1990Ah Via Musicom

Cliffs of Dover Amp Settings

by Eric Johnson

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Original Recording Settings

Well-SourcedResearched tone data for "Cliffs of Dover" by Eric Johnson

Original Gear

Guitar: 1963 Gibson ES‑335 for most of song; 1954 Fender Stratocaster for intro and part of solo
Pickups: DiMarzio HS‑2 (Strat bridge); stock Gibson humbuckers (ES‑335) (Strat neck/neck+middle for intro; ES‑335 bridge for much of main melody; Strat bridge for part of solo)
Amplifier: 100W Marshall half‑stack for lead tones, approximated here with Fender Twin Reverb-style settings
Channel: Lead channel / bright input, pushed with Tube Driver
Tuning: E standard
Pickup Selector: varies between Strat and ES‑335; generally neck-ish positions for smooth, violin-like lead
Strings: Not documented

Guitar World describes Johnson’s lead rig as Maestro EP‑3 Echoplex into Chandler Tube Driver into 100W Marshall half‑stack, but Guitarchalk offers Twin Reverb-based settings for players without a Marshall.[web:31][web:34][web:142]

Amp Settings

Gain

4.0

Bass

5.0

Mid

4.0

Treble

6.0

Presence

5.0

Master Volume

4.0

Volume

4.0

Numeric values (Bass 5, Mid 4, Treble 6, Reverb 3, Volume 4, Presence 5) from Guitarchalk’s Twin Reverb settings for Cliffs of Dover; true studio rig uses Marshall Plexi-style head as described by Guitar World, but no knob positions are published.[web:34][web:142]

Effects Chain

→

Maestro EP‑3 Echoplex

delay/preamp

→

Chandler/Paul C. Tube Driver

overdrive

→

1.Maestro EP‑3 Echoplex — Placed before Tube Driver for preamp coloration and echo; key to the “blooming” feel.[web:31][web:34]

2.Chandler/Paul C. Tube Driver — Provides primary sustain and smooth compression into Marshall; Guitar World notes EQ controls often near zero with drive moderate.[web:34]

Playing Technique

Hybrid “bounce” picking (soft upstrokes brushing strings), legato lines, and subtle vibrato to minimize pick attack and emphasize smooth sustain.

Sources+

Cliffs of Dover (composition) – Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffs_of_Dover_(composition) — Explains Strat vs ES‑335 usage throughout the track and mentions Tube Driver/Echoplex/Marshall rig.[web:31]
The secrets behind Eric Johnson's tone on Cliffs of Dover — https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/the-secrets-behind-eric-johnsons-guitar-tone-on-cliffs-of-dover — Details Echoplex into Tube Driver into Marshall, plus picking approach.[web:34]
Tone Settings for Cliffs of Dover — https://www.guitarchalk.com/amp-settings-cliffs-of-dover-eric-johnson/ — Provides Fender Twin Reverb settings used here as numeric approximations.[web:142]