Song Rig
Strange Brew
Eric Clapton · Disraeli Gears · 1967
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
The woman tone at its most controlled — neck pickup with tone fully rolled off into a cranked Marshall. The result is a mid-rich, vocal, almost horn-like quality with none of the treble bite typical of a Les Paul.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson Les Paul Standard (neck pickup, tone at 0)
- 2Marshall JTM45 (cranked to 10)
Amp Settings
Counter-intuitively, the amp treble is set HIGH — the Les Paul's rolled-off tone knob removes treble at the source, and the amp's treble compensates. The result is a specific mid-frequency emphasis that sounds "thick" rather than bright.
Technique
How to Play It
Play with the guitar tone knob completely rolled off and the amp's treble turned up — the woman tone is a guitar-level EQ trick, not an amp setting.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Any humbucker guitar with tone rolled to zero into a moderately overdriven amp — the technique matters more than the specific gear.
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