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Old Love — Eric Clapton1 / 2
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Old Love Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton · 1980s · blues

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Fender Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster (1988-89, Lace Sensor Gold pickups, mid-boost circuit, maple neck)
Pickups
Fender Lace Sensor Gold single coils (active mid-boost circuit)
Amp
Soldano SLO-100 (custom, part of Soldano/Cornish routing system)
Pickup Position
Position 4 (neck + middle)

Studio recording for 'Old Love' on the 1989 'Journeyman' album. Clapton used his signature Stratocaster with active mid-boost and a Soldano SLO-100 head, routed through a Pete Cornish switching system. Clean riff sections are played with low gain and minimal effects. No evidence of pedal use for the clean riff section; all effects are amp-based or from the routing system. Year: 1989, studio recording.

Amp Settings

Mids
6.5
Bass
6.5
Gain
3
Reverb
4
Treble
6.5
Presence
5.5

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Tone Character

  • clean and glassy
  • warm and rounded lows
  • articulate highs
  • touch-sensitive
  • slight compression
  • clear note separation
  • subtle spring reverb ambience
  • mid-scooped but not thin
  • minimal breakup
  • dynamic response to picking

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings found for 'Old Love' clean riff; settings estimated based on typical Soldano SLO-100 clean channel use for blues in late 1980s and Clapton's known preferences.
  • ⚠️No evidence of pedal use for the clean riff section; all effects appear to be amp-based or from the Soldano/Cornish system.
  • ⚠️Pickup position inferred from typical Clapton clean tones and live footage; not explicitly confirmed for this exact recording.
  • ⚠️Exact reverb type not specified, but likely spring reverb from amp or studio plate.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Clapton's 'Old Love' riff tone is warm, dynamic, and just at the edge of breakup, typical of his late 80s/early 90s Strat into a cranked Fender or Soldano amp. The mids are forward for blues, bass is full, treble is smooth (not harsh), and reverb is present but not overwhelming, matching the live-in-the-room feel of the Journeyman era.

Sources