TonesMatch
Cliffs of Dover — Eric Johnson1 / 2
Original RigYour Adaptation
GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence

Cliffs of Dover Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson · 1980s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
1954 Fender Stratocaster (with DiMarzio HS-2 bridge pickup, bridge pickup setting)
Pickups
DiMarzio HS-2 single coil (bridge position, wired for single coil mode)
Amp
1969 Marshall Model 1959 Super Lead 100-watt head
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, 1989 (Ah Via Musicom album). Used lead amp setup exclusively for riff/distorted sections. Y-cable into both channels of Marshall head, Marshall 4x12 cab with Celestion G12-80 speakers.

Amp Settings

Mids
6
Bass
5.5
Gain
5
Reverb
3
Treble
5.5
Presence
3

Effects Chain

  • Chandler Tube Driver · overdrive
  • Maestro Echoplex EP-3 · delay
  • EQ pedal (model unknown) · eq

Guitar → Chandler Tube Driver → Maestro Echoplex EP-3 → EQ pedal → Marshall Super Lead → Marshall 4x12 cab

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Tone Character

  • sweet, sustaining lead tone
  • smooth, violin-like attack
  • bright and articulate highs
  • clear note separation
  • touch-sensitive response
  • moderate gain with clarity
  • not harsh or fizzy
  • classic British crunch
  • singing sustain
  • slightly compressed dynamics

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️Amp EQ settings are averaged between Guitar World (exact) and Reddit (approximate) sources.
  • ⚠️Presence set to 0 per Guitar World, which matches Eric Johnson's known preferences.
  • ⚠️Reverb setting is estimated low (2/10) as only subtle ambience is audible and no amp reverb is mentioned in sources.
  • ⚠️Pedal settings for Tube Driver and Echoplex are from Guitar World; other pedals are not confirmed for this section.
  • ⚠️No chorus, flanger, or phaser is audible or cited for the riff section; delay and reverb are present.
  • ⚠️All gear and settings are for the studio recording, not live performances.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Eric Johnson's 'Cliffs of Dover' riff tone is famously clean yet singing, with edge-of-breakup gain, strong mids, bright but not harsh treble, and a touch of reverb for space. His typical Marshall amp settings favor a mid-forward, articulate sound with enough gain for sustain but not into full crunch, matching these values.

Sources