The Aclam Woman Tone is an all-analog overdrive pedal from Barcelona-based Aclam that recreates Eric Clapton's Cream-era sound. It combines a Plexi-voiced overdrive, inspired by Clapton's 100W Marshall full stacks, with a humbucker pickup simulator, and adds a second footswitch that reproduces Clapton's signature trick: rolling off the tone control for the smooth, singing "woman tone"123.
Aclam describes it as "a tribute to Eric Clapton's epic sound during his Cream days"1, and the manual calls it a "touch sensitive Plexi-inspired overdrive using discrete components"2. GuitarPlayer's Dave Hunter suggested players "approach it as a straight-up, Plexi-voiced overdrive first and foremost"3.
The pedal must be powered with a 9V DC negative-tip supply using the standard Boss-type 2.1mm connector; there is no battery option2.
What the woman tone is
Clapton's woman tone is the sound he got during Cream by rolling off the tone control of his guitar. The 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 1964 Gibson SG loaded with P.A.F humbuckers into 100W Marshall stacks2. Clapton himself called it a "Sweet sound" and said "It's more like a human voice than a guitar" in an interview during the farewell gig at the Royal Albert Hall4.
Aclam fine-tuned the pedal using both live and studio recordings of Cream7. On That Pedal Show, the presenters described one of its modes as "the sound of his SG into a Plexi apparently"8.
Controls and the two footswitches
The pedal keeps its control set minimal: volume, gain, and the Woman Tone knob, with two footswitches. On That Pedal Show, the presenters noted "this is just volume and gain the tone is in the gauge at this point"8.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Controls the overall volume of the unit2 |
| Gain | Sets the amount of overdrive; turned fully clockwise it gives what the manual calls "a roaring plexi saturation"2 |
| Woman Tone knob | Behaves like a guitar tone control; turning it counterclockwise reduces treble, making the signal darker and silky2 |
| Bypass footswitch | Engages the unit and lights the LED above it2 |
| Woman Mode footswitch | Activates the Woman Tone knob and lights its LED2 |
The Woman Mode footswitch does more than switch the knob in. Aclam fine-tuned it to slightly increase the gain when engaged, so saturation does not drop when the tone control is rolled off, and it enhances the low end2. The manual also notes that with the knob fully clockwise, the mode can be used as a dual-stage overdrive2. Delicious Audio describes the second footswitch as bypassing the woman tone control "for two different tonal voicings"4.
GuitarPlayer's Dave Hunter found this the pedal's practical appeal: "the Woman Tone pedal delivers it at the stomp of a switch, without taking your right hand from its picking position," which may especially benefit players using middle-position pickups or guitars with shared tone controls3.
The internal dip switch
Inside the pedal, a dip switch changes the tone capacitor value, making the Woman Tone mode darker or brighter. In the ON position it gives a mellower, darker Woman Tone2. Hunter noted "a dip switch inside the pedal can be turned on for a darker tone, if you desire it"3.
Power, connections and the buffered input
The Woman Tone runs on 9V DC center negative with a current draw of approximately 10mA, and needs a supply rated at 40mA minimum with the standard Boss-type 2.1mm connector2. The input and output jacks sit on the pedal's front face, with the power jack between them3.
Despite the relay true bypass, the input is buffered through the pickup simulation circuit. The manual states: "With its buffered input, the guitar signal won't be affected"2. That simulation circuit is all-analog and designed to reproduce the tonal qualities of a vintage Gibson P.A.F, so the overdrive stage sees a humbucker-equipped guitar regardless of what is plugged in24.
The enclosure is a custom light aluminum box designed to fit Aclam's Smart Track pedalboards, with fasteners in slots at each side so no Velcro or Dual Lock is needed; the box ships with both an anti-sliding rubber pad and a Velcro pad for conventional boards123. It carries a two-year warranty from the purchase date under Spanish legislation2.
History and the Marijke Koger artwork
The artwork is its own piece of history. Aclam enlisted Marijke Koger, former leader of the Fool art collective and the painter who decorated Clapton's original psychedelic SG, nicknamed "The Fool"745. Delicious Audio describes the design as portraying "a human in paradise with very vivid colors and key elements that reflect the movement of the psychedelic youth" culture of the 1960s4. On That Pedal Show, the presenters noted "she's the former leader of the Art Collective the fool and she did the artwork"8.
The name is not unique to Aclam: the earlier Rick Gram Woman Tone TZ-1 was likewise designed to mimic Clapton's fat, sustaining Cream-era tone, and Vintage Guitar found it worked especially well with the neck pickup of a Les Paul for soloing9.
What reviewers said
GuitarPlayer gave the pedal an Editors' Pick Award, calling it "a great-sounding and versatile overdrive"3. Hunter 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 hard"3. Of the Woman Tone setting itself, he described "a round, fluty, singing tone that can be strangely inspiring in a variety of musical settings," with the full effect best attained by rolling the knob all the way down3. His reservation was price: "Some may find it pricey for what it does"3.
Pedal of the Day took a similar view: "This is a very specific sound, indeed, but if it's one you've been chasing for years, you'll be astonished at how great it is overall"7. The site also noted the pedal "will perfectly suit any guitar player seeking a vintage tone," with blues-rock in mind7.
"This is a very specific sound, indeed, but if it's one you've been chasing for years, you'll be astonished at how great it is."
That Pedal Show covered the pedal in a December 2022 new-pedal-day video alongside the Maestro Agena, Mythos Cestus and TC Bucket Brigade, introducing it at 14:50 with sounds from 16:2010. In their demo video, the presenters walked through the two modes and the artwork's background8.
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Questions
What is Clapton's woman tone?
It is the sound Eric Clapton got during his Cream days by rolling off the tone control on his P.A.F-equipped Gibson SG into 100W Marshall stacks. He described it as a sweet sound, more like a human voice than a guitar. The Aclam pedal recreates that silky but gnarly tone with a footswitch instead of your guitar's tone knob.
Is the Aclam Woman Tone true bypass?
Yes. Aclam specifies relay true bypass, so when the pedal is disengaged the signal does not pass through its circuitry. GuitarPlayer's review also lists true-bypass switching among its features.
Does the Aclam Woman Tone have a buffered input?
Yes. The input is buffered through the pedal's pickup simulation circuit, which Aclam says reproduces the tonal qualities of a vintage Gibson P.A.F humbucker. According to the manual, with its buffered input the guitar signal won't be affected.
What does the internal dip switch on the Woman Tone do?
It changes the tone capacitor value, making the Woman Tone mode darker or brighter. In the ON position it gives a mellower, darker Woman Tone. GuitarPlayer's reviewer noted it can be turned on for a darker tone if you want one.
Does the Woman Tone work with single-coil pickups?
The pedal's all-analog pickup simulation circuit is designed to reproduce the tonal qualities of a vintage Gibson P.A.F humbucker, so any guitar is presented to the overdrive circuit as a humbucker-equipped one. GuitarPlayer's reviewer found the Woman Tone setting could benefit players using middle-position pickup selections or guitars with shared tone controls.
Where is the Aclam Woman Tone made?
In Spain. The manual states it is made in Spain, and GuitarPlayer's review lists it as assembled in Spain. Aclam Guitars is based in Barcelona.
Sources (10)
- 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
- Get Eric Clapton's Cream-era guitar tone from just one pedal, Guitar World, 2022-07-05
- The Windmiller Preamp, Aclam Guitars
- 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
- New Pedal Day Maestro Agena, Mythos Cestus, Aclam Woman Tone, TC Bucket Brigade, That Pedal Show, 2022-12-13
