Song Rig
Had to Cry Today
Joe Bonamassa · Had to Cry Today (Live) · 2009
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Bonamassa's cover of the Blind Faith track is a full-power blues-rock statement — the tone is built on his Les Paul Custom through a Dumble or Soldano clone, producing a warm, sustaining lead tone that breathes and sings. The long lead passages give him space to demonstrate his formidable pentatonic vocabulary.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson Les Paul Custom
- 2Dumble ODS (or Fuchs ODS clone)
- 3Zendrive (light overdrive pedal)
Amp Settings
Dumble-style warmth — the ODS-derived amp character is clean until pushed, then breaks up beautifully with a smooth, musical character completely different from the aggressive Mesa Rectifier distortion. The warm mid-forward character suits the long, vocal blues phrasing.
Technique
How to Play It
Extended blues phrasing over a long-form structure — Bonamassa builds his solos in stages across the extended song form, with careful attention to tension-and-release. The phrasing quotes classic blues vocabulary (Clapton, Page, Green) while adding contemporary fluency.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Les Paul → Zendrive or Hermida Zendrive → Fender Blues Deluxe or any warm-character amp. The Dumble sound is best approximated by a Dumble-influenced pedal (Zendrive, Bluesbreaker) into a clean platform amp.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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