Stevie Ray Vaughan vs Jimi Hendrix — Tone and Style Comparison
SRV openly acknowledged Hendrix as his primary influence — he recorded a Hendrix tribute album (The Sky Is Crying includes covers), wore the same flamboyant stage clothes, and structured his guitar approach around Hendrix's combination of rhythm and lead. The comparison is therefore not between two unrelated approaches, but between a foundational influence and the artist most successfully continuing that tradition.
Guitar Comparison
| SRV | Jimi Hendrix | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary guitar | 1963 Fender Stratocaster "Number One" | Right-handed Strat reversed for LH |
| Strings | .013–.058 (very heavy) | .010–.038 (lighter) |
| Tuning | Eb (one half-step down) | Standard or Eb |
| Setup | High action | Standard to moderate |
| Playing style | Fingerstyle (thumb + fingers) and pick | Pick, fingers, and thumb |
Amp Comparison
| SRV | Jimi Hendrix | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary amp | Fender Vibroverb (vintage reverb combo) | Marshall Super Lead 100W |
| Secondary amp | Marshall Super Lead (multi-amp) | Additional Marshall units |
| Volume | Extreme (max volume, stage volume) | Maximum |
| Tone character | American warmth + reverb | British saturation |
The Multi-Amp Stack
SRV notably ran three amplifiers simultaneously:
- Fender Vibroverb (primary)
- Marshall Super Lead (for power and presence)
- Dumble Steel String Singer (for refinement)
This multi-amp approach creates a stereo/multi-dimensional sound that no single amp can replicate — different frequencies reinforce from different sources.
Hendrix primarily ran a single Marshall (multiple units for stage coverage) rather than simultaneous multi-amp blending.
Pedal Comparison
| SRV | Hendrix | |
|---|---|---|
| Core drive | Ibanez TS808 (Drive 0, Level max) | Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face |
| Wah | Dunlop Cry Baby | Vox Wah Wah |
| Modulation | Uni-Vibe (occasional) | Uni-Vibe |
| Octave | MXR Pitch Transposer | Octavia |
Both players used similar conceptual approaches — a fuzz/overdrive device, a wah, and a Uni-Vibe for modulation. SRV's TS808-as-clean-boost is different from Hendrix's Fuzz Face-as-primary-drive.
Technique Differences
SRV:
- Texas shuffle and double-stop rhythm technique
- Albert King-style deep string bends (despite heavy strings)
- Vibrato from string bending rather than whammy bar
- Chicago blues influence in note choice and phrasing
Hendrix:
- Psychedelic and jazz-influenced note choice
- Whammy bar as integral melodic device
- Chord/melody simultaneous technique
- Feedback and studio manipulation as compositional elements
The Heavy String Question
SRV's .013s are a primary discussion point — most Stratocaster players use .009–.010 gauge strings, and his .013s require significantly more physical effort to bend and play. Why did he use them?
- Tone: Heavier strings vibrate with more mass, producing fuller fundamental tone
- Sustain: More string mass = more kinetic energy = more sustain through the pickups
- Volume: SRV played at extreme stage volumes; heavier strings project better at high volume
- Eb tuning: One half-step down reduces tension slightly, making .013s more manageable
Hendrix used lighter strings — the sustain and feedback he sought came from the Marshall's extreme volume saturation rather than string mass.
The Heavy String Decision as a Case Study
SRV's .013 gauge strings are worth understanding as more than a personal quirk — they're a genuinely instructive example of how tone, sustain and volume goals can justify a physically demanding setup choice that most players would never attempt. His reasoning (fuller fundamental tone, more sustain, better projection at extreme volume) is sound engineering logic, not stubbornness.
Most players should not copy SRV's string gauge directly — the physical demands are real, and Hendrix's lighter-string, amp-driven-saturation approach achieves comparable sustain and feedback through an entirely different, more accessible mechanism.
Common Mistakes
Jumping straight to .013 strings to chase SRV's tone. As the Heavy String Question explains, his reasoning involved multiple compounding factors (Eb tuning reducing tension, extreme stage volume needing projection) — adopting heavy strings without those supporting factors mostly just makes the guitar harder to play without delivering equivalent tonal benefit.
Assuming SRV's multi-amp stack is necessary to approximate his tone. While authentic, running three amplifiers simultaneously is impractical for most players — a single quality tube amp with a Tube Screamer set as a clean boost captures much of the essential character.
Treating Hendrix's fuzz and SRV's overdrive as interchangeable drive tools. As the pedal comparison shows, Hendrix's Fuzz Face functioned as his primary drive source, while SRV's TS808 was set at Drive 0 as a clean boost — fundamentally different roles in each signal chain, not just different pedal brands achieving the same job.
Underestimating the influence relationship's directness. SRV didn't just admire Hendrix from a distance — he recorded tribute covers, adopted elements of his stage presentation, and structured his entire rhythm/lead-simultaneous approach around Hendrix's template, making this one of the most direct influence lines in blues-rock guitar.
ToneStakr's Take
For players building a tone inspired by either artist, Hendrix's approach is the more practically achievable starting point — a single cranked Marshall with a Fuzz Face and wah delivers real character without SRV's extreme string gauge or multi-amp complexity. SRV's setup rewards players who've already committed to heavier strings and higher stage volumes for specific tonal reasons, not a starting configuration for most home or club-gigging guitarists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did SRV copy Hendrix?
SRV openly called Hendrix his primary influence and the greatest guitarist he had ever heard. The approach is deeply influenced by Hendrix's template, but the execution is entirely original — SRV's Texas blues vocabulary is genuinely distinct from Hendrix's more psychedelic, jazz-influenced rock.
Which tone is heavier?
By raw weight and density, SRV's three-amp stack at extreme volume produces the heavier physical sound. By harmonic complexity and saturation character, Hendrix's cranked single Marshall arguably produces the more harmonically dense tone.
What did Hendrix influence in SRV specifically?
The approach to the Stratocaster as a simultaneous rhythm-and-lead instrument; the combined use of wah and fuzz in the same signal chain; and the sheer scale and physical energy of live performance.
Is it worth using Eb tuning if I'm not using heavy strings like SRV?
Yes, it can still be useful independently — Eb tuning slightly reduces string tension and shifts the overall tonal character darker, benefits that apply regardless of string gauge. It's a legitimate tuning choice on its own, not exclusively tied to SRV's heavy-string setup.
Should a beginner blues guitarist start by studying SRV or Hendrix?
Hendrix's vocabulary is generally more approachable as a starting point — his chord-and-melody integrated technique and standard-ish string gauges are less physically demanding than SRV's heavy-string, high-action setup, which genuinely requires significant hand strength to execute comfortably.
Does the Dumble Steel String Singer in SRV's rig add meaningfully different character from his other two amps?
Yes — it was specifically included for refinement and clarity rather than power or saturation, filling a different sonic role than the Vibroverb's warmth or the Marshall's presence, which is part of why the three-amp blend produces a genuinely multi-dimensional tone that no single amp replicates.