Jimi Hendrix: Effects Analysis

 JIMI HENDRIX EFFECTS

EFFECTS ANALYSIS

 This catalog serves as a comprehensiv comprehensive e catalog of research developed on the e ff ects ects used by Jimi Hendrix in studio and live throughout the duration of his career

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EFFECTS Leslie Rotating Speaker Echoplex Fuzz Face (7/10) Maestro Fuzztone Octave Fuzz Mosrite Fuzzright Opto Tremolo (Rate 7/10 Depth (7/10) Vox V846 Wah Roger Mayer Octavia Fuzz

Univibe (Volume 10/10 Rate 2/10 Intensity 3/10)

Jimi's principal distortion devices included the Dallas-Arbiter fuzz face, the Univox Univibe, and Vox wah-wah pedals. Stickells says that "The Experience" made it through the first tour with only two or three fuzz faces, contrasting with the twodozen units that were later carried. Similarly, Similarly, at least a dozen univibes (which simulated a rotating speaker) were always on hand, and two-dozen wah pedals. Barrett explains that this was necessary because "Jimi never would put his foot on a fuzz or wah; He's put his whole weight on it, they didn't last long." The wah appeared on th market towards the end of Jimi's first tour, and he quickly incorporated the pedal into his stock setup. Other boxes and pedals included some made by Roger Mayer. He built, in Barrett's words, "Quite a few little toys for Jimi; They didn't have names, just little labels to identify them." Most often used was a device called the Octavia, especially built for Jimi, which is a frequency doubler with additional frequency shaping circuitry. circuitry. Most of the other devices were not used onstage, though Jimi on occasion used them in the studio, as he did nearly every device he brought home from anywhere. Numerous other individuals also presented him regularly with homemade equipment.

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Miscellaneous units included The Bag (A talkbox-like unit held like Scottish bagpipes), a Maestro Fuzz-Tone, Fuzz-Tone, which Mike Bloomfield saw Jimi use while he was with John Hammond. In 1967 and 1968 Hendrix may have used a couple of Leslie Rotating Speakers before the Univibe was developed. We could not be substantiating that Jimi used an Echoplex, which is believed to be used on "Electric Ladyland."

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Some type of spring reverberation can be heard on most recordings, some more than others. Clues as to why Jimi preferred one brand or device over another are scarce. "He didn't express to anybody what he wanted," Eric Barrett explains, adding that "His ears knew and only his ears." The only scrap available comes from Mike Bloomfield who stated that he recalled Jimi giving him a big lecture that Fuzz Face and Cry Baby were the only ones that really worked. Bloomfield was told by Hendrix that the Cry Baby gave the greatest range from treble to bass, the hugest wah effect, the fastest action, and had the most authentically vocal sound. Fuzz Face, Jimi felt, was the most distorted-sounding of such units. The two plugged together gave permanent sustain and endless distortion. Hendrix introduced the concept of down tuning all of the strings on his guitar one half step as early as select tracks on "Are You You Experienced?" such as "Red House" and "Manic Depression". All tracks on "Electric Ladyland" were tuned down 1/2 step with the exception of "Come on Sugar Let the Good Times Roll." and "Burning of the Midnight Lamp."

"Voodoo Chile" was tuned down one whole step, while "Voodoo "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" was tuned down 1/2 step. All tracks on "Axis: Bold As Love" were tuned down 1/2 step. Jimi spent hours bending his tremolo bars (by hand), to get them near enough to the body so that he could tap the strings individually as well as raise and lower their pitches. In a sense, he also "modified" his guitars by smashing them, since often the axe he used at the next performance would be an assemblage of the unsplintered parts gathered up in a box and stuck together by Barrett. The "Burning Guitar" isn't the only piece of programmed music in "House Burning Down". In the middle of the second verse, Jimi creates a "Motorbike noise" from 2:34 to 2:36 by depressing the vibrato arm so the note returns to pitch. Jimi uses a similar effect on the fifth string at 3:46 to 3:48 and a similar effect with strings three and four from 3:56 to 4:00. The tape phasing/flanging and delay makes these effects sound all the more effective. The "Burning Guitar" effect can also be heard on the solo lead guitar at the end of the song from 4:00 to the end of the track at 4:32. Jimi produces siren-like noises at 4:13 to 4:18 by hammering-on a flattened fifth interval between F on the fourth string, fifteenth fret, and B on the fifth string, fourteenth fret.

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Whilst hammering-on these notes he slowly depresses the vibrato arm adding to the eeriness of the effect. The extreme "motorbike" noise at the very end of the track from 4:18 to 4:32 was created using an "Echoplex" according to the Electric Ladyland transcription book with "Regeneration up to threshold of runaway feedback." Eddie Kramer, Kramer, Jimi's engineer from 1967 to 1970, feels that it is useless to approach Jimi's music in a so analytical manner. manner. This is partly because Kramer's own approach was often too improvisational to capture. and partly because he does not wish to divulge studio techniques he considers the finger points of his work. "I think the mystique should remain." Kramer states, "Analyzing it to the point that you want in your magazine is not a good idea. Part of the mystique is what I created with him in the studio, and I'd like to leave it at that."

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SOURCES

"Jimi Hendrix, Read about the gear Jimi used." The Unofficial Danish Website. http://www.jimihendrix.dk/index.php?lang=en&page=gear "...Jimi Hendrix ...Rock And Roll Music." Blogspot. http://rockandrollexperiencejimihendrick.blogspot. "Jimi's Strings." Harmony-Central