Purple Haze Guitar Tone Settings — The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience · 1960s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Studio recording, 1967. The solo was recorded with a borrowed Telecaster (not Hendrix's usual Stratocaster), using the bridge pickup and the Roger Mayer Octavia pedal. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section. Ampeg B-15 and Gibson Atlas IV are mentioned as amps Hendrix used in this era, but the Marshall Super Lead 100 is the most widely cited for Are You Experienced sessions, including 'Purple Haze' solo. No evidence of amp reverb or other amp-based effects.
Amp Settings
Effects Chain
- Roger Mayer Octavia · fuzz
- Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face · fuzz
Fender Telecaster (bridge pickup) → Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face → Roger Mayer Octavia → Marshall Super Lead 100 (no reverb, no delay)
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Tone Character
- octave-up, harmonically rich
- fuzzed-out and saturated
- piercing upper mids
- aggressive and biting
- psychedelic overtones
- singing sustain
- touch-sensitive dynamics
- bright and articulate attack
- complex, swirling harmonics
- compressed, focused solo sound
Notes & Caveats
- No official amp knob settings for 'Purple Haze' solo found; values estimated based on typical Marshall Plexi settings for Hendrix in 1967 and classic rock conventions.
- Guitar confirmed as Telecaster for solo via Equipboard and Roger Mayer interview; not Hendrix's usual Stratocaster.
- No evidence of amp reverb or delay; all effects are from pedals.
- Octavia pedal is confirmed for solo; Fuzz Face is likely but not explicitly confirmed for this specific solo—however, fuzz is clearly audible.
- Ampeg B-15 and Gibson Atlas IV are mentioned as amps Hendrix used, but most sources and audio evidence point to Marshall Super Lead 100 for this session.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Hendrix's 'Purple Haze' solo uses a cranked Marshall Super Lead with a Fuzz Face, producing classic British crunch with forward mids, solid bass, and prominent but not harsh treble. The recording is dry (no amp reverb), and presence is set high for clarity and bite typical of Hendrix's late-60s tones.