Sunday, April 3, 2011

Knowing About The Musical Equipment Of Jimi Hendrix

By Craig Czartoryska


Ask any devotee of classic rock who they would put at the top of the greatest guitarists list and you will get an overwhelming consensus that Jimi Hendrix sits on top. His music was like nothing anybody had ever heard. It was profoundly electric (literally) and stayed away from formulaic pop. Listeners had a visceral reaction to his numbers. This was caused in no small part because of the musical equipment of Jimi Hendrix. With this in mind, let's look closer at not only his career, but some of the equipment that made his sound so unique.

Jimi hailed from Seattle, Washington, born in 1942. He served briefly in the United States Army and then proceeded to perform several low paying gigs during the early to mid 1960s. This would not be so for long. Things exploded for him in 1967 with the release of his "Are You Experienced" album. The album is considered among the greatest debut albums in history.

As hinted at earlier, Hendrix brought to the stage a unique sound. This was due in no small measure to his use of some cutting edge musical technology.

First, we will look at the guitar. He chose a Fender Stratocaster. He got notes out of it like nobody else. This guitar was nothing new at the time. But what were new were the things he did with it. If you have ever watched footage from Woodstock, or actually attended the event, you are probably familiar with his rendition of the national anthem. The interpretation of this song was so different from any other.

Of course, when it comes to rock and roll music, loud is always good. To get that loudness, musicians amplify their guitars. Hendrix used the Marshall lead 100 watt plexi amp. Pete Townshend, among others, also selected this amp.

Distortion was in integral element to Jimi's music. He chose to use a couple of pieces of equipment to this end. He captured a "fuzzy" sound with the Fuzz Face fuzz pedal. To get that wah-wah effect, he relied on the Octavia octave up pedal.

The musical equipment of Jimi Hendrix contributed largely to his success. But, of course, we cannot forget that he also had amazing musical talent and he just really knew how to play. His songs are still popular today, even among the younger crowd, 41 years after his passing.




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