Buddy Guy Artist Study: Gear & Tone

Guy has used different guitars throughout his career. But he is most commonly associated with Fender Stratocasters, to the point of having his own artist model! He used a Fender Bassman as his go to amp for decades. He also had a Marshall & several other amps, but his basic sound is modeled on that old cranked Fender tube amp sound.

Guy typically uses a fairly clean tone, relying mostly on the overdrive or breakup from a guitar running straight into a cranked tube amp. He often rides the volume knob as his primary means of controlling the volume & dynamics of his playing. He has on occasion used a wah pedal & a Tube Screamer, but the important thing to note is that he always sounds like himself no matter what guitar, amp or gear he uses! That’s a great lesson for all guitarists.