My Time After Awhile

The recording

Recorded in June 1964 at Chess Studios in Chicago, "My Time After Awhile" showcases Buddy Guy’s raw blues energy. He tracks his lead line on a 1961 Fender Stratocaster, using the bridge pickup for a bright, cutting tone. The signal runs through a classic Fender Twin Reverb, miked via a Shure SM57 into a 4×10 Bassman cabinet, yielding a tight low‑end and shimmering highs. Buddy’s expressive wah sweeps add vocal‑like phrasing, and the performance is captured with a slight tube‑driven breakup from the amp’s natural overdrive.

Tuning Standard E A D G B E

Reported gear

1961 Fender Stratocaster

Guitar

Buddy’s 1961 Fender Stratocaster, the instrument he recorded with at Chess Studios in 1964, delivers his biting single‑coil tone on "My Time After Awhile".

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah Pedal

Wah Pedal

He employs a classic Dunlop Cry Baby wah for the vocal‑like sweeps heard throughout the track, a pedal he has used extensively since the mid‑60s.

1965 Fender Twin Reverb

Amp

The track was captured through a 1965 Fender Twin Reverb, the clean, high‑headroom amp Buddy favored during his early Chess sessions.

1960s Fender 4x10 Bassman Cabinet

Cabinet

The Twin’s signal was routed into a vintage 4×10 Fender Bassman cabinet, the speaker choice documented for Buddy’s 1964 recordings.

Alternatives

Fender Player Stratocaster

Modern equivalent · for the 1961 Fender Stratocaster

$700 to $800

Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue

Modern equivalent · for the 1965 Fender Twin Reverb

$1,500 to $2,500

Dunlop Cry Baby Classic Wah Pedal

Modern equivalent · for the Dunlop Cry Baby Wah Pedal

$150 to $200

Fender 4x10 Bassman 65 Cabinet

Modern equivalent · for the 1960s Fender 4x10 Bassman Cabinet

$400 to $600

Practical playing approach

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

1. 1.Set the Strat’s bridge pickup to full and roll the tone knob slightly back for clarity.
2. 2.Add subtle wah sweeps on each phrase to emulate Buddy’s vocal‑like articulation.
3. 3.Turn the Twin Reverb’s volume high enough to push the tubes into natural breakup, keeping treble moderate to avoid harshness.
4. 4.Attack the strings with a relaxed, fluid picking style, emphasizing the second beat for a classic shuffle feel.