Cliffs of Dover amp settings — Marshall JCM800 2203
The Eric Johnson guitar tone for “Cliffs of Dover”, dialed in for a Marshall JCM800 2203 with a Fender American Professional II Stratocaster. Studio version, Ah Via Musicom (1990) — main theme/lead tone
1969 Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W + 1963 Gibson ES-335 / 1954 Fender Stratocaster + BK Butler/Chandler Tube Driver + Maestro Echoplex EP-3
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 6 |
| Treble | 1 |
| Presence | 0 |
| Master | 4 |
01BK Butler Tube Driver
RECOMMENDED — not owned (front of amp input)
02Tape Delay / Maestro Echoplex EP-3
RECOMMENDED — not owned (place before drive pedal or in chain)
Eric Johnson famously dials his Marshall with treble and presence on 0 to kill high-frequency fizz, relying on massive low-mid saturation. On your JCM800 2203 with a bright single-coil Strat, keep presence pinned at 0, drop treble to 1, and roll your guitar tone control down to 6 to simulate his warm ES-335/fat Strat bridge response. Push the JCM800 preamp gain to 8 into the High input so the amp delivers the necessary liquid sustain standalone without a Tube Driver.
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These settings are for a Marshall JCM800 2203. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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