Jimi Hendrix
RockBluesPsychedelic Rock1960s

Jimi Hendrix

Bright, singing Strat neck pickup into a cranked Marshall Plexi — thick fuzz, expressive wah swells, controlled feedback and vibrato arm dives. The key is amp volume: Hendrix ran his amps loud enough to sustain naturally.

Budget Rig Breakdown

Signal Chain

GuitarCV Strat
AmpKatana 50
Squier Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster — Guitar
Boss Katana 50 MkII — Amp
Estimated total~£448

Key Tone Tips

  • Use the neck pickup — Hendrix rarely used the bridge
  • Turn the amp up until the preamp starts to break up
  • Roll your picking attack for dynamic control through the fuzz
  • Use the wah slowly and expressively, not as a fast filter
  • Engage vibrato arm for subtle warbles, not dive bombs
  • Tune down half a step to Eb — Hendrix played in Eb standard throughout his career, adding richer harmonics and a slightly looser feel
  • Roll the guitar tone knob to around 6 on the neck pickup — takes the Strat's edge off for a thicker, more vocal lead tone
  • Set Fuzz Face bias low for sputter and gating, high for smooth sustain — Hendrix used germanium fuzz for its unpredictable, temperature-sensitive character
  • Build solos from motifs and bends, not scale runs — Hendrix repeated melodic phrases and bent single notes to pitch; the technique is conversational, not athletic

About Hendrix's Sound

Jimi Hendrix revolutionised the electric guitar with raw feedback, expressive wah, and psychedelic fuzz. His right-handed Stratocaster played upside down became one of the most iconic images in music.