What Pedals Did Jimi Hendrix Use?
Jimi Hendrix's pedalboard was small by modern standards — but each pedal was chosen for a specific purpose and used with intention. The combination of a germanium fuzz, wah, and phase-style modulation defined his psychedelic-blues sound.
The Core Pedalboard
1. Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face
Model: Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face (original, circa 1966–1969)
Transistor type: Germanium (NKT275 transistors)
The Fuzz Face is the central piece of Hendrix's tone. The original germanium Fuzz Face has a specific characteristic that makes it particularly suited to the Stratocaster + Marshall combination: it responds to the guitar's volume knob.
At guitar volume 10, the Fuzz Face produces full saturation. Rolling back the guitar volume to 6–7 cleans the Fuzz Face up dramatically — almost to clean. This makes the Fuzz Face essentially a gain control from the guitar rather than a fixed distortion level.
Settings (documented):
- Fuzz: 3 o'clock (high)
- Volume: 3 o'clock (unity or slightly above)
Critical note: The germanium NKT275 transistors in the original are temperature-sensitive — they sound different when cold vs warm. Modern silicon Fuzz Face reissues (BC108 transistors) have a harder, less dynamic character. For authentic Hendrix tone, seek a germanium Fuzz Face.
Current alternatives:
- Dunlop JH-F1 Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face (germanium, £120)
- Dunlop FFM2 Germanium Fuzz Face Mini (£90)
- Analogman Sun Face (germanium NKT275, £250)
2. Vox Cry Baby Wah (V847)
Model: Vox Cry Baby Wah (Italian-made, circa 1967–1969)
The wah pedal is perhaps Hendrix's most recognisable effect tool — used on "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", "Little Wing", and countless live performances. His wah technique is dynamic and vocal: he uses wide, expressive sweeps rather than rhythmic on/off switching.
The original Italian Vox Cry Baby differs from modern versions in its response curve — the Q (resonant peak) is more pronounced, producing a narrower, more focused wah character.
Modern alternative: Dunlop JH-1D Jimi Hendrix Cry Baby Wah (custom tuned to the original Italian circuit, ~£130).
3. Uni-Vibe (Univox Uni-Vibe)
Model: Univox Uni-Vibe, circa 1968–1969
The Uni-Vibe was marketed as a rotating speaker simulator but uses four photocell-LFO stages to produce a slow, watery phase-like modulation. It has a distinctly organic, breathing quality that differs from standard phasers.
Key Hendrix recordings using Uni-Vibe:
- "Machine Gun" (Band of Gypsies, 1970)
- "Star Spangled Banner" (Woodstock, 1969)
- "Little Wing"
- "Bold as Love"
Settings:
- Speed: Slow (7–9 o'clock) for the characteristic pulse
- Depth: Maximum
- Vibrato/Chorus switch: Chorus mode (no pitch shift, just the phase modulation)
Modern alternatives:
- Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Uni-Vibe (£160)
- MXR M68 Uni-Vibe (£120)
- Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe (£120)
4. Octavia (Tycobrahe Octavia)
Model: Tycobrahe Octavia (built by Roger Mayer for Hendrix, 1967)
The Octavia is a fuzz-octave pedal — it produces the original note plus an octave above, mixed together. It produces a harsh, synthetic, alien quality used on specific lead lines.
Key moments: "Purple Haze" solo, "Fire" intro riff, "One Rainy Wish" solo.
Note: The Octavia was hand-built by Roger Mayer specifically for Hendrix. Current alternatives include the Roger Mayer Octavia (still produced, £180) and the Dunlop MXR Octavio (£100).
Signal Chain
Stratocaster → Cry Baby Wah → Fuzz Face → Uni-Vibe → Octavia → Marshall Super Lead
In Hendrix's rig, the pedals were often in the front of the amp (not the FX loop) — the Fuzz Face's output impedance interacted with the Marshall's input impedance as part of the tonal character.
The Fuzz Face → Marshall Interaction
A critical technical detail: the original germanium Fuzz Face has a low output impedance. When placed before a Marshall's high-impedance input, the interaction between the two creates a specific "load" on the Fuzz Face's output that softens and enriches the fuzz character. This interaction doesn't happen if the Fuzz Face is placed after a buffer (like a tuner or wah with a buffer in bypass).
Implication: For authentic Hendrix tone, the Fuzz Face should be the first pedal in the chain (or immediately after an unbuffered wah), never after a buffered pedal.
Why Pedal Order and Buffering Are Non-Negotiable Here
Most artist pedalboard guides on this site treat signal chain order as a helpful convention; for Hendrix's rig, it's closer to a hard requirement. The germanium Fuzz Face's low output impedance depends on seeing the guitar's raw, unbuffered signal — placing any buffered pedal (a standard tuner, many modern wahs) before it changes the impedance relationship the fuzz circuit was designed around, altering its character in ways that become obvious once it's driving an already-saturated Marshall.
This is the single most common reason a technically correct pedal list still doesn't sound right in practice: getting the right models isn't enough if a buffered pedal sits ahead of the Fuzz Face in the chain, silently changing how it behaves before the signal even reaches the amp.
Common Mistakes
Placing a buffered tuner or wah before the Fuzz Face. As explained above, this changes the impedance the germanium circuit sees, altering its character even with an otherwise period-correct pedal — order matters as much as pedal selection here.
Using a silicon Fuzz Face reissue and expecting identical results to a germanium original. As the pedal section notes, silicon transistors (BC108) produce a harder, less dynamic, less temperature-sensitive character than the original NKT275 germanium transistors — a genuinely different tonal outcome, not an interchangeable substitute.
Assuming the Uni-Vibe is a standard phaser and can be substituted with any phase pedal. As the guide explains, the Uni-Vibe's photocell-LFO design produces a distinctly organic, breathing quality different from conventional phasers — a generic phaser pedal in its place produces an audibly different, more mechanical-sounding modulation.
Adding delay or reverb pedals to chase a "fuller" Hendrix tone. As the FAQ below states directly, no delay pedal was used — studio reverb came from console processing, and live reverb came only from the room and amp, not a dedicated pedal. Adding modern delay/reverb pedals moves away from, not toward, the documented setup.
ToneStakr's Take
For players building this pedalboard, prioritize a genuine germanium Fuzz Face placed first in the chain (directly after an unbuffered wah, if used) over chasing every secondary effect — the fuzz-into-Marshall interaction is doing more of the recognizable tonal work than the Uni-Vibe or Octavia, both of which appear on specific songs rather than as constant elements. Get the core fuzz relationship right before layering in the more situational effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fuzz pedal did Jimi Hendrix use?
The Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face with germanium NKT275 transistors. The original units aren't available new, but Dunlop's Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face (JH-F1) uses genuine germanium transistors and closely approximates the original circuit's character.
What is the Uni-Vibe?
A photocell-based modulation pedal originally marketed as a rotating speaker simulator, producing a slow, watery, organic phase-shift effect distinct from conventional phasers. It's central to Hendrix's more psychedelic tones, particularly on "Machine Gun" and "Little Wing."
Did Hendrix use delay or reverb pedals?
No dedicated delay pedal — studio reverb was added at the mixing console by engineer Eddie Kramer, and live performances relied on the room's natural acoustics and the amp's inherent character rather than any pedal-based time effect.
Why does pedal placement matter so much specifically for this rig?
Because the germanium Fuzz Face's low output impedance is sensitive to what precedes it — a buffered pedal changes that impedance relationship and alters the fuzz's character, which then carries through to how it interacts with the already-saturated Marshall. Getting the order right is as important as getting the individual pedal models right.
Is the Octavia essential, or a more situational effect?
Situational — it appears on specific, identifiable moments like the "Purple Haze" solo and "Fire" intro rather than as a constant part of the rig. Players prioritizing the core, most recognizable Hendrix tone should focus on the Fuzz Face and wah first, adding the Octavia only once chasing those specific tracks.
Can I replicate this pedalboard with modern digital multi-effects instead of individual analogue pedals?
To a reasonable degree, yes — many quality multi-effects units include Fuzz Face, Uni-Vibe, and wah models that capture much of the character. The germanium fuzz's specific touch-sensitivity and temperature dependence are the hardest qualities to replicate digitally, so expect a close approximation rather than an identical result.