Little Wing Guitar Tone Settings
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble · 1980s · blues
studio
Original Recording
Studio recording, 1991 (from 'The Sky Is Crying' posthumous release, recorded late 1980s). Gear confirmed by multiple sources as Stratocaster into Fender Super Reverb, with Ibanez Tube Screamer and Leslie/Univibe-style modulation for the solo. No evidence of Marshall or fuzz for this track.
Amp Settings
Effects Chain
- Ibanez Tube Screamer (TS808 or TS9) · overdrive
- Leslie speaker or Univibe-style modulation (model unknown) · modulation
Fender Stratocaster (neck pickup) → Ibanez Tube Screamer → Leslie/Univibe-style modulation → Fender Super Reverb (spring reverb on)
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Tone Character
- warm and smooth neck pickup
- singing sustain
- touch-sensitive dynamics
- edge-of-breakup crunch
- modulated swirl (Leslie/Univibe) in solo
- rich midrange
- glassy, articulate highs
- slight overdrive from Tube Screamer
- dynamic, expressive phrasing
- full-bodied, round low end
Playing Technique
- Attack the note, then let it open · difficulty 3/5Use a confident pick stroke and relax immediately after the attack. The volume swell inside each note is part of the expression, so constant force makes the sound feel flat.
- Center bends before the vibrato · difficulty 4/5Reach the pitch with the fretting hand, hold it briefly, and add a wide but even vibrato. Tune the bend first; the effect only sounds vocal when the center is stable.
- Use double-stops as punctuation · difficulty 3/5Pick both strings evenly and release them together when the phrase ends. The paired notes add harmonic weight without requiring a larger distortion sound.
- Keep the modulation behind the hand · difficulty 2/5Set the rotary or Univibe-style effect deep enough to widen the note, but not so deep that the pitch becomes unstable. Phrasing remains the main event.
Sources
Tone Story / Why This Tone Works
- Style and eraThis recording belongs to Stevie Ray Vaughan's late-1980s Texas blues era and appeared on the 1991 posthumous album The Sky Is Crying.
- Stevie's voiceA large Stratocaster attack, wide controlled vibrato, slides, and vocal phrasing matter more than simply turning the gain up.
- Gear rationaleStratocaster neck pickup, Super Reverb-style headroom, Tube Screamer drive, and Leslie/Univibe movement create the warm solo bloom.
- Why the solo worksThe tone leaves room for chord fragments and held notes to answer each other, so the guitar feels like a second singing voice.
What Fans Are Saying About This Tone?
This guy wasn't human. Something supernatural is flowing through him. He doesn't even think about what he's gonna play next it just pours out. Unquestionably the greatest I've ever seen or heard play a guitar.
Vote your takePlaying this on 13 gauge strings with a very high action basically means Stevie had hydraulic pistons for fingers.
Vote your takeNobody covered Hendrix like Stevie. It was like he was channeling Jimi and putting his own spin on it at the same time. Incredible.
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