GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
While My Guitar Gently Weeps Guitar Tone Settings — The Beatles
The Beatles · 1960s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1957 Gibson Les Paul Standard (aka 'Lucy')
Pickups
PAF humbuckers
Amp
1966 Fender Deluxe Reverb with Oxford 12K5-6 12-inch speaker
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, September 1968, solo performed by Eric Clapton. No evidence of live performance with this exact setup. Double-tracking and ADT (Artificial Double Tracking) used in studio. No wah pedal used, despite 'crying' guitar sound.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6
Gain5.5
Reverb3.5
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
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Tone Character
- singing sustain
- smooth, vocal-like lead tone
- mellow, rounded highs
- slightly compressed
- clear note separation
- crying guitar sound
- touch-sensitive dynamics
- warm midrange
- not overly saturated
- articulate bends and vibrato
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings found in sources; settings estimated based on typical Fender Deluxe Reverb use for classic rock lead tones and era.
- No evidence of any pedals used on the original studio solo except for possible Sola Sound Tone Bender Mk 1.5 fuzz/distortion, but this is disputed and not confirmed for the solo section.
- Artificial Double Tracking (ADT) was used in the studio for the solo, which is not a pedal but a studio effect.
- No wah pedal was used, per engineer and session notes.
- No delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, or other modulation effects are audible or cited for the solo.
- If more precise amp settings are found in future, update accordingly.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Eric Clapton played the solo on a Les Paul through a cranked Fender Twin, yielding a creamy, edge-of-breakup tone with prominent mids and moderate bass/treble. The era's production and the song's bluesy, vocal lead call for these settings, with subtle reverb for space.