What Strings Does Buddy Guy Use for His Guitar?
Oct 24th 2024
About Buddy Guy
Few guitarists embody the term “living legend” like George “Buddy” Guy. As one of the leading artists behind the development and popularization of the Chicago blues, Buddy has inspired artists from Jimi Hendrix to Gary Clark Jr. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Buddy Guy as the 27th greatest guitarist of all time — and Eric Clapton has called him the best guitarist alive.
Born in 1936 to Louisiana sharecroppers, Buddy began playing on a self-made two-string diddley bow. He moved to Chicago in 1957 where he was tutored by Muddy Waters; over the years, he’s worked with Ike Turner, Junior Wells and countless others. With eight Grammies and a National Medal of Arts Award, he’s a certified master. Now pushing the age of 90, he still plays well over 100 shows a year on the road or at his blues club in Chicago.
Ernie Ball Guitar Strings and Buddy Guy
When Ernie Ball began making guitar strings, Buddy Guy was one of the earliest major names to adopt them. There are several Ernie Ball electric string sets Buddy plays based on what he’s looking for.
When Buddy needs full-tone, high-output and stable strings that offer the perfect balance for rhythm and lead, he chooses Ernie Ball Slinky M-Steel Skinny Top/Heavy Bottom Strings. The original Ernie Ball Super Slinky Strings offer a bright tone with a light feel while Ernie Ball Cobalt Regular Slinky Strings increase Buddy’s dynamic range and offer sweat resistance for long shows. And when Buddy wants to wail away like a kid again, he does so on heavy-gauge Ernie Ball Power Slinky Strings.
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