Fender Stratocaster
“Reversed and flipped”
Main guitar, strung for left hand on a right handed body.
Mid 1960s Stratocasters with single coil pickups, flipped so the bridge pickup angle and tremolo sit reversed.
Gear & Tone AtlasVerified
Jimi Hendrix
Seattle, United Statesrock, blues, psychedelic
Reinvented the electric guitar with feedback, fuzz and a vocal sense of phrasing.
Guitarist Profile
Artistry & Style
Signature Techniques
double stopsthumb-over chord voicingsfeedback controlwhammy bar
Key Takeaway for Players
“Treat the amp and pedals as part of the instrument, not as accessories.”
Origin & Era
Seattle, United States
47.61° N, -122.33° W
Gear & Tone Atlas
VerifiedEquipment & Sound
The instruments, pedals, amplifiers, and signal chain that shape the sound of Jimi Hendrix.
What defines the sound
Signature Tone
A right handed Stratocaster strung and flipped for left hand play gives the reversed bridge pickup a brighter top end. Through cranked Marshall stacks the single coils break up into a singing, vocal sustain. Fuzz Face and Octavia add saturation and upper octave bloom, while a wah and Uni-Vibe bring movement. The volume control is used like a second tone, cleaning up the amp without touching the pedals.
From guitar to amp
Signal Chain
- guitarConfirmed
Fender Stratocaster
Main guitar, strung for left hand on a right handed body.
- fuzzConfirmed
Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face
Primary fuzz for saturated lead and rhythm.
- wahConfirmed
Vox
Expressive filter sweep, often parked for vowel like tones.
- octaveConfirmed
Roger Mayer Octavia
Upper octave fuzz for piercing solo textures.
- modulationConfirmed
Univox Uni-Vibe
Watery chorus and vibrato movement.
- ampConfirmed
Marshall Super Lead 100
Loud, breaking up clean platform for sustain and feedback.
Instruments
Jimi Hendrix Guitars
Confirmed
On the board
Pedals & Effects
Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face
Primary fuzz for saturated lead and rhythm.
fuzz
Sources
SourcesEquipboard
Vox
Expressive filter sweep, often parked for vowel like tones.
wah
Sources
SourcesEquipboard
Roger Mayer Octavia
Upper octave fuzz for piercing solo textures.
octave
Sources
SourcesRoger Mayer
Univox Uni-Vibe
Watery chorus and vibrato movement.
modulation
Sources
SourcesEquipboard
Amplification
Jimi Hendrix Amps
Marshall Super Lead 100
Loud, breaking up clean platform for sustain and feedback.
Across the years
Eras
Fender Stratocaster
“Reversed and flipped”
Main guitar, strung for left hand on a right handed body.
Mid 1960s Stratocasters with single coil pickups, flipped so the bridge pickup angle and tremolo sit reversed.
Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face
Primary fuzz for saturated lead and rhythm.
fuzz
Sources
SourcesEquipboard
Vox
Expressive filter sweep, often parked for vowel like tones.
wah
Sources
SourcesEquipboard
Roger Mayer Octavia
Upper octave fuzz for piercing solo textures.
octave
Sources
SourcesRoger Mayer
Univox Uni-Vibe
Watery chorus and vibrato movement.
modulation
Sources
SourcesEquipboard
Marshall Super Lead 100
Loud, breaking up clean platform for sustain and feedback.
For players
How to Sound Like Jimi Hendrix
Key tone ingredients
- Stratocaster single coils
- germanium fuzz
- wah
- loud tube amp on the edge of breakup
- octave fuzz for solos
Affordable alternatives
- any S style guitar with three single coils
- a silicon Fuzz Face clone
- an affordable wah
- a low watt tube combo or a good amp sim
Suggested effect settings
- fuzz gain high, guitar volume rolled back for cleanup
- wah parked around the middle for nasal tones
Amp settings
- volume loud enough to break up
- presence and treble up
- bass moderate
Playing technique tips
- use the volume knob to move between clean and dirty
- thumb over the neck for chord and bass at once
- control feedback by distance and angle to the amp
What to avoid
- modern high gain distortion
- scooped metal mids
- too much compression that kills dynamics
Verification
Sources
Every gear claim links to a source. Items marked probable or inspired-by are not fully confirmed.
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