Buddy Guy — £1,000 · Pro-Level Rig

• Extreme string bends: Guy bends 2–3 whole steps — use .009s and build finger strength gradually
• Play up the neck (above the 12th fret) more than most blues players — high register wails
• Amp barely breaking up: single coil bite on the edge of clean is the foundation
• Walk away from the amp during solos for feedback — then come back for different feedback notes
• Dramatic range: whisper-quiet phrases immediately followed by screaming high-register attacks
• Right-hand muting varies throughout a phrase — Guy creates internal dynamics mid-sentence
• Chicago shuffle rhythm: learn the Albert Collins stop-time groove that underpins the style
• BB King influence: use single-note lines with intent, not busy pentatonic runs

• ✗Setting the TS9 gain above 5 into a clean amp — at high gain settings the TS becomes a distortion pedal that colours the tone heavily. Below 4, it's a boost and focus pedal. Single coils into a TS above 5 gets nasal and harsh
• ✗Leaving the wah pedal engaged but stationary between rocking it — a cocked wah (fixed position, not moving) acts as a midrange filter that changes the core tone. Either rock it expressively or bypass it completely; a cocked wah changes the sound in ways that are often unintended
• ✗Leaving the guitar volume at 10 — single coil brightness at full volume can be harsh. Rolling back to 8-9 tames the top end without killing output.
• ✗Using a distortion pedal instead of pushing the amp — vintage-voiced amps create better overdrive by being pushed hard than by a pedal circuit. Let the amp do the work.
• ✗Setting the boost level too high relative to the base tone — a boost for solos should raise the presence of the guitar, not cause a volume jump that overwhelms the mix. Level matching matters.
• ✗Setting gain too high on the overdrive pedal — most overdrive pedals are most useful at gain settings of 2-5, where they add character without dominating the tone. High gain settings on an OD pedal become a distortion, not an overdrive.
• ✗Moving the wah too fast — wah is a filter effect that needs time to sweep through its range musically. Fast rocking produces a quacking sound; musical use is slower and more deliberate.
• ✗Using a large amp at low volume — the character of this style comes from a small amp working hard. A 100W amp at 2 doesn't give the same result as a 15W amp at 8.

Fender Stratocaster (polka-dot, with middle pickup or bridge) into a Fender Super Reverb (4×10) or Bassman. Clean to barely-breaking-up amp; all dirt comes from the guitar's physical attack and occasional use of a Boss DS-1. Guy's technique involves extreme bends — sometimes 3 whole steps — and dramatic use of the entire fretboard.