There has been some confusion about Clapton’s pre-Cream
rigs. Unfortunately some of the confusion comes from Jim Marshall’s faulty
recollections.
Yardbirds:
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Vox AC30.- A British manufactured combo amp of 30W power and 2 x 12” Celestion speakers in an open back cabinet. The Beatles exclusive use of Vox was critical in breaking the brand in the US. Now only a small player in the amp market - mainly in the retro-sound with the AC30. |
John Mayalls Bluesbreakers:
| In April 1965 Eric joins John Mayall.
He soon adopts a new sound using a 1959 Gibson Les Paul and a JTM45
Amplifier and a 4x12” cabinet.
In August Eric departs for his tour of Europe with the Glands. He has to abandon his JTM45 and cabinet in Greece. |
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JTM45 Head - 63/64
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On return to England he immediately contacts John Mayall and rejoins the Bluesbreakers in November. He also goes to Jim Marshall’s Hanwell shop and tries out a 2nd version combo. This is a JTM45 amp combined in a single open backed cabinet with 2x12” celestion speakers. Almost definitely this would have used KT66 valves and a GZ34 rectifier valves. |
| Speakers were most likely Celestion G12 speakers with alnico magnets (possibly ceramic). These speakers were rated at 20 Watts (not 35 as recently claimed by Jim) so they would have been pushed very hard by Clapton as he set everything on full or just slightly below full volume. The overloading of the speakers, coupled with the maximised distortion of a full on amp coupled with the thick tone of the Les Paul produced Clapton’s blistering sound on the ‘Beano’ album. |
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Note: Jack Bruce was using a a Vox T60 bass rig
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Graeme Pattingale, 2003
