Sunshine of Your Love

The recording

Recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York City in May 1967, the track was produced by Felix Pappalardi and engineered by Tom Dowd. Clapton’s signature ‘woman tone’ comes from using the neck pickup of his 1964 ‘Fool’ Gibson SG with the tone knob rolled down, driving a cranked Marshall JTM45 into a single 1960B 4×12 cabinet, giving the riff its thick, vocal‑like sustain.

Tuning E A D G B E

Reported gear

1964 Gibson SG Standard ('The Fool' psychedelic finish)

Guitar

Clapton played his 1964 Gibson SG Standard, famously painted with the psychedelic ‘Fool’ artwork, using the neck humbucker and rolling the tone control almost completely off to achieve his iconic ‘woman tone’.

1966 Marshall JTM45/100 head

Amp

The SG was driven into a cranked 1966 Marshall JTM45/100 head, with the amp’s passive tone controls set to ten and the volume near full, providing natural tube compression and the thick midrange that defines the riff.

Marshall 1960B 4x12 speaker cabinet

Cabinet

The head was connected to a single Marshall 1960B 4×12 cabinet, delivering the full, resonant low‑mid response heard on the track.

Alternatives

Epiphone SG Standard

Modern equivalent · for the 1964 Gibson SG Standard ('The Fool' psychedelic finish)

$400 to $600

Marshall 1960B 4x12 Cabinet (reissue)

Modern equivalent · for the Marshall 1960B 4x12 speaker cabinet

$800 to $1,200

Marshall JTM45 Reissue (2022)

Reissue · for the 1966 Marshall JTM45/100 head

$1,500 to $2,200

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Select the neck pickup and roll the tone knob almost all the way down.
2. 2.Crank the amp to full volume and set the tone controls to maximum for natural compression.
3. 3.Play with a light attack and let the notes sustain, allowing the tube overdrive to sing.
4. 4.Use a medium‑gauge pick and stay in standard tuning (E A D G B E).