Howlin' Wolf
The Definitive Collection · 1964
Amp settings (as recorded)
The recording
Recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago in 1964. The track features guitarist Hubert Sumlin, whose unique style involved playing exclusively with his fingers to produce a percussive, squawky, and rhythmically complex tone. The recording captured a raw electric energy, relying on high-volume studio amplification rather than effects to provide the slight, raspy breakup heard on the riff.
Tuning
StandardRecording Signal Chain · 2 items
Les Paul Goldtop
Gibson
Main guitar, fingerstyle technique for 'smacky/plucky' attack
P-90 pickups used; player primarily used finger-pads for a percussive, raw sound.
Small Tube Combo Amplifier
Fender (likely Tweed era or similar)
Primary amplifier
Ran loud to achieve natural tube grit and compression characteristic of Chess Studios' house gear.
Tone Characteristics
ToneTwin