Hendrix' Marshall

[The Ballzz]

LeftyStrat,
My comment in no way was meant to detract from the generosity of your seeing fit to share these amazing pics, drawings, etc. with us! I thank you for giving us a glimpse into some of the history of one of the most inspired and inspirational periods of rock music. I was merely making the point that no matter how cool a players gear may be, the ultimate factor in how he sounds is what comes from his fingers and soul! I am, after all, merely a mortal guitarist, seeking to gain the knowledge to build a guitar amp that suits ME perfectly and that from what I can find, nobody currently builds.
Thank You For Sharing,
Gene

[LeftyStrat]

Not directed at you, but the previous poster.

[JoeCon]

I'm with Lefty on this one.
I'd like to know how he got his sound. And that amp had a lot to do with it, along with effects, cords, and of course those giant hands!

Plus it's interesting to look back at classic Marshall builds as an amp hobbyist.

No one is gonna sound like him but as a kid I learned a lot about guitar technique from copying his songs. But I sure as hell never "sounded" like him.

Love that Hendrix Marshall..."sing on brother, play on drummer."

[The Ballzz]

Yes Indeed,
I believe "those giant hands" had a huge (pun intended) impact/influence on his playing style and thus the tone and sound achievable by Jimi, but illusive to us mere mortals! He could simply wrap his thumb around to bar 3 or 4 strings at time (at an almost resting position) while still having enough freedom in his other 4 fingers to play licks, etc, as if his thumb wasn't even occupied! The possibilities are mind truly boggling to a short fingered hack such as myself! I mean, think of it, he needed an amp rig that could handle reproducing all of the right tones of a held bar chord while still being able to put out articulate, searing solos! Almost like having two guitars through the same amp rig at the same time! That's a fairly brutal requirement. That fargen thumb! A lot of folks miss that nuance.
Gene

[Bombacaototal]

I was searching through Hendrix favourite speakers and came across this post.

http://forum.licklibrary.com/chat/jimi- ... -equipment

“Hendrix wanted us to install heavier-duty speakers, so we took out all of the 25-watt Rola Celestions and replaced them with 75-watt Rolas that we bought from [Vox distributor] Thomas Organ. They used those speakers in the solid-state Super Beatles that were being made here. Jimi told me that he preferred the sound of 6550 tubes in his Marshalls, so we replaced the stock Mullard EL34s with General Electric, Tung-Sol, and RCA 6550s that I got from Yale Radio on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. I rebiased all the amps and changed their suppressor-grid voltages to keep the 6550s from over-dissipating. By the end of a tour, Jimi would always have two or more tops that he liked best, and I’d measure their voltages and spec everything out in an attempt to understand why they sounded particularly sweet. His favorites always seemed to be the ones with extra-high plate voltage.

What I found interesting was the 6550 on the Super Lead?? Has anyone attempted this?

[Roe]

yes plenty of discussion of the 6550s on the metro board

[Bombacaototal]

Thanks, I will check it out!

[chromefaceplate]

RE: Monterrey stories

In the mid 80s I shared a stage all night w/Peter Diggins (Minneapolis), an animal guitarist w/a borrowed Melody Maker and mid 70s silver face Twin w/JBLs. I grew up w/a stiff, sterile 68 Showman 15/Fuzz Face so I was stunned by the colorful, athletic, Hendrix-like roar he coaxed sucking out every decibel, nuance, and silver twin shade that is possible. No pedals except perhaps a wah. I was using a Corvus, or maybe even my 54 Strat, maybe a dynacomp, and a borrowed Music Man twin (missing a 12” speaker), but was left flat footed. Pretty hazy on details now.

And this even after my late 60s cherry was busted by a stoned Tommy Bolin’s single raw and devastating lick thru his two Twins on ten (one w/EVs) set up on chairs 5 minutes earlier behind my Showman and a borrowed 68 Super Reverb (we were Zephyr’s backing act.)I was standing in front of the drum kit. Surely my mouth fell wide open.

Should have known! Twin Reverbs, in the hands of animals, can be insane. No question Jimi would have used his that way too. Although hard to believe the engineer’s story about what Kramer “said” about the stacks at Monterrey. (Our great 60’s drummer/singer was even there. But I missed the Experience at 1969’s Denver Pop Fest.)