Give Me Back My Wig

The recording

Recorded at Sound Studios in Chicago in 1971, the track features Hound Dog Taylor’s raw slide guitar played on a cheap Japanese Kawai Kingston S4T. Taylor’s aggressive slide technique and a turned‑up, high‑gain tube amp give the song its razor‑edge tone, captured live with minimal overdubs alongside Brewer Phillips on second guitar.

Reported gear

1970s Kawai Kingston S4T

Guitar

Taylor used a low‑cost Kawai Kingston S4T, a Japanese solid‑body, for his slide work on 'Give Me Back My Wig', gripping the slide with his six‑fingered left hand.

Unspecified cheap tube amp

Amp

The exact amp used on the recording is undocumented, but Taylor was known for pushing a cheap, high‑gain tube amp to extreme volume, creating the overdriven sound heard on the track.

Alternatives

Squier Affinity Telecaster

Budget alternative · for the 1970s Kawai Kingston S4T

$150 to $200

Fender Blues Junior

Modern equivalent · for the Unspecified cheap tube amp

$500 to $600

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Place the slide on your pinky or ring finger and keep it parallel to the strings.
2. 2.Attack the strings lightly to let the slide ring out and maintain a clean tone.
3. 3.Use open‑string positions (e.g., open G) to maximize resonance when sliding.
4. 4.Control volume with your pick attack; a softer pick yields smoother slides.
5. 5.Experiment with slight palm muting to add percussive bite on rhythm parts.