Clapton’s “The Fool” SG pickups

[Lewguitar]

It's interesting that Clapton walked away from that tone and never really revisited it. I think it was because so many copied it that it became a cliche.

Even when Cream reformed a few years back, Clapton used a Strat and some Fender amps.

He said Cream did briefly try some Marshalls but that it just didn't work in the modern era.

In a way, that's a sign of a true artist.

Joni Mitchell made a sharp right turn with her Mingus album and never returned to the more popular purely acoustic style she had before that album.

She referred to her to work on her earliest albums as being her "ingenue stage", even though her hard core fans couldn't get enough of that style.

I think of people like Miles, Joni and Clapton as being real artists, even if I did like what they did in their "ingenue days" better than their later work.

I want to hear Miles doing Round Midnight, Joni doing Both Sides Now and Clapton playing a Gibson through a Marshall getting those singing tones we're still trying to get over 50 years later.

But like Joni said: You wouldn't say to Van Gogh: "Paint A Starry Night again man!"

[jeremy]

this isnt like a big secret or anything. the pups are most likely short a5 magnet, 7.5-8k #42 pe early pat # pups. was gibson using anything but 500k on sg guitars in '62-'65?

if you want something very close, get a pair of 59n and put short rca5 magnets. if you want a cheap great sounding set, get a set of 59's

the tweed twins clapton uses arent a world different than an old marshall, just not as loud. though his strats sure arent a gibson. it was nice to hear him play some gibsons when he was doing the blues thing

[Mincer]

I liked Clapton using his modern sound playing with Cream. I wouldn't want him to go back to Gibsons just because that was what he used.

[Lewguitar]

I liked Clapton using his modern sound playing with Cream. I wouldn't want him to go back to Gibsons just because that was what he used.

I thought he lost his best sound as soon as he switched to a Strat with single coils.

I'm glad Eddie Van Halen didn't decide to switch to a Strat with single coils. I probably wouldn't like that either.

There are players who get a great sound out of a Strat. Bonnie Raitt, Ry Cooder, Eric Johnson, Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck...

But Clapton's best tones and best playing was on a Gibson with humbuckers. IMO of course.

I don't like his sound on a Strat very much.

Eddie Van Halen has said the same thing about Clapton.

[Mincer]

I didn't like his 70s Lay Down Sally or Wonderful Tonight tones. I did like his later Journeyman & August ones. His mid booster was an improvement.

[Dave Locher]

I'm with you, Lew: I think Clapton never sounded as good again after he switched to Strats. (That must have been awesome to experience live!)
I don't even care for anything he did after that. Cream and Pete Townshend and Brian James of the early Damned are the reason I got an SG as my first Gibson. Part of my logic was "if Clapton sounded that great with one compared to now ["now" meaning at that time, 1980s] then I must get one! It did not disappoint.

[Lewguitar]

I'm with you, Lew: I think Clapton never sounded as good again after he switched to Strats. (That must have been awesome to experience live!)
I don't even care for anything he did after that. Cream and Pete Townshend and Brian James of the early Damned are the reason I got an SG as my first Gibson. Part of my logic was "if Clapton sounded that great with one compared to now ["now" meaning at that time, 1980s] then I must get one! It did not disappoint.

Clapton really admires Buddy Guy. I guess he just wanted to sound like that. And that means playing a Strat.

Clapton has described himself as being an egomaniac with an inferiority complex.

He threw away his personal sound that he had pioneered (Gibson through a Marshall turned all the way up), when he switched to a Fender Strat through a Fender Amp. But that's the sound of Buddy Guy.

Although I've seen Buddy playing through a Marshall.

Tore my ears off! Ice pick city. Didn't like it.

[GuitarStv]

Clapton really admires Buddy Guy. I guess he just wanted to sound like that. And that means playing a Strat.

Clapton has described himself as being an egomaniac with an inferiority complex.

He threw away his personal sound that he had pioneered (Gibson through a Marshall turned all the way up), when he switched to a Fender Strat through a Fender Amp. But that's the sound of Buddy Guy.

Although I've seen Buddy playing through a Marshall.

Tore my ears off! Ice pick city. Didn't like it.

Didn't Buddy Guy use Bassmans mostly? That's about as close to an early Marshall circuit as Fender amps get . . .

[Lewguitar]

Didn't Buddy Guy use Bassmans mostly? That's about as close to an early Marshall circuit as Fender amps get . . .

He did. Super Reverbs too. But neither sounds like a 100 watt, 4 EL34, plexi Marshall head through a 4 x 12 Marshall cab with Celestions.

I saw John Mayall back in the day with Mick Taylor playing a 50's Les Paul through a 4 x 10 Bassman.

He did get that British Blues sound for sure. Sounded great that night.

[Dave Locher]

Clapton really admires Buddy Guy. I guess he just wanted to sound like that. And that means playing a Strat.

Clapton has described himself as being an egomaniac with an inferiority complex.

He threw away his personal sound that he had pioneered (Gibson through a Marshall turned all the way up), when he switched to a Fender Strat through a Fender Amp. But that's the sound of Buddy Guy.

Although I've seen Buddy playing through a Marshall.

Tore my ears off! Ice pick city. Didn't like it.

I saw Buddy Guy in the late '80s, playing through a Marshall stack. It sounded huge - thick and full. Maybe he'd learned to turn down the treble by then? Or turn up the bass and mids? I know I can't make a strat sound that way!

[jeremy]

ive seen buddy a few times and his tone was always thin and really bright, usually playing through tweed bassmans

[beaubrummels]

Didn't Buddy Guy use Bassmans mostly? That's about as close to an early Marshall circuit as Fender amps get . . .

Also a tweed twin with the bass rolled off a touch and the treble not on 12 can be very Marshall-y. It's not the circuit at all, but it makes that sound with a mic on the cab. (Clapton even noticed the same in an interview I saw; after I happened across this in the studio.)

[Lewguitar]

ive seen buddy a few times and his tone was always thin and really bright, usually playing through tweed bassmans

Yes. That describes his tone.

I've seen him twice that I can remember.

First time it was around 1968. Buddy and Junior Wells, and Buddy played through a Super Reverb. I loved the show and loved his playing but I would never play with that super bright glassy tone he had. Too bright for my tastes.

The second time was in the 80's and that's when he played through the Marshall.. A JCM 800 1/2 stack I think. Ungodly thin and bright the way he had it set. And loud! Made my ears hurt.

I love his playing on albums though. Those Chess albums like I Was Walking Through the Woods. Vanguard albums like A Man and the Blues.

This is kind of similar to Clapton's Strat tone:

[SoPhx]

Also note that the Fool most likely used 300k pots, not the now-standard 500k. That makes a big difference, especially with the tone control all the way down.

Nahhh...the 300K pots came in 1973.

[Dave Locher]

Yes. That describes his tone.

I've seen him twice that I can remember.

First time it was around 1968. Buddy and Junior Wells, and Buddy played through a Super Reverb. I loved the show and loved his playing but I would never play with that super bright glassy tone he had. Too bright for my tastes.

The second time was in the 80's and that's when he played through the Marshall.. A JCM 800 1/2 stack I think. Ungodly thin and bright the way he had it set. And loud! Made my ears hurt.

I love his playing on albums though. Those Chess albums like I Was Walking Through the Woods. Vanguard albums like A Man and the Blues.

This is kind of similar to Clapton's Strat tone:

Oh, he was definitely loud when I saw him in the late 1980s, but I hate thin & bright guitar sounds and I thought his tone sounded good so I'm not sure what was up? I hate to much treble, always have. Maybe the sound guy killed a lot of treble? Polka dot Strat, Marshall. Don't know. I may have been wearing ear plugs?