First Time Using a UNI-VIBE & I'll Never Be The Same Again... Jimi Hendrix Tone Journey #3

So, despite being a Jimi Hendrix lover I've never tried Uni-Vibe before... I never really thought about it! So, today I received a MXR Uni-Vibe and have a moment I may never forget!!
Follow me on Instagram @james_on_guitar
Time Stamps:
0:00 You Need A UniVibe for Hendrix
1:55 Amp Only
2:27 First UniVibe Play!
3:20 Not Just a Modulation
3:51 More Univibe Playing
4:31 Splashes the Reverb
4:49 Chorus Playing
6:09 Kick the Fuzz In
6:39 Speechless
7:06 Star Spangled Banner Setting
7:32 Fuzz ONLY
7:46 Now Both.... !!
9:17 ooooooofff
9:38 lovely chorus
10:51 Vibe for lead, chorus for rhythm?
11:38 Add the fuzz back!
12:24 the greatest effect... but is the mxr great?

[@JamesOnGuitar]

Well… this was a surprise to me tbh, how i’d feel about this! 😃🤟🏼

[@neilscholes566]

Would be interested to see how your GigRig pedalboard changes as a result of this journey.

[@stevenrobinson9080]

You’re going to end up wanting a Sabbadius so save yourself the ££ and time and do it first. The vibe trip can quickly become consuming, as others have said.

[@Der_Haff]

Wow what a great playing there, love it

[@meeno_the_man]

You’ve totally opened my eyes back up to my Vibe. The Fulltone. I’ll be interested to see the comparison when yours comes. Thanks again, I’m LOVING my vibe again. And as ever, I love going on this journey of discovery with you. Well done.

[@Oldistrue]

Love to see you buzzing like this. Can totally relate. I rediscovered Hendrix a couple years ago and totally went down the Univibe rabbit hole. Such an addictive sound. Wound up with an R Weaver FX Midnight Vibe. It’s incredible. Looking forward to the comparison. That Kingtone 1968 is going to rule. All the demos I’ve seen of it suggest you have real treat in order!

[@Adventuresingearland]

There’s something wonderfully endearing about a uni-vibe isn’t there?! Lovely to see you enjoying yourself with it so much!

[@snowblind1581]

Really loved that video mate. Only surprised that you hadn't experienced uni vibe before . Great to see you beaming whilst playing such great tones! Best wishes

[@JamesOnGuitar]

Thanks! Such a brilliant feeling and sound 👊🏼

[@tom9239]

Good stuff James. I got the Thorpy ER2 recently and I can highly recommend that one too. I’ve had an R Weaver Midnight Vibe in the past too which was great but it was bigger than my house.

[@richman6100]

Great video James. Welcome to the UniVibe rabbit hole. Really looking forward to some comparison videos from you. I think it will be important to pick a note, or strum a chord, and let it ring out so we can hear the intensity and speed settings before playing fast riffs. UniVibes sound very different with the speed setting slow or fast. The same goes for intensity. Both extremes have their place and create a wonderful sense of movement. I've not tried loads of UniVibes (yet), but so far none have been bad. I'm currently using a Dry Bell Vibe Machine, which is excellent. Thorpy's new ER-2 looks impressive too. Too many great options, as always. We're very spoilt for choice! :-)

[@TheMarcosgomes73]

I love those tones!! Try the vibe first and then the fuzz or distortion..the Robin Trower way...its a total diferent feel. To my ears better everything gets more liquid...keep the journey😊

[@sroelit]

Yep, this going to be fun. Get ready to add words like “whoosh,” “throb,” and “pulse to your vocabulary. I actually think your playing style-your pick attack and dynamics-brings out different aspects of the uni-vibe sound than I hear from some other players.

[@JamesOnGuitar]

Throbbing good fun 😂🙌

[@Grungebob_Squaredance]

The mxr uni vibe is a nice sounding pedal, it is worthwhile trying a vibe that uses photocells to produce its sound like the OG unit did.

[@michaelclarkphoto]

Oh, man. The Uni-Vibe rabbit hole is deep and wide. Once you get one you keep wanting to see what others are like. And the good ones are not cheap. Kind of like fuzz. Fun to see you dive into the vibes.

[@sroelit]

I’m nervous about James getting the 1968-that’s one of the boutique vibes that I’ve been eying for a while. Hope he doesn’t make it sound too good. 😅

[@michaelclarkphoto]

@@sroelit I have the 1968 and love it. I have a feeling James is going to love it as well. though if I am honest, Fulltone vibe sounds amazingly great for the price. Rock on James!

[@johnblack9037]

Awesome! Also don’t have a univibe but will get but no idea which one, was thinking electro harmonix? Will wait for your next video’s.

[@rhum66]

Nice sounds. I have the Keeley Monterey ; pretty cool for Hendrix stuff.

[@MicroMysticMusic]

Once again great playing and tones! I've seen that some of the higher priced Uni-Vibes (including the originals) can run the pre-amp without the vibe/chorus effect and I've read that Jimi would use the preamp without the vibe on to spice up his tone later in his career. Either way, going to be fun to watch you jamming with your new gear! Rock on!

[@JamesOnGuitar]

That was my thought! I wonder, it may work with the mxr, i’ll try 🙌

[@Sean_Plays_Guitar]

The vibe is not a vibe....it is a way of life.

[@JamesOnGuitar]

I have no argument to that 😂🤟🏼

[@Sean_Plays_Guitar]

@@JamesOnGuitar Great playing btw. Wish I could play that well when I was "not warmed up" LOL! 🔥

[@deanzo1234]

I'm sold!

[@rickc2102]

I often leave a harmonic tremolo always-on, but one of the optical univibes is next, love that extra chewiness

[@Srvtecej]

Love the tone! Thoughts on the JL amp after more time with it? Versus the other TRs?

[@jeffcookdotau]

I bought the King Tone Vibe 1968 pedal about a week ago. It was something that I never thought that I'd be interested in but it's truly magic.

[@JamesOnGuitar]

V glad to hear that!! Have you tried the vintage switch inside?

[@jeffcookdotau]

@@JamesOnGuitar I haven't gone exploring yet, compounded by the fact that a Dunlop Jimi Hendrix wah turned up yesterday. I'm the "no pedals" guy who just came to the party and discovered a whole other world. I've bought about a dozen in the last few months. I have some catch-up ahead of me.

[@timothybaumann7191]

Best uni-vibe ever, the Argenziano Gypsy Vibe ❤❤❤

[@HenryMcGuinnessGuitar]

So I wonder if Hendrix was using the Univibe on the studio version of Red House. I've always thought that song (especially the first few bars before the singing) contained the best rock vibrato (& basically the best blues solo playing) I've ever heard. Just a beautiful tone - which you've got somewhere near here.

[@P_p_Br0]

I bought one with christmas money, and its so amazing. Ive just been improvving with some pink floyd style backing track amd its lovely

[@MichaelWatts]

Sounds good man! Have you tried the Greuter Vibe yet?

[@willrayment9544]

My mxr never sounded vibey enough, just something missing. Put in the cupboard for a few years totally underwhelmed. One day got it out messing around with it, found the vibe switch wasn't full engaging the vibe. Took it apart bypassed the switch so always on vibe and my god is it good.

[@richardbeaton7324]

Hendrix used the chorus mode the most. The Vibe mode stand for Vibrato , But nice video man ! Pedal Pawn does a nice original sounding Univibe or the Funky Vibe , They're the best two i've found for the Hendrix sound.

[@iantomsic4686]

I bought this pedal twice. I thought it was not intense enough, so I returned it. I then saw that Steve Lukather had it on his pedalboard, and thought maybe I was missing something. Turns out, what I was really missing was an Octavia. lol

[@bdunn315]

I can’t see in the video and maybe I missed it but did you put the univibe before the fuzz I would assume?

[@JamesOnGuitar]

My bad - fuzz first, then univibe

[@norahmotekar]

❤❤❤❤

[@scottketterer1672]

Uni-vibe is super fun and sorta dangerous since there are so many to try.

[@benallmark9671]

I own this pedal and didn’t realize it had a star spangled banner setting. Can somebody please explain ?

[@JamesOnGuitar]

😃 glad i’m not the only one wondering - the knobs were only subtly moved from the other setting but it was quite different!

[@emitremmus1004]

I found your reverb store last week, it said you just sold the J. Rockett Uni-Verb and at the start you said you never played one?

[@JamesOnGuitar]

Yup, never used it - bought it and tried the reverb because i have a few non reverb amps but straight away didn’t love it, wasn’t playing strats much at the time and moved it on. At the time i was barely using pedals and bought it on a whim and regretted it because i lost £100 for nothing. Believe it or not, just one of those things 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@matthewgregg31]

Hey James. What is the background music at the start? And let me say, you’re playing was always good but you’re really sounding amazing these days!

[@JamesOnGuitar]

Thanks man! I’ll have to check on that song 👍🏼

[@fezdeluxe]

​@@JamesOnGuitar Please do! Weird and wonderful little gem at the start.

[@forzabestia4218]

Wait until you try a good one James. The MXR is competent but higher end vibes are SO much more glorious!!

[@JamesOnGuitar]

You're right! my current favourite is the r weaver fx midnight vibe, so good

[@forzabestia4218]

@JamesOnGuitar Outstanding!! I've owned one of those for several years and it's in my top 3 for sure!

[@richietownsend6737]

Rumor has it at Woodstock many people could be heard commenting on how important photocells were to Jimi’s Univibe sound. Stoner audiences know what they want in a Univibe. There were also many conversations on which inductor his wah wah pedal used, and if it was true bypass. It’s important to know and play to your audience. ☮️☮️☮️

[@JamesOnGuitar]

😂😂 but you know, jimi wasn’t even using a pre-cbs strat so what did he know 😅

[@Chigoesandflea]

Tell me about your Strat, Custom Shop?

[@musicplaylists59]

Uni vibe really is an amazing effect and very addictive to play yeah haha. In my experience the ones with photocells (like the original circuit) sound even better than the non photocell versions. I don't know if the MXR has the photocell circuit, sounds really good either way though!

[@DirtCityMTB]

Who cares about being lumped in a niche. If it inspires you to play and make music then rock the hell out of it.

[@Doomlord777]

Great review. I dont care what anyone says, mxr make great stuff at sensible prices. Yeah the corksniffers dont like this vive cos its not £300 but they are idiots! Your playing and tone was awesome which does justice to the mxr just fine!

[@benallmark9671]

What chorus pedal are you using ?

[@JamesOnGuitar]

It’s the same pedal - from what i can see uni-vibe pedals are chorus and vibe and you can set between them 👍🏼

[@simeoni485]

@@JamesOnGuitarMost of them have chorus and vibrato modes. I think that vibe mode in the mxr is same as vibrato which is more used in other univibes.

[@benallmark9671]

@@JamesOnGuitar thanks , now what about this star spangled banner setting , what is that referring too ?

[@JamesOnGuitar]

That’s jimi hendrix playing the star spangled banner at woodstock 👍🏼

[@benallmark9671]

@@JamesOnGuitar ya what a legendary performance that was. I thought there was a star spangled tone nob or pedal maybe. I wasn’t sure what you meant but thanks for clearing it up.

[@carljohnson8364]

☮️🤘😎🤘☮️

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

Oh my a convert. Me too. The pricey gourmet UniVibes do not do the gritty thing and their modulation is so huge you feel like you are trying to play with someone idling their Harley in time with the modulation. I had and sold several at twice the price. I was convinced I hated Uni-Vibes. I had a word with my dependable advisor. Dave Friedman . Yes that Dave he told me to get the MXR. I did, and I can no longer use my Fuzz Face without the MXR turned on. Try this setting. Level at 1 oClock, ( more kills the tone), Speed at 2 oClock and Depth at just a bit lower than 9 oClock, (Yes you do not want heavy modulation) then push it with Fuzz, preferably a Fuzz Face germanium. Finally ...trust Dave Freidman!!! THANX FOR THE DEMO !!!!

[@lesfrithdidier2745]

I have the same pedal! Sounds better with the mxr micro amp ✌️.

[@gillescindric2883]

Quel putain de son ! No translation cause it will lower sense of my feeling

[@johnmcdonough666]

If you like that wait until you try an actual uni-vibe circuit.

[@michelvondenhoff9673]

Don't let small pedals and small pills fool you 😂

[@DS-nw4eq]

I keep wondering what year it is. Plus, it’s appropriation for a white man to play guitar. All music is black and belongs to black culture, not white, not “American”.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

What year is it on your planet, yes?

[@kevinalfrey2633]

Yea, about that………..