Song Rig
Bold as Love
Jimi Hendrix · Axis: Bold as Love · 1967
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
The Uni-Vibe showcase — cascading, liquid modulation turns the Stratocaster into an orchestral colour instrument. The tone is clean-to-slightly-crunchy; the movement and depth come entirely from the phaser/vibe effect cycling slowly. The coda guitar explosion is Hendrix's most layered studio texture.
Signal Chain
- 1Fender Stratocaster (neck pickup, volume 8)
- 2Univox Uni-Vibe (slow chorus/vibe setting)
- 3Marshall Super Lead 100W (moderate — amp clean-ish)
Amp Settings
The amp stays relatively clean — the Uni-Vibe is doing the tonal heavy lifting. Treble slightly up so the modulation cycles remain audible through the mid-range. Bold as Love is one of the quieter, more delicate Hendrix recordings.
Technique
How to Play It
Right-hand muting between chords while the Uni-Vibe decays creates the "breathing" quality of the verse. The coda solo uses extreme whammy arm dive-bombs between melodic phrases.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Boss RT-20 (Uni-Vibe sim) or MXR Phase 90 at slow speed into any amp set clean-to-crunch. The Uni-Vibe character is distinct from a standard phaser — the RT-20 is closer.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
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