GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Red House Riff Guitar Tone Settings — The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience · 1960s · blues
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (likely 1966-1968, right-handed, strung lefty, maple neck, rosewood board)
Pickups
Fender single-coil Stratocaster pickups
Amp
Marshall Super Lead 100 (model 1959, Plexi, 100-watt head) into Marshall 4x12 cabinet
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, 1966-1967, Are You Experienced sessions. No evidence of Flying V or SG on the original studio version; Stratocaster confirmed by multiple sources for this era and song. No evidence of pedals used on the studio riff section; Fuzz Face and wah were used live but not on the original studio riff.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass6.5
Gain5
Reverb3
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
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Tone Character
- warm and smooth
- touch-sensitive
- edge-of-breakup crunch
- singing sustain
- clear note separation
- rounded highs
- fat midrange
- responsive to picking attack
- slightly compressed
- open low end
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings for 'Red House' studio riff found; settings estimated based on typical Marshall Plexi usage for blues in the 1960s.
- Some sources mention Flying V or SG for live versions, but the original studio riff is widely agreed to be Stratocaster.
- No evidence of Fuzz Face, wah, or modulation effects on the studio riff section; these were used live or in solos, not on the original studio riff.
- No evidence of delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, or other time/modulation effects on the studio riff.
- Reverb is likely from the studio room or mixing, not from amp or pedal.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Hendrix's 'Red House' riff features a warm, dynamic edge-of-breakup tone typical of a cranked Marshall JTM45 or similar amp, with pronounced mids and bass for bluesy fullness, moderate treble to avoid harshness, and subtle spring reverb for space. These settings reflect his era, gear, and the song's classic blues-rock sound.