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Wonderful Tonight Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton · 1970s · blues
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster 'Blackie'
Pickups
Fender single-coil pickups (vintage-style, 1970s spec)
Amp
Fender Custom Series '57 Bandmaster Tube Hand-Wired Guitar Combo Amplifier
Pickup Position
Position 4 (neck + middle)
Studio recording, 1977. Used Clapton's 'Blackie' Stratocaster and a Fender Bandmaster amp. No evidence of pedals in the riff section; chorus effect achieved via Leslie 122XB speaker in some live versions, but not confirmed for studio riff. Ernie Ball Regular Slinky .010-.046 strings. Pickup selector likely in position 4 (neck + middle) for signature warm tone.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6.5
Gain0
Reverb5.5
Treble6
Presence5
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Tone Character
- warm and smooth
- glassy and articulate
- rounded highs
- slightly compressed
- touch-sensitive
- lush reverb ambience
- clean with no grit
- bell-like clarity
- soft attack
- mildly scooped mids
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No direct source gives exact amp knob settings for the studio recording; settings estimated based on typical Fender Bandmaster + Stratocaster clean blues setup from the 1970s.
- Leslie 122XB chorus effect is confirmed for live versions but not for the original studio riff section.
- No evidence of pedals used in the studio riff section; all effects likely from amp and studio reverb.
- Pickup selector inferred from tone and era; not explicitly confirmed in sources.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' riff is a warm, clean, slightly compressed Strat tone typical of late 70s slow blues ballads, likely using a Fender amp with low gain, boosted bass, forward mids, restrained treble, and moderate spring reverb for space.