Jimi Hendrix Trivia
Question:
Does anyone know why a large majority of Hendrix’s’ songs, he tunes a half step down. … step down.
I have always thought it was:
a) for singing and
b) because it is easier to bend the strings if they’re tuned down.
Jimi Hendrix Trivia: All Along the Watchtower
The rhythm guitar you hear in the beginning of “All Along the Watchtower” is a 12 string acoustic performed by Dave Mason. The 12 string is a key part of what makes All Along The Watchtower so distinctive. You will notice if you play the chords on a regular 6 string it just doesn’t have the right feel to it.
Basic Jimi Hendrix Woodstock Rig Setup
Let’s start by looking at the rig Jimi Hendrix used in his famous performance at Woodstock in 1969.
This is quite a basic setup so let’s look through the labelled gear:
A: 1968 Fender Stratocaster
B: Coiled Cable
C: VOX wah pedal
D: Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face
E: Uni-Vibe with expression pedal
F: Marshall 100w Superlead Plexi heads with 4×12 stacks
In addition to the
(A) VOX wah
(B) Uni-Vibe
(C) Fuzz Face
(D), this rig includes an Octavia
The Octavia (also known as Octavia Fuzz, Octafuzz and Octavio) was a prototype when Hendrix used it. It was designed by Roger Mayer – Hendrix’s sound technician. It mixes in an octave higher than the original input as well as add in some fuzz distortion.
The Uni-Vibe was created to simulate the sound of a Leslie speaker. Think of it as a chorus/vibrato/phaser pedal. This is again a key component to achieving a great Hendrix tone because it is such a distinctive and unique effect.
Hendrix’s performance with his band Gypsy Sun and Rainebowsat Woodstock Festival, Bethel, New Yorkon August 18, 1969.
Jimi Hendrix was one of the 32 acts to perform at Woodstock, and boy did he put on one hell of a show donning a white leather and blue-beaded fringed jacket. Hendrix was actually the last to perform at the festival for a crowd of 30,000 onlookers as many of the music-loving concertgoers had already gone home because of the rain delays.
The ones who waited in anticipation for Hendrix’s two-hour performance with his new band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows were certainly thrilled they waited, as it has gone done in history as a defining moment of the ’60s. Hendrix might have been the last act to perform, but he was the highest paid and earned himself a nice sum of $18,000.
