What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Concert?

T

theWalrus

New member
Folks,

What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Concert (1968)?

The high gain tone is brilliant. And I know he almost certainly didn't use anything beyond a Gibson (humbuckers) + cranked Marshall + his ("slow") hands to achieve it. From the footage, I'd say... JTM 100 and your standard 60's cab loaded with Celestions?

Thanks!
 
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Re: What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Conce

Gearjoneser said:
Here's a great resource for early Clapton gear.

http://www.legendarytones.com/claptonearly1.html
Click to expand...

All I could find there was "probably moved to the new Marshall JTM100 amp and a matching 4x12 cabinet to better cope with Baker’s large drum kit and heavier sound."

Now... go find a JTM100 in the market. Very rare. The JTM45, even the real deal, can be found on ebay regularly. I'm not sure what the best matching cab would be. Well, I have a vintage 4x12 Hiwatt with Fane's. Should do the trick. :)
 
Re: What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Conce

theWalrus said:
All I could find there was "probably moved to the new Marshall JTM100 amp and a matching 4x12 cabinet to better cope with Baker’s large drum kit and heavier sound."

Now... go find a JTM100 in the market. Very rare. The JTM45, even the real deal, can be found on ebay regularly. I'm not sure what the best matching cab would be. Well, I have a vintage 4x12 Hiwatt with Fane's. Should do the trick. :)
Click to expand...

If you have the coin original JTM100's arent that hard to find I can think of 3 that ive seen for sale recently or if you want something new Metropoulis will make you a very exact clone of his JTM100 for about 4k using NOS parts. But since you've decided that a Hiwatt cab with Fane speakers are close enough why not just ditch the nit picking and grab a 1959SLP reissue which is a great sounding plexi in its own right and be done with it.
 
Re: What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Conce

With that cab you'll have a hell of a time copping that sound even if you get a JTM100.
 
Re: What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Conce

erksin said:
With that cab you'll have a hell of a time copping that sound even if you get a JTM100.
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I don't know man. Every speaker has its frequency response and efficiency. We don't even know the kind of speakers were used by Cream in that performance, but I do know the Hiwatt cab is one of the finest.

Anyway, thanks guys.
 
Re: What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Conce

Most likely Celestion G12M20 speakers were used. It was probably an EL34 JTM100 and not a KT66 JTM45/100. An EL34 Superbass or a 50watt 1986 bass spec EL34 plexi will be more in the ball park without finding an actull JTM45/100. These amps all have the shared cathode and slope resistor specs as a JTM45 preamp.

Photos show EC plugging into the Normal CH a lot with Cream. Often its two cranked amps daisy chained and dialed in for the show.

I have a Metro JTM45 and through G12M25's these setting will get close:
Plug into the Normal Channel
Vol=10
Vol bright channel, not plugged into, =6
Treble=9
Mid=8
Bass=3
Presence=10

Probably need a PAF loaded SG.
 
Re: What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Conce

Lake Placid Blues said:
Most likely Celestion G12M20 speakers were used. It was probably an EL34 JTM100 and not a KT66 JTM45/100. An EL34 Superbass or a 50watt 1986 bass spec EL34 plexi will be more in the ball park without finding an actull JTM45/100. These amps all have the shared cathode and slope resistor specs as a JTM45 preamp.

Photos show EC plugging into the Normal CH a lot with Cream. Often its two cranked amps daisy chained and dialed in for the show.

I have a Metro JTM45 and through G12M25's these setting will get close:
Plug into the Normal Channel
Vol=10
Vol bright channel, not plugged into, =6
Treble=9
Mid=8
Bass=3
Presence=10

Probably need a PAF loaded SG.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. That makes sense. The "woman" tone settings for a humbucker guitar is tone down to 1 or 0 and volume at maximum. The bass is minimum and treble is high, with high volume pushing overdrive.
 
Re: What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Conce

I have owned several vintage Celestion Greenbacks as well as a quad of original cast frame Fanes...those speakers are as different as night and day.

You'll never cop a Cream era Clapton with Fanes...
 
Re: What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Conce

the guy who invented fire said:
I have owned several vintage Celestion Greenbacks as well as a quad of original cast frame Fanes...those speakers are as different as night and day.

You'll never cop a Cream era Clapton with Fanes...
Click to expand...

With all respect, I politely disagree when you write one of those "you'll never" without even trying or knowing the technical specs of each. Fane and Celestions have several generations and each of them is different.

If you're enough of a mad Cream fan to know anything about the gear that was used at that concert, I'd love to hear more; I just like the tone. Too bad Mr. Clapton has completely changed his gear since the good old days.
 
Re: What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Conce

"politely disagree" all you like...I've owned quite a few Celestions and Fanes over the years, as well as a few Marshall amps plus have played through loads of Marshalls I didn't own and while the Marshall and Gibson are large parts to Claptons Cream era tone you won't get all the way there with Fanes.

Fanes are far too clean and tight for that tone...that sound has a lot of speaker breakup involved in it that you'd never get from a Fane, any Fane...

That said, you have the Fanes...go ahead and get the Marshall and Gibson of your choosing and let us all know how it goes.
 
Re: What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Conce

That was a cool video. Dude must reeeeeeally like Clapton.
 
Re: What Marshall head+cab did Eric Clapton use at Cream's Albert Hall Farewell Conce

Those Metropoulos amps are great. Last time I went to 65 Amps shop, even Dan Boul had one of the fullstacks in his lobby.

6513_zpse70a4136.jpg
 
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