On November 26, 1968, Cream performed its last show, at Royal Albert Hall, and Eric Clapton left the band as a bonafide guitar god. Barcelona-based Aclam Guitar’s The Woman Tone is a tribute to the sounds Clapton wielded during that era, and the theme is deepened with artwork designed by artist Marijke Koger, who painted Clapton’s famed “The Fool” SG (VG, December ’11, also viewable at VintageGuitar.com).

The Woman Tone is a two-sided overdrive pedal; the right side approximates Clapton’s 100-watt Marshall, while the left engages Clapton’s technique of rolling back the guitar’s Tone control while keeping the Volume knob on 10. Think Cream’s “I Feel Free” or “Sunshine of Your Love.”

Fine-tuned FET transistors replicate Clapton’s Plexi, but the money tones are controlled by engaging the Woman Tone side. As a result, warm, soaring vocal qualities emerge without using your hands. Volume and Gain knobs control the Plexi side, while the Woman Tone knob performs like a guitar’s Tone control. With the Woman Tone side engaged, you get dark, beefy sounds with increased gain.

A humbucker simulator is also activated, making any guitar sound like Cream-era Clapton. Internal DIP switches can be adjusted for darker or brighter sounds. It’s a sweet but slightly woolly Marshall-esque overdrive by itself, and with the Woman Tone engaged it becomes an artsy Cream machine with beaucoup harmonic overtones with addictive power and sustain.

This article originally appeared in VG’s November 2022 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.