Vintage Electric Blues

After WWII a new breed of electric bluesman emerged that would push the music on to new heights. These players were prime influences for Hendrix, Clapton, The Stones and more. Jon Bishop goes vintage!

- Jon Bishop

In the late 1940s and early ’50s a number of guitarists started to use newly available amplification to augment their sound. Electric instruments made it possible to play at louder volumes enabling solos to be heard over drums and other loud instruments, such as horn sections. The sound of a valve amp turned up loud also focused the tone and helped with sustaining long notes. Many blues players would use this sustain to emulate the long, lonesome notes and vibrato created by the harmonica (known as the blues harp).