Song Rig

Room 335

Larry Carlton · Larry Carlton · 1978

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

The defining jazz-fusion guitar tone of the late 1970s — Carlton's ES-335 through a Dumble Overdrive Special creates a warm, articulate sound at the exact edge of breakup that has influenced every fusion guitarist since. Named after Studio B Room 335 at ABC Studios in Hollywood.

Signal Chain

1Gibson ES-335 (neck humbucker)
2Dumble Overdrive Special amp

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume5

Bass6

Mid7

Treble6

Presence4

Dumble ODS at the edge of breakup — not a fixed overdrive level but a dynamic response point. Light pick attack stays clean; heavy attack pushes into crunch. The amp follows the player rather than imposing a fixed character.

Technique

How to Play It

Jazz-influenced phrasing with rock picking dynamics — Carlton connects bebop-derived lines with fluid legato runs, simultaneously technical and melodic. The right hand alternates picking and hammer-ons within single phrases without breaking the legato feel.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Gibson ES-335 (or Epiphone Dot) + TS9 at near-zero drive and maximum level into a Fender clean amp. Blues Deluxe or Blues Junior with TS9 as a clean boost approximates the Dumble's dynamic response.