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Hey Joe Riff Guitar Tone Settings — The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience · 1960s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1965 Fender Stratocaster
Pickups
Fender single-coil pickups (stock 1960s Stratocaster)
Amp
Marshall JTM45/100 (Super 100, 100-watt head) into Marshall 4x12 cabinet
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, 1966; 'Hey Joe' was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios, London. Hendrix used his white 1965 Stratocaster, plugged into a Marshall JTM45/100 head with a 4x12 cabinet. No evidence of wah or modulation effects in the riff section; fuzz is likely but not always engaged for the main riff. No studio reverb or delay is clearly audible in the riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6.5
Gain4.5
Reverb2.5
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face · fuzz
Fender Stratocaster → (Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, possibly bypassed) → Marshall JTM45/100 → Marshall 4x12 cabinet (with light amp spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- warm and smooth
- slightly gritty edge-of-breakup
- clear and articulate
- dynamic and touch-sensitive
- open and airy
- vintage Stratocaster clarity
- classic Marshall crunch
- not heavily saturated
- full-bodied low end
- singing sustain on single notes
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source provides exact amp knob settings for the 'Hey Joe' studio recording; settings are estimated based on typical Marshall JTM45/100 usage for Hendrix in 1966 and genre/era norms.
- No evidence of wah, delay, chorus, flanger, or phaser in the riff section; fuzz is possible but not clearly audible in the main riff.
- Pedal and amp settings are inferred from period-correct gear and listening analysis; no studio documentation found for this specific session.
- If fuzz was used, it was likely a Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, but not always engaged for the main riff.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Hendrix's 'Hey Joe' riff uses a Strat into a Marshall JTM45 with edge-of-breakup gain, strong mids, and rounded treble for warmth. The tone is bluesy and dynamic, with moderate bass and subtle spring reverb from the studio, matching late-60s British rock production.