The Woman Tone is an overdrive pedal from Aclam Guitars, the Barcelona-based maker, built as a tribute to Eric Clapton's sound during his Cream days. Aclam describes it as a pedal "capable of reproducing Clapton's main overdriven sound," the tone he got from a P.A.F-equipped Gibson SG into 100W Marshall stacks with the guitar's tone control rolled off12.
What sets it apart from a standard overdrive is a custom humbucker pickup simulation circuit paired with a tone control that behaves like the one on your guitar. Instead of reaching down to roll off the guitar's tone knob mid-solo, you get the same effect at the stomp of a switch3.
What is the woman tone?
The "woman tone" is the sound Clapton attained in Cream by rolling off the tone control of his guitar. Aclam's manual describes it as "that characteristic silky, but at the same time gnarly tone, he attained by rolling off the tone control of his guitar," achieved with a simple but effective combination of a P.A.F-equipped Gibson and a 100W Marshall amp2. During the Cream era, around 1968, Clapton played a 1964 Gibson SG loaded with P.A.F humbuckers through 100W Marshall stacks2.
Delicious Audio's buying guide on Plexi-style pedals frames the pedal the same way: "a pedal tribute to Clapton's 'woman tone' from the 1960s, consisting in rolling back the tone control on his SG or Les Paul"5. Pedal of the Day adds that Aclam fine-tuned the effect using both live and studio recordings of Cream, aiming to reproduce his rhythmic and solo tones6.
The two modes and the tone control
The pedal's control layout is deliberately simple. On That Pedal Show, Mick put it plainly: "this is just volume and gain, the tone is in the gauge at this point," meaning the tone shaping happens through the Woman Tone knob rather than a conventional tone stack7.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Controls the overall volume of the unit2 |
| Gain | Sets the drive amount, from mild dirt up to floored-tube amp mayhem3 |
| Woman Tone knob | Behaves like a guitar tone control; turning it counterclockwise reduces treble, making the signal darker and silky2 |
| Woman Mode switch | Activates the Woman Tone knob and lights the LED above it2 |
| Internal DIP switch | Changes the tone capacitor value to make the Woman Tone mode darker or brighter; the ON position gives a mellower, darker Woman Tone2 |
The Woman mode does more than switch the knob in. According to the manual, it also boosts the gain to compensate for the slight volume drop caused by rolling the tone off, and with the knob fully clockwise the pedal can be used as a dual stage overdrive2. GuitarPlayer's review noted the internal dip switch as well: "a dip switch inside the pedal can be turned on for a darker tone, if you desire it"3.
The pedal's design traces back to two modes Aclam identified in Clapton's playing: Fool PAF (Tone on 10)/Marshall, and Fool PAF (with Tone pot)/Marshall with extra gain1. The second mode adds extra gain, and the Woman Tone knob itself behaves like a guitar's tone control, so the two settings map to how Clapton rolled his tone back or left it wide open12.
Pickup simulation and single-coils
The buffered input comes from the custom pickup simulation circuit, which emulates the response of a vintage humbucker. GuitarPlayer's Dave Hunter highlighted this as a "custom pickup simulation circuit" that lets the Woman Tone control respond to a range of pickup types, so single-coil guitars are not left out3. The manual notes that with its buffered input, the guitar signal won't be affected2.
Where to place it
Aclam's manual gives placement advice: put it before other saturation pedals if you use it for solos and lead parts, or last in the overdrive chain if it is the foundation of your overdriven sound2.
What reviewers said
GuitarPlayer's review by Dave Hunter was positive overall, awarding the pedal an Editors' Pick. His verdict: "it's a great-sounding and versatile overdrive that deserves an Editors' Pick Award"3.
"the Woman Tone pedal delivers it at the stomp of a switch, without taking your right hand from its picking position"
Hunter found the Woman Tone setting delivers "a round, fluty, singing tone that can be strangely inspiring in a variety of musical settings," with the full-on woman tone best attained by rolling the knob all the way down3. He also found the gain control offers a usable range from mild dirt to floored-tube amp mayhem, and that the volume control packs a real punch and can drive an amp hard3. His reasons to buy summed it up as well-designed, well-built, offering toothsome overdrive tones with easy access to the woman tone3. On That Pedal Show, the presenters' take was that "the woman tone, it just sits in a great place"7.
Pedal of the Day described it as designed with blues-rock in mind, suiting any guitar player seeking a vintage tone6.
Related pedals
The woman tone concept has appeared in other pedals. The Rick Gram Woman Tone TZ-1 Overdrive, reviewed by Vintage Guitar in 2000, was likewise voiced for humbucking pickups but usable with all pickup types, and its reviewer found it worked especially well with the neck pickup of a Les Paul Standard for soloing8. Aclam's own line includes other vintage-voiced drives, and the Woman Tone sits alongside Plexi-style options covered in Delicious Audio's roundup of Marshall-inspired distortions5.
Aclam backs the Woman Tone with a lifetime warranty and 30-day free returns1.
Videos
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Questions
What is the woman tone?
The woman tone is the sound Eric Clapton got during his Cream days, playing a P.A.F-equipped Gibson SG through 100W Marshall stacks and rolling off the guitar's tone control. The result is a silky but gnarly, singing overdrive. Aclam's pedal recreates that approach with a tone knob that behaves like a guitar tone control.
Does the Aclam Woman Tone work with single-coil pickups?
Yes. The pedal has a custom pickup simulation circuit that emulates the response of a vintage humbucker, so the Woman Tone control responds to a range of pickup types, not just humbuckers. GuitarPlayer's reviewer noted this circuit as a key feature for players whose guitars differ from Clapton's SG.
Is the Aclam Woman Tone true bypass?
Yes. Aclam specifies relay true bypass, which GuitarPlayer's review also confirmed. The pedal also has a buffered input through the pickup simulation circuit, so the guitar signal is not affected when the pedal is in the chain.
Does the Aclam Woman Tone take a battery?
No. There is no internal battery. The pedal runs on a 9V DC center-negative power supply with a minimum of 40mA available, and draws about 10mA itself, so a standard pedalboard supply handles it easily.
Sources (8)
- The Woman Tone effect pedal, Aclam Guitars
- The-Woman-Tone_EN.pdf, Aclam Guitars, 2023
- Aclam Woman Tone Overdrive Pedal Review, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2022-10-18
- Aclam Woman Tone, Delicious Audio, 2023-06-02
- 2024 Best Plexi Pedals & Marshall-Style Distortions: A Buyer's Guide, Delicious Audio, 2024-09-16
- Aclam Woman Tone Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2023-02-25
- Maestro Agena, Mythos Cestus, Aclam Woman Tone, TC Bucket Brigade New Pedal Day, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2022-12-13
- Rick Gram Tone Zone Pedals, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2002-01-15
Eric Clapton
