The Guitar Pedals of Jimi Hendrix

In this week's episode, Josh tackles what might be the deepest dive of his guitar pedal career: the technology of Jimi Hendrix. In doing so, he asks an important question: did guitar pedals make Jimi famous, or did Jimi make guitar pedals famous? The answer may surprise you.
www.thejhsshow.com/
www.jhspedals.info/
JHS Fresh Clips: / @jhsfreshclips7880
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:42 Jimi Hendrix's Career
4:33 The "Marshall Factor"
9:08 Maestro Fuzz-Tone
11:29 Fuzz-Face
13:36 Octavia
17:10 Wah
19:51 "Axis" Fuzz
21:54 Big Muff Mystery
26:45 Univibe
29:32 A Message from Future Josh
30:32 Tech of Jimi Hendrix
31:39 Thanks for Watching!
#jhs #thejhsshow #jimihendrix

[@ileutur6863]

My favorite internet argument is when guitarists say "hendrix didn't need any of this" in response to modern guitar tech. The dude used almost everything that was available at the time.

[@harrisfrankou2368]

100%

[@DoubleDguitar]

Totally. I hear that a lot, I usually reply “maybe, but if it existed then…he would have. And if he was here now, he would use whatever he wanted.”

[@AppaBoy]

dude would legit use modern shit if he were still alive IMO, I can imagine him with boutique effects

[@SnappyJCM800]

I could see Hendrix using a Kemper or Axe Fx

[@bkebradley]

He would have made the EQD Rainbow Machine even more legendary

[@jordandangelo180]

And this is why Jimi will always be my favorite guitarist. He took the guitar from a regular musical instrument and turned it into a space age sound effect machine and on top of that he is one of the best song writers rock n roll has ever seen and he built this amazing legacy in only 3 1/2 years. Astonishing.

[@EricMartinez-dg2lu]

Why not both.

[@Alexander-rx7jj]

Yeah his whole rig was his instrument. The interplay between guitar and amp in particular sets him apart.

[@harrymitchell5402]

Jimi was a brilliant sole

[@honkytonkinson9787]

Don’t forget, he was just a kid at 23/24 years old when he crammed all this creativity into 3.5 years. Makes me ashamed I haven’t produced more in my lifetime!

[@tago69mago]

Amen to that brother. His imagination and song writing was the most amazing thing about him and is very overlooked.

[@JAMEYSIMMS]

He made the effects famous. He had total command over the guitar. Effects are musical instruments. Not everyone has a talent to play them. He could also play the shit out of a clean guitar tone. " Castles Made Of Sand " is a brilliant example. I've learned it well, and it blows my mind how sophisticated it is. How did he come up with that? Brilliant. Fuzz is not easy to use. He mastered it.

[@adriatic.vineyards]

It's both. Jimi did have a mastery over his instrument and his sound, but his sound was made possible by the advancements in technology. Without the effects, he would have been "just" another virtuosic blues player. And someone else would have come along and used the technology available att to revolutionize the sound of the guitar. Tldr without the effects we wouldn't have Jimi Hendrix as we know him.

[@michaelmac1798]

I'm sure LSD also had something to do with it the way he played guitar, using feedback, whammy bar and effects - all combined together to make Hendrix what he was. These days most decent rock guitar players can play like Hendrix, but he started it and was the first.

[@frandsenphilip1]

I love you saying "effects are musical instruments." It's so true - you have to pick the right effect and fine-tune it to the sounds you want. It's not random at all, and Hendrix exemplifies how to pick what helps the music sing.

[@Purplexi]

He made the Strat famous and alerted some musicians to the wah pedal but I can assure you that nobody talked much about his technology back then. Ridiculous

[@joshuajkoplin]

Jimi was clearly the chosen one. Not only was he great player he was In the right place at the right time. Just the music universe expressing itself through Jimi.

[@MarsCapone]

And acid

[@cb24203]

Jimi was an alien. They dropped him off and said “We’ll pick you up in 27 years”.

[@StratsRUs]

​@cb24203 Or he was an amazing human guitarist that put his work in.

[@cb24203]

@@StratsRUs thanks for pointing out the obvious. Looks like you’re the only person who took what I said seriously. Get out of the house much?

[@shaft9000]

it's no wonder that he believed in astrology, with all the "right place + right time + super-genius" alignments, and a limited education background that forced him to enlist in the army instead of entering as an officer.

[@lawrencewinn8542]

The way an effect can inform the player, even lead a player down a certain path, sonically, rhythmically, sometimes even melodically, has always fascinated me as a player. I've had this argument with people, especially in the age of digital recording, where they say "record it clean, and add the effects later" and my response is "I can't, because part of what I'm doing is playing pedals, playing to them, *them playing me*". I can't play the part right without the effect that was a big part of how the part was written to begin with.

[@TheRealcdawg22]

Exactly! A lot of times Producers/sound engineers that don't play don't get it.

[@torontotonto6189]

Yeah and not everything is jazz or prog, i kind of think prog rock and prog metal is modern jazz.

[@countblue]

Correct we play it that way only if we hear it that way. Most of the time the sound is the character of the song to a great part. Thus your aim to play the sound you want to have on a record you need the character

[@countblue]

@@TheRealcdawg22 a good producer will...... ;-)

[@lawrencewinn8542]

I will say, there is something to be said for leaving certain elements for later mixing, so as to allow for getting a sound that sits right in the mix. But there are absolutely times where you need the effect to play the part because the effect is informing your actual playing. For instance, I don't add reverb when recording unless I'm using it for a really dramatic, big space pad. There's a happy balance to be had.

[@warrenosborne6044]

Your work is beyond value. I saw Jimi May 9 1969 Charlotte. Thank you for the lesson. He changed my life.

[@MikeKiker]

Eddie Kramer once said "50 years later, modern technology has finally caught up to Jimi Hendrix," when it came to mastering Electric Ladyland in 5.1 based on Hendrix's ideas for surround sound when they were recording it. As for the pedals, it's gotta be a little bit of right place, right time for both.

[@alohamark3025]

Thanks for acknowledging Kramer's contribution to Jimi's sound. In the matter of the question of, man or machine, I vote for the man. Hendrix' pedals were part of his instrument, with feedback of playing through the pedals and amp creating his unique and personal sound. One can give the same pedals to a dozen musicians, and none will ever recreate Jimi's sound.

[@andrefjbernardo]

1.576.800.000 seconds later.

[@dreyn7780]

Wrong. Manufacturers don't follow strangers. They evolve slowly cause they're extremely thrifty. You're wrong about the pedals too. Its all Internet gaming from now on.

[@fastermouse]

Man I wish he would have had a better engineer than Kramer. If Geoff Emmerick had been behind the board instead, those records would be so much better sounding.

[@SlimeyGuitarStrings]

Hendrix definitely made the pedals famous. I know we like to throw around who the best guitarist is or was, but if you look at what Hendrix was doing and when he was doing it, he's untouchable in terms of his playing ability and what he was able to do. If any other guitarist got their hands on those effects we would not know what they were capable of. I think that's part of his genius too. He was willing to try the pedals and effects and find out what he could make them do.

[@keithremedy]

I hate comparing icons but I like to imagine that SRV some what picked up were Hendrix left off and then people like Mayer and Sayce picked up were Stevie left. One things for sure is that Hendrix is a force of nature that will never again be replicated. I’ll always be jealous of my dad for getting to see him perform and getting to meet him and so many iconic players. Also on the gear I’d wager that this tech that was new then helped create what we all know and love. These effects came around just at the right time for the right person

[@zadjikproductions3981]

Sorry, but Clapton made the wah famous.

[@BasVossen]

Really???

[@tonyord1067]

Frank Zappa lent Jimi Hendrix a Wah Wah pedal.

[@dreyn7780]

Obviously you weren't even born. Mtv made hendrix in the 1980's. Hendrix was nowhere throughout the 1970's. The big man was obviously chuck berry and don't you forget it.

[@Alexander-rx7jj]

His talent transcends his gear. But I believe his impact on music was enhanced by his use of pedals etc

[@RobertSlover]

its all in the hands and the heart the gear is irrelevant.

[@eddyvideostar]

Alexanders: If Hendrix had computers in his day -- he would be a robot.

[@andymellor9056]

@@RobertSlover Creativity and artistic sensibility are the main things, I think we could agree - but the technology isn't totally irrelevant- what's available shapes the sound to a significant degree.

[@RobertSlover]

@@andymellor9056 fair enough. im sure you'll also agree especially on youtube people have to much cash and gear and cant play shit.

[@danriley903]

@@RobertSlover i agree with you99% but you don't get feedback on a unplugged acoustic! LOL

[@jasonwelch6306]

Considering how eagerly Jimi adopted guitar technologies, imagine what he could have done with MIDI, sequencing/sampling, and modeling technologies.

[@leasttrending]

Jimi would have been dead by 2022 eather way.

[@BoomTexan]

@@leasttrending Not necessarily, but if he were alive, it would be a Keith Richards or Eric Clapton deal. Both are still really good, but both have slowed down and have problems playing. I doubt if Hendrix could do anything that he was doing in 69 if he were alive today.

[@MrAwesomeSaucesome]

Imagine jimi with solderless patch leads 😲

[@colonelwatts]

🤢 🤮 sounds horrendous tbh!

[@countblue]

Midi is not really that good. The timing is not perfect and some musicians refrain from using it still. Sequencing and sampling is another thing. I belive in a way some of his songs are the forefathers of this technologies specially the space stuff. 3rd stone from the sun and the likes come to mind dont they?

[@radiomindchatter7994]

I'm still amazed by the sound Hendrix created out of basically three pedals... It's the player...

[@elijahmiller7386]

Wow, that was mind blowing. One of my favorite JHS videos to date. Love more interesting historical videos like this!

[@martingalicia36695]

I think it was a magical era of fate to have Hendrix collide with the 60’s technology. This tells me that Hendrix was so open minded to incorporate whatever he could get his hands on, I often wonder if it was his goal to purposely be different and seek out anything to separate himself from Clapton, Page, Beck and Bloomfield, and still keep the spirit of American blues in the forefront. This was a very cool episode. Thank you!!

[@timoel]

I think he was just curious. As we are, to push the boundaries of what already a very versatile instument can sound like. There's stories of him trying to copy sounds of the urban life, like cars and trains etc. with his guitar. At the time it wasn't so easy as today with all the technology at our hands. But as you say it's also a matter of sounding different than anything else, to surprise the listener. I bet he got kicks out of it :)

[@cnking27]

I think Jimi was more similar to Page than the others in that he considered himself more of a musician and composer than a guitarist...I don't think his use of effects was about separating himself from other players at all but more about composing whatever was in his head as creatively as he possibly could, getting ideas out into the world.

[@christopherweise438]

@@cnking27 - I agree. Listen to Jimi's live stuff. Especially Red House. THAT's what separates him from other guitarists. The feel, emotion, and soundscapes he could create just by his approach to playing, and his phrasing.

[@dreyn7780]

Yes but you're all sonic artists and you're all self obsessed.

[@maskedmarauder3278]

The genius of Hendrix was in his hands and his head. When a musical genius with a compulsion to expand the boundaries of convention meets opportunity and is prepared, we all get experienced.

[@paulcowart3174]

Yeah just listen to his acoustic recording of Hear my Train a Comin I'm a firm believer that in his last recordings he was using a FF and early Big Muff stacked for that almost synth type tone

[@doctorpatient519]

" ... we all get experienced" Jimi- "Not necessarily stoned - but beautiful"

[@paulcowart3174]

@@doctorpatient519 and to be treated by our government like a domestic terrorist was so far removed from where he was at spiritually FBI should be ashamed of themselves UK didn't feel he was a threat domestically

[@doctorpatient519]

@@paulcowart3174 Paul- " ... treated by our government like a domestic terrorist ... " uhh, wow ... can you tell us more about how this manifested itself? ... were there ever any real charges or legal action? thnx for any further info you can add to something I -- in all I've seen, heard or read about Jimi -- have never come across

[@paulcowart3174]

@@doctorpatient519 yes definitely stretching but all the files the FBI had on a lot of the artists The subversive tactics they used to mess these artists and activists lives up Slander to outright assassination Of course can't be proved but makes an intriguing story non the less and wouldn't surprise me when it comes to the pre and post civil rights FBI Hope it's not true just playing the devil's advocate

[@lndrover100]

Good stuff, Josh. It is easy to go deep into the weeds, learning about his unique string gauges, etc., and get as close to matching his tone, or whatever. Thing that most people don’t realize, or forget/downplay, is that Jimi was extremely spiritual, if not religious. And he was also deeply connected to his Indian heritage. And he loved science fiction. He saw himself as a Messenger, from another plane, or outer space, and on EXP, from Axis, he plays the part. Towards the end of his years, and on Dick Cavett, he referred to his music as ‘Electric Church’. It had to be loud, in order penetrate down to the molecular level, in the hopes to make a positive change. The sensory overload of effects was a necessary component, as it allowed audience members to lose themselves to the sheer force and modulation. My own personal anecdote is from ~1990, and one of my college bands in Santa Barbara. This band proto Stoner Rock, and we played a lot, even though our musicianship was not the best. My rig was a Strat, a pedal chain consisting of a ‘73 Cry Baby, Boss Roland Chorus Ensemble, ‘89 RAT 2, analog delay, Ibanez flanger, all into a cranked 150 watt Music Man amp with the built-in phaser. And that was just me. We often played in apartment complex car ports, and Isla Vista being only a mile wide - you could hear us across town. I asked one of our repeat hosts why she kept inviting us back, and she replied, ‘because you are [bleep] awesome on X’. In Jimi’s day, many of his concert goers were seeking a new religion - he was the high priest. I like to think of him as the contemporary Wovoka, the Paiute whose visions lead him to create the Ghost Dance. My feeling is that, while I believe him to be the GOAT - his later stuff proves what he can do with minimal ‘wow’ effects, just as 1983 proves what he can do with those, plus creative control in the studio - his success was less about being a visionary, with regards to pedal technology, than chasing a vision for where his music was coming from, and where he wanted it to take his audience, by dragonfly. It was a Message of Love.

[@begleysbeatbakery]

This guy gets it. I wish I could sit down and have a convo over a joint with Jimi. His everyday ideas must've been magical

[@TommySprocket]

Totally agree and in fact I believe the Native American beat he plays in "I Don't Live Today" is traditional I remember it from a western movie when i was a kid in the early sixties (I don't remember the title)

[@jhel3001]

Very, very well said my friend.

[@gregrandallbtsr03]

Thanks Josh. The work you do to preserve and document music history is a gift to the community. I cannot imagine the hours you spend on this and I want you to know how grateful we are for your work.

[@colbykilgore2455]

My small input: This wasn't only available to Hendrix. This equipment was available to many greats at the time. Still available to us. Hendrix stands out in spite of that... imo. The truth is we all like what we like.. it doesn't mean it's better because we like it. Hendrix is my number 1, but if someone says Jeff Beck or Clapton or whatever... who the hell am I. I'm just glad Hendrix had a Wah for voodoo Chile. Whoever your number 1 is, I probably love them as well.

[@countblue]

Nicely put

[@KW-qh1pd]

Well said!🎸🤘🏾

[@daves6851]

Yes. Well put. And inventors want to see the full potential of their work. So they handed to whoever could get that...

[@SP4NKH4RD]

*Voodoo Child

[@colbykilgore2455]

@@SP4NKH4RD you need to buy electric lady land and look at the song list

[@Mistertbones]

Hendrix will always be the GOAT when it comes to guitar. He did stuff nobody had ever done before, and even to this day, almost nobody uses. Plus his use of equipment was legendary.

[@harrymitchell5402]

Definitely

[@samosasosa6684]

​@@harrymitchell5402 I saw him in 68 in San Diego. First concert I ever went to. Next week Janis Joplin. Jimi was mind blowing and because of the condition my condition was in,,,, I remember He had a lot of colors coming out of his eyes and mouth. Janis just gave it all.

[@aidenferry23]

I’m so glad but not surprised to see Josh really wanted to do this topic justice. Thank you for this!!

[@bloozswami]

Mr. Hendrix was one of the finest rhythm guitar players ever. He also DID play very clean guitar. I am 73 years old, seen them all. Hendrix will always be the "Big Daddy" of modern guitar.

[@mariosnapp6383]

I agree with you. Hendrix was a fucking ace of the rhythm guitar people only listen to the popular songs mostly the music. They never really pay attention to his rhythm that he played. He is really fucking playing!. He learned that on the " chilling circuit ". He really had to "play ". Just take a listen to DRIVING SOUTH, man the rhythm is outstanding!. He was one of those people that was EXPERIENCED!. HE WAS THE ONE. PEACE (☆

[@dreyn7780]

Wrong. Stop trying to rewrite history. TV doesn't lie. Those tv shows were all chuck berry.

[@chickentwisties2298]

Rhythm n lead player!

[@thejamunit2835]

Absolutely agree 👍

[@stringbender3]

Homebase of guitar

[@yakobakontao]

I love the history of Jimi. You need to do others like this. Super inspiring as well as quite entertaining. Well done.

[@TheBeriking]

Fascinating episode! You’ve opened a window onto the most exciting period of rock music history - when talent met the technology that could support it to blow away all barriers and create a brand new world. I can’t even fathom how much work and meticulous research went into this, but I can tell you it is very well appreciated. Thank you Josh and team!

[@jameswalkenhorst8945]

This was a fascinating dive and entertaining too. Jimi's genius was going to explode no matter what. Thankfully the stars aligned and we were the ones who got experienced from it. Thank you!

[@calebriley7466]

SO grateful to have access to this content. Thank you very much!

[@shable1436]

Have you listened to his Woodstock bootlegs at the house? He was doing things that nobody had ever heard yet, and exploring the sonic capabilities of all these pedals in a live performance scenario. The fact that all of these other musicians just let him go and play whatever he felt at the time, shows his respect amongst his peers, they were just as amazed as we are still to this day at the mastery of his instrument. He didn't need these toys to be famous, he just used them as tools to explore what was possible, and nobody else at that time could come close to the control he had over the use of them before him, only after him the copy cats would try to get his sounds

[@GaveMeGrace1]

It sounds like they advanced each other, but to take Mike Bloomfield’s point, it was Jimi making the most of the sounds he could make with the tools... and Mike felt blown away-as I always have by his music.

[@ericwarrington6650]

This really flipped alot of the narrative about nearly every aspect of what we think we know about the history of Jimi and his tone...the way you challenged many beliefs and backed it w solid research is super impressive Josh...you have a very special skill set and the work ethic to really find the answers...and to further raise more questions... pushing the details to the limits of history...great work

[@JC3D]

Great video! One of the best video I have ever seen. One time I was at this famous deli in NYC and this guy came up to me and showed me photos I never saw before of Hendrix.

[@rickhuff9030]

Jimi was a fantastic story teller. When he came along I was young and struggling to make sense of the world, and I found his exceptional story telling through his songs to be very comforting. His guitar and sound and the band was the backdrop for emphasis and it was just so magical. The effects he used were a part of it all, but from my experience and good Strat and a cooking Marshall 60's Super Bass JTM45/100 is the dominate contributor, or the foundation if you will. Jimi is my number 1.

[@tedstilles88]

I love the way you've drawn the historical thread between it all. As a player, the sound definitely influences the performance. Jimi was at the centre of a perfect storm. I started playing electric guitar in 1967 and Jimi, sonically, was heads above the rest.

[@musicmore5169]

I love pedal history with Uncle Josh, always informative, thank you.

[@ericdrew3627]

Fantastic work Josh! Gave me chills. Thank-you

[@ngutierrezpuenteP]

Wow, a perfect chapter, friday, JHS Show, beer... BUT!! Jimi Hendrix... my hero forever. The man who inspire me to play guitar. Well this friday is the best friday. You´re the best guys!!!

[@Drforrester31]

Speaking as a non-player, I feel like Jimi must have been a guiding light for how these effects could really be used. He was probably always going to be one of the greats, but it definitely seems like it was his willingness to experiment with new technology and push the limits of the instrument that make him a guitar god

[@Hectrucci2]

that was definitely one of the best episodes of the channel!

[@sunn_bass]

Great info! I love how you pieced the facts and photos together into a great guitar story. It's amazing this video was over 30 minutes because it felt like five as it was so fascinating.

[@davethehippieman2665]

Jimi's ability to find the best song, riff and setting to use an effect is what helped to make these sounds famous. 50+ years later, we still chase those sounds.

[@monstruonegro05]

Endless love for Jimi and Jim! 🤩🔥

[@therockerfoo2339]

Thank you for putting the time to make this

[@CarlSanford76]

This stuff never gets old. This was absolutely fascinating Josh. Well done.

[@ChrisNash]

Jimi Hendrix applied his incredible musical aptitude to the new innovations and created magic ... he was a magnet ... pulling all the inventors to him because of his talent and notoriety ... Hendrix was amazing ... the inventions merely boosted his ability to express ...

[@lornehtaylor]

It seems to me that Hendrix's musical expression was always limited by the instruments and technology available to him. He complained constantly of guitar's going out of tune. The tech frustrated him incessantly and really was barely able to keep up with his musical ideas. Tech was constantly disappointing him. He pushed the tech available to him as far as it go in his attempt to get it to do what was required to achieve the sounds he was trying to make. Put something in front of him and likely we he would say that's pretty good, but can you make it do more? The sounds he could hear within his own mind went far beyond anything that was ever placed in front of him. He might have been the first person to use many of these effects, but was also immediately wanting to tweak them, to get more from them. He was always looking for ways to bring the music he heard in his head into the world.

[@michaelmac1798]

If you've listened to all his music, you can hear that he was out of tune a lot live, because of the way he used the whammy bar. But his music still works, inspite of live tuning problems. Also taking LSD was crucial catalyst for his out of this world music!?

[@crazylegslife]

I don't play anymore but I still watch your vids. You are a blessing!!

[@robert_starling]

Great show / documentary! Well done and a story that needed to be told. Thanks for putting it together!

[@BataraKado]

It's not every day you can document these wired wonders and be able to show the audience the EXACT pedals he used, all original... That's what can make these music documentaries even more special... Great vid @JHS Pedals

[@timmungenast]

Thanks for this episode, Josh. You've clearly done your homework, and we appreciate it. Jimi's been my #1 since '67, when I was a grade-school kid listening to his music. (Mind: Blown) It's as if what he did transcended guitar, and perhaps even transcended music itself. When he said in an interview that he was experimenting with music as a healing tool, it adds to the sadness of his death, because he never got to explore it as fully as he'd planned. Still, it's not a stretch to say that his music can heal injured souls.

[@perkis5000]

this is one of my favorite JHS videos ever

[@lennyw2892]

This is awesome, thanks for sharing all that info !

[@bldallas]

Fascinating story, filled with so much detail. You are filled with a wealth of pedal knowledge, Josh. Thanks for sharing with us.

[@jasonlee8497]

Jimi loved new technology. He was very much of his time. Pushing the limits of everything he could.

[@davidpaul6656]

I think if he was alive today he'd be playing a 7 or 8 string and playing around with synth pedals

[@TooPunkToBeAPodcast]

Jimi was my first musical obsession as a kid and a fan. I wanted to know everything. This was a beautiful piece with so much cool stuff I didn't know which these days with Jimi is hard to come by. Thanks so much

[@ConnahJay]

Really glad I found you guys, super interesting videos. I don't watch TV because KZbin has everything I've ever wanted in content.

[@almightytreegod]

I think there would have been a bit longer of a period of time before a lot of those effects became famous, and there would have been multiple different players recognized for each effect, if it weren’t for Hendrix. I think he came from outer space to accelerate our technology with his mind-blowing talent and charisma. Part of what makes him essential to the success of those effects was his experimental nature… Maybe he wouldn’t have been as huge without the effects but I don’t know if I care. I would be more willing to bet the industry wouldn’t have taken off the way it did without him (including guitars themselves). Either way, both effects and guitar god arrived in the right places at the right times, which is really all you can hope for.

[@dinosaursr]

Agreed. Yet his 12 string acoustic Hear My Train a Comin’ is bereft of any effects but kills too.

[@kreateyrownskrnname]

and I would argue that Keith Ricards is equally as famous when it comes to Fuzz just from Satisfaction... certainly more famous in connection to the Maestro unit... and this video states that Clapton deployed the wah previous to Jimi's usage? not sure if that was what was stated. can't think of it right now but I believe one recording is supposedly the first phaser song, etc. etc.

[@kreateyrownskrnname]

@@dinosaursr yes

[@trevorgwelch7412]

I read in a magazine that Jimi had his amps hot rodded , pick ups were altered , pedals were altered too . Jimi is a true genius . His lyrics are as genius as his guitar playing .🇺🇸🎸🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼✨🕎🏆🏄🏽‍♀️

[@EasyHeat]

Fantastic historic trip down the rabbit hole of guitar pedal ethos and cosmology. Very well done Josh! Cheers!

[@seventhsamuel]

Keep making more of these series!

[@lolobuggah2670]

Jimi made those effects famous but it was his way of using them that helped create his unique sounds. Ultimately they're just his tools, he's the genius who uncovered their potential.

[@davidkieltyka9]

I have a Guild Foxey Lady with three knobs that’s actually a rebranded v1 Big Muff. Clearer high end than most Muffs, very scooped mids, huge bass, just reaches unity gain with Volume & Sustain both dimed. I usually put a boost pedal after it to goose the level.

[@EannaButler]

Amazing that you have as-new versions of every pedal here. You are indeed 'da man' !

[@EannaButler]

To answer the question you posed... For me - he got the pedal, then it appears that he immediately played into the pedal 'just right'. Takes anyone else months or years to find how to dial in a setting and play right into it. He did it in a day... With nothing before him to emulate, to have in his head. There are people who are automatic geniuses. Jimi is one of them.

[@cnking27]

This is legit better than most of the full-on documentaries I've seen on Jimi. I wanted to play this in the background while working and I kept having to stop and rewind and eventually just stopped working lol.

[@tyronemckenna2541]

Deep dive indeed. You should do more of these. I vote Andy Summers next.

[@ricardorodriguez5549]

This

[@cdburke08]

Ditto

[@spellerlittlewing]

Andy summer I never heard nothing so fantastic he did let alone sting

[@ecrecords615]

I think ultimately Jimi has the get the credit! It was his artistry and musical intuition that allowed him to use this gear to create these wild, new sounds. The innovations made by these pedal builders surely must be appreciated, but it was in his hands (and others’) that they became what they are today!

[@BotoxBlues]

I rarely comment on youtube. I must here. I grew up in the 60's and 70's played guitar since i was 5 years old and my brother handed me my first. A Harmony Gold top from 1956. I gave it to my nephew a few years ago. Hopefully he still has it... I digress. I followed Hendrix since his beginning because of my late brother God bless him for shaping my guitar life. This video is SUPERB!!! Kudos! It is one of the best, if not the best documentation of Hendrix career in music. I am so glad I did not click through or past this video. Your job is great and you should be compensated for the work! As far as which was the reason I will say this. I am a great guitar player. NOT because of the technology, but because I know how to use the technology. So, though the technology was there for Jimi, it was his fingers and ability and experience ( no pun ) that contributed to the sound. You could hand a stick with strings on it and Hendrix would have made the sounds to blow your mind. Albeit the technology was there at the moment. there were other musicians with ability that actually supersede Hendrix and they did not utilize the technology as he did. He was on his game. I could go on. We are all geeks and Hendrix was too..... Great job!!!!

[@Eric_01]

Thanks, Nerd! That was great information. Very much enjoyed this video.

[@BlackMarketYoga]

Jimi was time traveler who showed up just in time and at the right moment to use the most cutting edge technology to bring the world his message of love. Also amazingly brave. I would not have had the guts to put a new sound that was created like yesterday on your super important new album the moments after it was created. What if it came off as novelty. GUTS!

[@renodavid]

It took the Genius Of Jimi™️ to take those tools and create the music he was meant to create. It really is amazing how it all came together for those few short years. Heartbreaking to think of what could have come next. Miss you, Jimi!

[@NunoGuitarsSilva]

Great video and history, really loved it!! I would love to see Jimmy with some new technologies such as Pitch Shifter and Chorus :) all the best Josh.

[@Superjet113]

Really enjoyed this, thank you Josh!

[@Andtherewasguitar]

In his book by Leon Hendrix, Jimi's brother, writes about how before Jimi even owned a guitar he would create music by banging on his bed with his ear against the metal. The guy just had an ability to turn anything he could get his hands on into music, so I think he could've made famous any equipment of the current times. The gear pushed his sound in new directions, sure, but Jimi was the force behind that.

[@FeelingShred]

and kids that behave like that nowadays will be labeled as having "ADHD" or whatever imaginary "disease" in in vogue at the moment, and prescribed pills to "make them normal again" we're all fucking hypocrites, that's what we are, we hurt people around us everyday all the time, humans are a failure, sacks of shit

[@dreyn7780]

And none of you can be bothered to try playing the official JH setup.

[@kylesuperbaby9616]

I know Leon 🐒

[@baronrogers806]

The only singular musician who made me obsessed with becoming a better musician was Jimi. He's my first hero and a guiding spirit. He revolutionized music in a deeply intuitive and personalized way that absolutely is the epitome of expression.

[@frandsenphilip1]

Great job, Josh! My third time viewing this video and it is wonderfully done! I love how you point out the technology, ideas, and Hendrix' integration of the musical elements presented via technology. Nice!

[@mojo-hand4539]

This was a great video - thank you! Would love to see more like this with other artists.

[@DoobTube71]

Besides 'Pedals The Musical' and the Macari's Shop episode from London,...hands down, this Hendrix history is the GOAT of rock-and-roll gear-tone history! Period. Someone call The Smithsonian, please! The next satellite launched into deep space needs a digital recording -- and circuit diagrams of all guitar effects! -- of several JHS KZbin videos!!!

[@fishypaw]

Fuzz Face, Octavio (correct spelling), Vox V847 and a Tube Vibe (Univibe style pedal) were the first pedals I ever bought, and still in my top five best pedals. I modded my Octavio a while ago, like Roger Mayer did, so I can switch the octave part off, and just use the fuzz part on its own. I recommended the mod to anyone that has one, as it is one of the best sounding fuzz pedals I've played.

[@kreateyrownskrnname]

correct spelling is octavia. Octavio is the name of your pedal

[@gorillafunk725]

I've always been fascinated by the synchronicity of the conflagration of seemingly non related things coming together to create history. Great stuff!

[@tank3598]

Wow that was awesome, really informative. I think Jimmy was on a class of his own. He used the pedals to his advantage but ultimately had a style of his own. No one else at the time was using them like he was.

[@karen22103]

I think the thing that we miss about Jimi is his ear, his ability to take these primitive effects and make them musical. His technique and touch are obvious on 'Hey Joe' (along with his taste and arranging ability; listen to the original recordings of 'Hey Joe' and 'All Along the Watchtower' for reference). The first recordings with fuzz are really ragged and harsh compared to the sounds that Jimi got. So the short answer, in my opinion, is the man made the music and the effects famous simultaneously.

[@plexidust5101]

Jimi was in his own world. He was his own world after he got out of the Army. I think he was so let down in the service living through the worst humans had to offer and when he came out the contrast was like having the cage door opened and the first day of the rest of your life. He appreciated, more than ever, what he lost. His freedom, uninterrupted to daydream. He blossomed like a desert flower on the floor of Death Valley. HIs senses were hightened and the air smelled and felt different. That day changed for all of us too Jimi radiated so far. The volume set the stage for him to become a closed feedback loop with his signal chain, like he said it was felt inside and out. It was all one trip and all interdependant of itself. When he came to visit with us he tried to connect with the daydream again and again. . .

[@johndodge1299]

I watched this episode yesterday and have been listening to Hendrix non stop since then. One thing that a lot of people forget is that he also mastered how to use the multi-track recording studio as another tool to compose with. Total genius

[@speresec]

Thanks for this video, great to know that you guys look over your guitars prior to sending them out. For me I only buy guitars in person because you need to know how a guitar not only plays, but how it feels.

[@m0j0b0ne]

It's not hard to see why Jimi was on top of every guitar pedal innovation almost as soon as it happened. From the moment Are You Experienced? was released, Jimi was the guy you needed to get your pedal in front of, simply from a marketing perspective. Everybody knew Hendrix was at the forefront of a revolution in guitar sounds.

[@billx8245]

When I heard Jimi Hendrix play the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock, and made his guitar sound like bombs, and guns with feedback , and pedals I was completely blown away. I think Jimi Hendrix made the pedals more famous. After I heard that version all I wanted was the exact sound of Jimi Hendrix. Until year's later, and I heard Eruption by EVH. The tapping on VH 1 drove me crazy trying to figure out what he was doing to get that sound.Then early 80's Stevie Ray Vaughan came along , and Hendrix was Reincarnated.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

Same experience here, except with machine gun from the Filmore West and Band of Gypsys albums. Close your eyes and you’re in the jungle at night, on fire, with explosions and bullets whizzing past, and you feel the looming dead of death surrounding you; the Vietnam War. Star Spangled banner was sort of the same, hope infused with the dread of the war. I love Hendrix because he transmits his feelings via sound waves and transports the audience into his soul

[@countblue]

This must be the most interesting episode of JHS ever. ;-) I would love seeing doing you a series on certain historic sounds. Effectwise and ampwise. Page, Clapton, Green, ....all those "gods" come to mind. I get more knowledge about how to sculpt my own sound from listening to you than in an evening of me fumbling with my gear. Your explanations serve as guidance through the jungle of options. This channel should get an oscar for education.

[@richardburkow3792]

Excellent info Josh - thank you.

[@Hoxle-87]

Let me just say that paint didn’t make Michelangelo famous or marble didn’t make DaVinci famous.

[@Twinhit]

Umm... Mikey was the sculptor who could paint. Leo could paint and invent helicopters. Hope that helps.

[@cmck1777]

The wealthy patrons that commissioned their art made them famous.

[@seanpatrickwatkins640]

I look at it like this: Jimi's soul made Jimi famous. The pedals helped in a way to set that soul free. The fact that it all came together at the same time is just one of those serendipitous things that was meant to be. Kind of a miracle actually.

[@sebuteo]

What a great video. Thanks for sharing this with your non-Patreon crowd. Fascinating!

[@JasonsGuitarJams]

Great video Josh. Loved it

[@epicon6]

Jimi definately made pedals famous. He would have found a great sound one way or the other and his talent goes way beyond any pedal.

[@Nghilifa]

Great episode. I think Jimi would have been Jimi without the pedals, as the pedals didn't write the songs, he did. We can talk about gear and tech all day long, but to me, the reason why he's the indisputable GOAT is because he wrote great songs that touched the souls of millions upon millions of people. Gear and technique are just tools to get whatever's in your heart & soul out to the masses.

[@maynardbrownstone4108]

I really enjoyed this video. Thank you!

[@mikewilkinson4588]

I love your presentation of Jimis use of effects ....I have been chasing this subject since I dropped the needle on his first album......

[@walstafa]

I think Hendrix's playing would have been lauded by guitarists if he'd played clean through a fender amp for his entire career. I think the pedals and his ear for cool sounds and how to use them elevated his already masterful playing to mythic levels. I like to think if he lived he'd have gone through every phase of guitar tech and would currently be raving about his sick modelling setup.

[@Eliphas_Elric]

Imagine Hendrix with an AxeFXIII and all the incredible effects contained within.

[@kreateyrownskrnname]

and if old Benny Franks hadn't flown his kite, Jimi would still be the pinnacle of guitar utilization. the acoustic recordings we have show this, right?

[@nick1fenton]

Way I see it, Hendrix was discovered when he was pretty much any guitar into any amp. And not a lot else, if anything going on. His better sounding tracks from the first sessions don't have a lot going on effects wise. Wind Cries Mary an absolute masterclass in Strat sounds as is Red House. He'd have made it with or without effects. If you look at the BBC recordings there are a lot of live takes that don't have the effects on. I personally think a lot of the songs were written before he got anywhere near London. That said, both Hendrix and guitar effects were products of the time. That they went hand in hand is easy to believe. He wouldn't have struggled to get effects at the time. London was the centre for popular culture music then. Vox weren't far away from him

[@cnking27]

I think this goes back to guitar players thinking of effects as something you "resort to" rather than something that you should leverage to your advantage to make whatever creative statement you're trying to make. People think of Jimi now and instantly go to the anthem at Woodstock or him setting the guitar on fire at Monterrey as if he was a gimmick, but like you said, that's not where he started and it wasn't even really what he represented when you consider the totality of his career.

[@nick1fenton]

@@cnking27 I think Hendrix definitely considered effects as inspiration rather than a crutch.

[@tommykutlesa8821]

Always nice to see old pics of Hendrix using sunn amps as well as Marshalls 🤘🏻

[@PhotoTrekr]

Thanks for documenting the gear used by a great artist.

[@MARK5-FX]

IMO Jimi made the pedals famous. For instance, the Maestro Fuzz was in existence 4 years prior to Jimi using one. NO ONE sounded like Jimi using the Maestro fuzz prior to him using one. Same with the Wah, it was in existence prior to Jimi using one...Jimi took all those fx and brought them to another level like no other. Roger Meyer modded and fabricated fx forJimmy Page, Jeff Beck prior to Jimi- they didn't sound like Jimi. Like they say "it's all in the hands". Example: I read an old interview with Ted Nugent. Ted was on tour or something, with Van Halen back when VH just broke out. Ted was flabbergasted on Eddie's sound/technique (as everyone else was!) and believed that Eddie's sound was all in his gear. Ted had a chance to plug into Eddie's rig during a soundcheck and sounded absolutely nothing like EVH.

[@EannaButler]

Agree. And the other side, he got the pedal, then it appears that he immediately played into the pedal 'just right'. Takes anyone else months or years to find how to dial in a setting and play right into it. He did it in a day... With nothing before him to emulate, to have in his head. There are people who are automatic geniuses. Jimi is one of them.

[@jefflitchfield4950]

Pedals helped Hendrix, and Hendrix helped pedals. It was symbiotic.

[@hball6695]

@Jeff Litchfield hey, you already said the thing that I just said! exactly right, a symbiosis between Jimi and the pedals.

[@sejrec56]

As a musician I find your posts SO INTERESTING !! Thanks

[@supafrogg258]

Hi, Josh! Wow! -Fascinating chronology which you've presented. The advent of each of these electric guitar-related technologies coinciding with notable milestones in Hendrix's music career is something I've also observed. Thank you for making note of this important observation, and for taking the trouble to share this continually-revealed & expanding Hendrix history. Having followed & bought myself one of the very 1st EH Big Muff fuzzes, I too was confused by Mike Matthew's EH ads stating that Jimi used a Big Muff, since Jimi was dead when the actual commercial EH Big Muff was released. I wondered "Could Mike possibly have had Jimi try out a prototype?". I knew of the Guild Foxy Lady fuzz, & that it was essentially an EH Big Muff, but didn't know that the Foxy Lady had been available when Jimi was alive. So, your theory of that possibility makes sense! Around early '70, I came across and acquired an early gun-metal finish Dallas-Arbiter fuzz face, that was most peculiar. I picked it up at the original old downtown Boston small E.U. Wurlitzer store (which moved twice, & closed years later). They mentioned that Jimi Hendrix had recently visited their store after hours, & made purchases. I just passed it off as name-dropping, & thought nothing of it. Though I had gone to that store to buy a Marshall Supa Fuzz, which I did get to try out & liked, the store also happened to have this odd one-sie Dallas Arbiter gun-metal finish Fuzz Face unit for sale. But I first noticed it was missing it's 3 rubber feet, held on by the 3 screws securing it's round bottom cover plate. It was the first Fuzz Face I'd ever seen in the U.S., & it sounded great, so I bought it for $75. It was also a while before I ever saw another Fuzz Face for sale in the U.S. I quickly replaced it's missing rubber feet. But when I opened it to put a fresh battery in, some one had obviously once tampered with it's insides. For one thing, it looked like someone had taken a small hammer to one of the pots. But that pot functioned fine, & the unit sounded great! In fact, it's the only fuzzbox I've known, where the fuzz effect got STRONGER, when you rolled off the treble on an inactive pickup guitar! Curious! About 4 or 5 years later, my Fuzz Face was stolen from our bassist's Dorm basement room, where our band practiced. Earlier, I had never put two & two together about Hendrix having been at the same store that sold me this one-off Fuzz Face. But, could my missing-feet, tampered-with-guts Fuzz Face, have been a Roger Mayer modified unit, which Jimi's entourage had brought to & then forgotten at that store! Geez! And I let it get stolen?!!