Layla amp settings — Cort CM15R
The Eric Clapton guitar tone for “Layla”, dialed in for a Cort CM15R with a Ibanez GRX40-CA. Studio recording, Derek & The Dominos, 1970 — iconic main riff section
1956 Fender Stratocaster 'Brownie' (neck pickup) → 1957 Fender Champ (5W tweed tube combo, cranked for natural overdrive, no pedals)
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 3 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Treble | 4 |
| Reverb | 2 |
| Master | 6 |
01Boss BD-1 Blues Driver
Primary gain source — amp stays clean, BD-1 provides the cranked-Champ saturation
The Cort CM15R is a solid-state practice amp with no mid or presence controls and cannot produce tube saturation on its own — the BD-1 becomes essential to recreate the cranked Champ breakup. Amp gain stays low (3) to keep it clean while the BD-1 delivers the warm overdrive. Treble dropped to 4 and BD-1 Tone at 4 to match Clapton's rolled-off, vocal quality; the Ibanez humbuckers are hotter than his Strat single coil, so we avoid any extra brightness.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Cort CM15R. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
Get ToneAdapt on Google PlaySong, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.