While Gary Clark Jr.’s main intentions were to showcase his versatility as a songwriter and singer on his major-label debut album, Blak and Blu, he still couldn’t resist providing more than a handful of virtuoso guitar performances as well, helping him earn status as of one of the most promising up-and-coming guitarists of the new millennium.
Gary Clark Jr. performs at the 2012 SXSW Music Festival in Austin.
Clark previously recorded a live solo version of “When My Train Pulls In” for The Bright Lights EP, but when recording the studio version of the song for Blak and Blu, he dramatically increased the intensity with a fuzz-driven main riff and two incendiary extended solos. From the blazing tones emanating from Clark’s guitar to his inventive, melodic lines, “When My Train Pulls In” made a bold statement that a new guitar hero had arrived.
Clark’s guitar tone progressed significantly during the year between the release of The Bright Lights EP and Blak and Blu, and Clark attributed most of that to his newly discovered love of overdrive and fuzz pedals. His main tone on “When My Train Pulls In” is a prime example of that, as he layers Analog Man Astro Tone fuzz and Analog Man King of Tone overdrive pedals together to create a massive tone with distinctive distortion that sounds like speakers on the verge of blowing up yet with expressive midrange and clarity.
The key to this sound is using both pedals sparingly, with the Astro Tone set to only a moderate level of fuzz. Clark’s amp—a Fender Vibro-King—also helps maintain clarity with its stellar clean tone characterized by rich midrange and smooth treble.
The layered fuzz and overdrive pedals remain the core of Clark’s tone