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Bad Love Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Eric Clapton Signature Fender Stratocaster (mid-80s, Lace Sensor Gold pickups, active mid-boost circuit)
Pickups
Fender Lace Sensor Gold single-coils with active mid-boost (25dB, onboard TBX tone control)
Amp
Soldano SLO-100 Super Lead Overdrive head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1989/1990)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup (with mid-boost engaged)
Studio recording for 'Journeyman' album (1989), riff section. Clapton used his signature Strat with active mid-boost and a Soldano SLO-100 head, which was his main amp for this era. No evidence of additional pedals for the riff section; overdrive from amp and guitar's mid-boost. Settings based on period-correct interviews and typical usage.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6.5
Gain6
Reverb3
Treble7
Presence6
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Tone Character
- thick, mid-forward overdrive
- smooth sustain
- creamy, compressed attack
- articulate pick attack
- tight, focused low end
- singing sustain
- woman tone (tone knob rolled down)
- British-voiced crunch
- touch-sensitive response
- slight reverb for ambience
Notes & Caveats
- No direct studio documentation of exact amp/pedal settings for 'Bad Love' riff found; amp and settings estimated based on Guitar World Clapton tone guide and known studio rig for 'Journeyman' (Soldano SLO-100, Clapton Strat with mid-boost).
- No evidence of additional pedals for the riff section; overdrive and EQ from amp and guitar's active mid-boost circuit.
- Settings are based on cited Guitar World article's general Clapton tone advice for this era, not 'Bad Love' specifically.
- Pickup position inferred from typical Clapton 'woman tone' approach and period-correct interviews.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Clapton's 'Bad Love' riff has a thick, mid-forward blues-rock crunch typical of his late 80s/early 90s Soldano SLO-100 or Marshall tones, with moderate gain, strong mids, and balanced bass/treble. The production is punchy but not overly wet, so reverb is subtle and presence is set for clarity without harshness.