Riff Tone
Smokestack Lightning
Howlin' Wolf
Guitarblues1950s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson ES-175 (early 1950s, likely P-90 pickups)
AmpGibson GA-40 (early 1950s combo amp, likely studio amp for Chess Records sessions)
PickupsGibson P-90 single coil
Amp Settings
gain0
bass6
mid6.5
treble6.5
reverb0
presence5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1956 original Chess Records session. Gear inferred from era, artist, and session photos/interviews; no explicit source confirms exact amp model, but Gibson ES-175 and small Gibson amps were standard for Hubert Sumlin in this period.
Tone Character(10)
clean and bitingwarm and woodyarticulate and percussivedynamic and touch-sensitivedry, upfront studio soundslightly compressed from ampno audible effectssingle coil clarityfingerstyle attackclassic Chess Records blues
Difficulty
The riff requires intermediate fingerstyle technique, rhythmic precision, and dynamic control, but does not involve advanced chords or fast soloing.
Sources
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
Create Free AccountGuitarblues1950s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson ES-175 (early 1950s, likely P-90 pickups)
AmpGibson GA-40 (early 1950s combo amp, likely studio amp for Chess Records sessions)
PickupsGibson P-90 single coil
Amp Settings
gain0
bass6
mid6.5
treble6.5
reverb0
presence5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1956 original Chess Records session. Gear inferred from era, artist, and session photos/interviews; no explicit source confirms exact amp model, but Gibson ES-175 and small Gibson amps were standard for Hubert Sumlin in this period.
Tone Character(10)
clean and bitingwarm and woodyarticulate and percussivedynamic and touch-sensitivedry, upfront studio soundslightly compressed from ampno audible effectssingle coil clarityfingerstyle attackclassic Chess Records blues
Difficulty
The riff requires intermediate fingerstyle technique, rhythmic precision, and dynamic control, but does not involve advanced chords or fast soloing.