Song Rig
Blues for Breakfast
Barney Kessel · Let's Cook · 1957
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Bluesy and direct — Kessel's blues phrasing has a different character from his standard jazz work. The tone is slightly more forward and the pick attack more pronounced, giving the blues vocabulary the edge it needs.
Signal Chain
- 1Gibson ES-350 (bridge pickup)
- 2Slightly louder tube amplifier
Amp Settings
Slightly brighter and with more presence — Kessel bridges jazz guitar tone and blues guitar tone by using the bridge pickup more in blues contexts.
Technique
How to Play It
Blues bending within bebop harmonic language — Kessel applies blues-derived string bending to the chromatic vocabulary of bebop, a fusion that influenced many later jazz-blues guitarists.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Semi-hollow (ES-335 or similar) → Blues Junior at 50% → pick attack controls all the dynamics.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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