MusicRadar

Jimi with Stratocaster: an iconic combination

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Analogue experience

Marshall 1959HW Super Lead Reissue head £1399

If volume and money really are no object, other than tracking down a bona fide late 1960s Plexi, Marshall's handwired reissue is the most authentic choice for experiencing Hendrix tones at high volume. Beware though, without some form of power attenuator such as a THD Hot Plate, we are talking very high volume levels indeed.

Playing through a cranked 100-watt Plexi is something that every guitarist should experience at least once; the volume becomes a physical sensation and the dynamic response is astonishing.

Read the full review here.

Effectrode Tube-Vibe pedal £269

When Jimi was going boldly where no guitarist had gone before in the late 1960s, stompboxes were in their infancy. These days, the likes of Roger Mayer and Jim Dunlop produce whole ranges of analogue effects that will get you pretty damn close to Jimi's sounds.

As far as Uni-Vibe-inspired pedals go, you'd be hard pushed to find anything to trump the excellent valve-driven Effectrode unit. It's not cheap, but as our review says, "what price would you pay for ultimate tone?"

Read the full review and hear audio clips here.

What guitar?

You've probably worked out by now that to get that full-on Jimi sound, you are going to need a Fender Stratocaster. Preferably a 1968 model strung left-handed and played upside down, but assuming that you can't/won't shell out tens of thousands on a vintage model you have several options.

If you are all-out for authenticity, then the Fender Custom Shop is the place to go. A '68 Heavy Relic Stratocaster is pricey, but a very good guitar indeed. Unlike in the late 1960s, if you can't afford such extravagance, these days Fender produce Stratocasters at every price point.