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Purple Haze — The Jimi Hendrix Experience1 / 2
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Purple Haze Guitar Tone Settings — The Jimi Hendrix Experience

The Jimi Hendrix Experience · 1960s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (1965, Olympic White, maple neck, right-handed, strung lefty, reverse headstock)
Pickups
Fender single-coil Stratocaster pickups (stock 1965)
Amp
Marshall Super Lead 100 (model 1959, Plexi, with Marshall 4x12 cabinet, likely Celestion G12M speakers)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, Olympic Studios, London, 1967. Gear confirmed by Roger Mayer and multiple sources. The riff section uses the Stratocaster into a cranked Marshall Super Lead. No Octavia on the riff, only Fuzz Face. No wah or modulation. No amp reverb used on the original studio recording.

Amp Settings

Mids
7
Bass
6
Gain
7
Reverb
0
Treble
7
Presence
6.5

Effects Chain

  • Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face · fuzz

Fender Stratocaster → Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face → Marshall Super Lead 100 → Marshall 4x12 cabinet

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Tone Character

  • aggressive fuzz saturation
  • British crunch from Marshall Plexi
  • tight, percussive attack
  • raw, biting upper mids
  • fat, sustaining power chords
  • slightly compressed, singing sustain
  • classic 60s psychedelic rock fuzz
  • touch-sensitive dynamics
  • no octave-up effect in riff section
  • dynamic pick response

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings found for the studio recording; settings estimated based on typical Marshall Super Lead usage in 1967 and genre/era.
  • ⚠️Octavia pedal is NOT used in the riff section—only on the solo/outro. Riff is Fuzz Face into Marshall.
  • ⚠️No amp reverb or time-based effects used on the original studio recording.
  • ⚠️Pickup choice inferred from typical Hendrix riff tone and period photos; some sources suggest neck pickup for solos, but riff is bridge/middle.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Hendrix used a Marshall Super Lead cranked to crunchy breakup, with mids and presence pushed for British rock bite, moderate bass for warmth, and little to no reverb as the recording is dry and direct. The tone is aggressive, mid-forward, and raw, matching the late '60s production and his typical amp settings.

Sources