Cream
The Cream of Clapton · 1968
Amp settings (as recorded)
The recording
The definitive version of 'Crossroads' featured on the 'Wheels of Fire' album was recorded live on March 10, 1968, at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The performance captures the trio of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker at the peak of their improvisational capabilities. While Clapton often used his 'Fool' SG during this era, documentation confirms he transitioned to his 1964 Gibson ES-335 around this period for the US tour and the farewell concerts. The tone is a hallmark of his 'Woman Tone' technique, leveraging the aggressive, wide-open volume of a cranked Marshall stack tempered by the rolled-off tone pot of his Gibson humbuckers.
Tuning
StandardRecording Signal Chain · 3 items
1964 Gibson ES-335
Gibson
Primary instrument
Cherry red finish; used for the majority of late 1968 Cream concert performances.
Vox Wah-wah
Vox
Tone shaping
Eric Clapton occasionally employed a wah pedal during the Cream era to further color his lead tones.
JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-watt
Marshall
Amplification
Used as a full stack (two 4x12 cabinets); all knobs typically set to 10 for natural tube power-amp distortion.
Tone Characteristics
ToneTwin