]

what amp is that never seen a marshall like that........

[BluesShuffle]

It's a marshall Bluesbreaker - basically a JTM45. The story is that Marshall copied Claptons amp setup after they hear him playing a Les Paul through a JTM45 on the Beano album. (Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton).

Marshall named the amp "bluesbreaker" inspired by the album name.

Beano is # 195 on Rolling Stone maganize's 500 greatest albums of all time. Very guitarist should have this album. It's the real clapton, not that poppified version from the 80ties.

[filerocktheworld]

by the way, you dont say anything about Fender guitars... Does it do a good joob with a fender?

[29396]

instead of using the bluesbreaker amp, could you use the pedal instead?

[doolbro]

...he Played a Leslie as well as a marshal

[Jst0911]

i tend to link clapton to the strat rather than a distorted gibson

[johnmadden1989]

yeah me too.

[BulletWithYerName]

It's true that he's known for using Strats, be he also used Gibsons back in the early days.

He used a Les Paul, an ES-335, a one-pickup Firebird, and an SG. There might be more, but those are the ones off the top of my head.

I personally liked his Gibson tones way more than his Strat tones.

[GibsonSantana]

I agree..that sound on hideaway is incredible....

[BluesShuffle]

Actually EC switch to stratocasters after the death of Hendrix 1970.. At that time he said that he will only play stratocasters from now on to honor jimi hendrix

[Jst0911]

even if your right, thats dumb. i wouldnt play gibsons cause some dude died, i play strats cause of their sound

[DuoSonic87]

He of course grew into the strat ..did you read Eric's book? he was the closest thing eric had to a real friend in 1970 then bam ..dead.

Sad story actually.

I like your idea of strats sounding good ,that's my main guitar as well.

[thekillers1293]

Dude's that's an awesome tribute!

[Rzlo]

Where did you read that?

[TEgnoto89]

1:04 -- steppin' out

[dodidodafna]

nice

[bluesbren]

I want that sound! Nev's a top player, and he really nails that tone...

[thergking]

iell ugly sound

[desy2478]

Thats an awesome sounding guitar.

[shakyspot396]

Which attenuator are you using please.

[1337mas7er]

BUT I WANNA SOUND LIKE ME

[timmy47]

well everyone has to start somewhere i guess. its good to compile tones you like into something thats original. i guess its also good to know how to get different tones so that you can switch them whenever you please.

[massdoll]

this is the sound!!!

[LegendaryRedub]

He played Gibsons all throughout his early days with the Yardbirds to Cream. (He had a few appearances with Telecasters too!)

The Woman tone was played alot in Cream, espescially with "Sunshine of Your Love."

After Jimi Hendrix's death many people switched to what he played a Fender Stratocaster.

Its possible to accheive the Woman tone on a strat if you get a pair of Strat Humbuckers.

Eric Clapton all the way!