Get Guitar Tone Like Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was an incredibly creative guitarist who still inspires and influences guitarists today. Here is a quick guide on how to get a tone like Hendrix.

Steps

  1. Use a Stratocaster. While Hendrix did play a variety of different types of guitars - it's far easier to achieve a Hendrix-like tone on a strat.
  2. Use the neck or middle pickup.
  3. A tube amp will achieve the best results. Hendrix used Marshall amps live however used a range of different amps in the studio so even if you don't have a Marshall amp, you can still achieve a great Hendrix tone if it is a tube amp.
  4. Get some effects that he used. There are four key effects to achieve a Hendrix tone: a wah pedal, a fuzz distortion pedal, a Uni-vibe and a Octavia pedal[1]. While he did use various other effects, these four pedals were key to his tone.
  5. Use the fuzz distortion for your dirty tone and when you want a clean tone, turn the fuzz distortion pedal off and roll back your volume knob. This gives a cleaner sound while still achieving the warmth and edge found in Hendrix's clean sound. Don't use a different channel on your amp for your clean tone as it won't sound right.
  6. Learn Hendrix songs. The gear you use is only part of the picture. Learn his songs and learn how he used his gear to shape his tone.
  7. Record yourself playing his songs then compare it to the actual song. Then you can tweak your gear to get closer to the original sound.

Tips

  • Have a look at the tuning used on any song of his you learn. Many are tuned to Eb standard (each string is tuned town a half-step) and some are tuned to D. This is important because if you play a song recorded in Eb and you have your guitar in E, it won't achieve the same feel.
  • Don't feel like you have to have the exact gear to achieve a great Hendrix tone. As long as you have the key components (eg: fuzz distortion, wah, tube amp), it is possible to achieve a great tone.
  • Remember that Hendrix used a variety of different amps and guitars so don't feel you need to have a Fender Stratocaster with a Marshall amp. Focus on the feel of your playing rather than the exact gear used.

Things You'll Need

  • Electric guitar - a Stratocaster works best
  • Tube amp - Marshall is recommended
  • Fuzz distortion
  • Wah pedal
  • Uni-vibe pedal
  • Octavaria pedal

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://guitargearfinder.com/guides/ultimate-guide-jimi-hendrix-tone-gear-effects/

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