You've asked for it and here it is. Your guide to dial in your Fuzz to get that Jimi tone! Please wathc entirely and leave a like and or thanks 🙂 Use the chapters to navigate.... 00:00-00:24 Intro Jam 00:25-01:20 Introduction - what we do today 01:21-01:40 Equipment used in this video 01:41-02:37 Marshall tone and alternatives 02:38-03:43 Basic amp tone 03:44-05:47 Rumored Setting No 1 05:48-07:37 Rumored Setting No 2 07:38-13:59 Dialing in Jimi's Fuzz tone - how it's really done! Sound demos 14:00-14:41 Outro
Great clip and pretty much the exact conclusions I've come to over the years obsessively studying Jimi. I think many don't realize or see in some of the limited live footage that later on by 1969 (probably when the Fuzz Faces came with silicon trannies) Jimi started switching his fuzz on and off more where earlier in 1966-1968 Jimi would often leave it on for entirety of songs. You'll see this clearly at Royal Albert Hall, Woodstock and Band of Gypsys, stomping on the fuzz for solos and specific parts. You can also clearly see in the 1969 Stockholm performance of Hey Joe Jimi does have the fuzz on thru the song and when it comes time for the solo Jimi quickly walks over, reaches down and dives the Fuzz control and cranks the Volume control on his Fuzz Face providing a less fuzzy, clear driving sound. This shows clearly Jimi was dynamic with how he used his equipment and also evolved with how he used it. Great clip 👌
Thanks my friend ✌️ You are absolutely right with what you’ve found out. I cover that in my amp settings video where for Message to Love and Spanish Castle Magic the Fuzz is off, except for the solos. 🎸☮️🎸
At the Stockholm show I think he also tweaked the controls on the amplifier, one of the volumes. He did it at the Royal Albert Hall show at least once, too.
Liked and and commented! For all people asking if the big teal JH-F1 is different sounding then the small one. I had both and they are 99% same. The big one sounded a bit less open and muddier, but I guess it’s due to the spread in transistors.
I never liked how most fuzz pedals were always balls to the walls. I've always preferred a slightly fuzzy sound instead. I was glad to finally see somebody turn the fuzz control knob to different settings !
Thanks very much for this video. Very informative. I've struggled at times getting a good sound with the fuzz and this will help a lot. I really enjoy all your videos.
Thanks for your feedback 🙏 A Fuzz can be tricky because it’s hard to make it sound good when you’ve never played one before and everybody is telling you how great they sound, but once you understand what the circuit needs to get to full potential it’s easy and…addictive 😉🔥 I’m happy to hear I could give you some impulses 👍
Mikel, The BasicAudio Gypsy Fuzz its a blue pedal that is based on a 60s preamp console which is what Hendrix would plug directly into the Olympic Helios preamp. You can hear them doing this on albums like Valleys Of Neptune, First Rays of the new rising run, Crash Landing, Midnight Lightning Album, The Cry of love. Hendrix 70s studio songs on these albums used mostly the Helios preamp with the Echoplex. The Helios preamp used transistors so it can get a very warm overdrive to a fuzz. You should do a video lesson about this setup to get these hendrix studio tones.
Thanks for sharing. You are correct with the console they used and actually Roger Mayer took that sound as a role model in creating his Fuzz version. Unfortunately, I do not possess such units otherwise I could make a cool vid/lesson on it ✌️☮️
@@MikelBluni yes the octavia Version#2 not the prototype version is somewhat part of the Olympic Helios console. Why don't you have the Roger Mayer VOODOO pedal that is part of the console. You have to get this pedal its a major part of hendrix tone and its an amazing pedal.
They used that on a lot of Are You Experienced?, but Mayer has stated so many different things over the years, that it’s hard to know what was actually on what. Mayer said they put buffers everywhere, in between whatever preamp, and in Wahs and Fuzzes. I don’t know what type of buffers, or what all he meant, because he didn’t specify anything in the interview. He also would say he used them to get more gain. Yet, as in this video, the studio was very different from what he did live. I have the Fulltone 2008 BC108 Fuzz Face, and it is very different from the mini pedal. I can crank the Volume full and Fuzz on full, and it cleans up to the limit you wouldn’t know it’s on at about 6, on a my Strat. Other Strat pickups will be different. Jimi didn’t use the same live tone from late 66 to his death. He only used the germanium fuzz face until he got a Silicon one in 67. It’s why it’s so confusing to me why so many were fascinated by Germanium ones.
@@CorbCorbin Thanks, Corb. I’ve met Roger a couple of times in the early 2000s. I always understood he had many variations and inventions and so it can be hard to exactly remember what was used in the end. I personally sometimes forget or mix up things, too 😉 I pick the Mini Dunlop for presentation purposes oftentimes as it is a great working unit off the shelf, that allows regular musicians like you and me to easily reproduce some of the things I show with their regular stuff. It’s about approximations in my videos not product demos. People love what they love and if it’s Germanium and not Silicon it’s okay ✌️☮️
@@CorbCorbin that is true they used all different types of various buffers before the fuzzface to get different types of "clean up" tones. Mikel hasn't made a lesson about the buffers used yet but Roger mayer has said many times they used various buffers and only 5 to 10feet guitar cables during recording
Perfect, this is exactly the video I've been looking for for months, I purchased this Fuzz recently and I must say that I'm happy, I like it a lot, your explanation is excellent as always, but I keep the amplifier a little dirtier at 4 and the Fuzz around 4 o'clock because I would like to create more saturation to create feedback, but despite this I can't even if I increase the gain of the amplifier, I think I need a good overdrive pedal but there are thousands of them around that I don't know which one to choose for the Hendrix sound
Awesome video, this helped a lot! I just got a JHS Pedals Series 3 Fuzz pedal and have been playing around with it, this video helped me get it dialed in! Thank you!
@@MikelBluni Sorry I didn't see this reply until now. Thanks for the tip to put the MIB pedal (I am using a Tone City Golden Plexi v1) after the fuzz, that helped a ton with the sound. I had everything set up like Hendrix did, but his Vox Wah-Wah was modded so it could go in front of a Fuzz Face, and the wah-wah sounded dead when I did that. My current signal chain where I am getting the best results are: Guitar -> JHS Pedal Series 3 Fuzz -> Tone City Golden Plexi v1 -> Boss FZ-5 (set to Octavia mode) -> Vox V847 Wah Wah * -> JHS Unicorn -> Fender PT-100 Tuner -> Peterson Strobe Stomp VS S -> Crate GFX-1200H amp ->4x12 Fender/Eminence Special Design Speakers in a custom cabinet (locally made Eagle Works Speaker Systems, Portland, OR). *(1990s reissue, not the V847A with the 9v jack, battery only, but I use an adapter lead to a power supply because the pedal doesn't have a LED on/off light and someone removed the bumpers, so if you look at if funny it turn on or off, so I was going through batteries like crazy) That sound more like a Hendrix tone to me. I keep forgetting that you have to go by your ear, how it sounds, not settings or pedal order. It is the ADHD perfectionist in me that wants everything alike and exact, LOL! I am still trying to get a better tone out of my Boss Katana Air and Boss Pocket GT. The Katana Air only has 3 pedal chain settings to choose from (which should be enough) but on the Pocket GT you can pretty much put anything where you want it to go. I really like the Unicorn, especially with an external expression pedal. Really nails that UniVibe tone, plus in even has Tap Tempo and Ratio knob, which helps when recording or playing with backing tracks.
Thanks for your great comment. I’m happy you like the video. You might wanna check out my other videos, too 👍 I’ve covered a lot of Jimi Hendrix ground in all different areas ✌️🎸✌️☮️
I know it’s not a thing Hendrix did, but I found it really helpful: on my Telecaster I did a 50’s Gibson wiring modification so that when I roll down the guitar volume instead of losing treble, it actually drops some bass and low mids. The clean tone that you are getting by rolling down to 2 or 3 on your guitar, I get by rolling down to about 7. If I roll down to 5 or 6, the signal is 100% clean - not even the slightest bit of hair. I know Hendrix purists who want to only do the things that he actually did discount it, but it makes guitar volume cleanup *remarkably* easier, and you can even get passable ‘fake acoustic guitar’ tones by just rolling the volume down halfway.
Everyone knows the fuzz and volume are on full on your fuzz face and you use the guitars volume knob to clean it up and you set your plexi to the edge of break up and max the EQ to get the Hendrix tone.for Octavia get a roger mayer octavia and don't put the gain up high at all a tychobrah Octavia will work also.then a vox wah and univibe and you got Hendrix
I disagree. In a band setting, I set my fuzz face more like this, and leave it on at all times. Both knobs wide open sounds horrible, in this setting, and ruins all dynamics and musicality. Depends on what you're after though.
@@thislife6884 I use a germanium fuzz face so that might be the difference I have a Hendrix silicon fuzz face with bc108 transistors and it needs the gain and volume down a little bit or else it won't clean up for crap but I guess it all depends on what amp you're using also my twin reverb doesn't like either fuzz face at any setting and makes a lot of pedals that sound great on a sunn or Peavey sound like crap and the ones that are terrible on those amps are killer on the twin
@@wesmitchem825 “Hendrix tone” is also a misnomer, when talking about the Fuzz Face. Most think of certain songs, for his tone. Yet live, Hendrix used only BC108 Fuzz Faces, by early 67’, if one believes Roger Mayer. Mayer also says that he was constantly modding them for more gain, while keep the cleanup with guitar volume roll off. Jimi, also wasn’t using a Fuzz Face on every song in the studio, and live versions will often differ greatly, while others won’t. The BC108 can get the live sound, and Jimi also cocked the wah, in a higher or lower position, to get very high gain sounding tones at times. He was using more and more gain, in the studio, and live, by 1970. Mayer sometimes was able to fix the wha issue, so Jimi could keep it first in his chain, while some shows, one can hear Jimi having the issue, hear and there, or hear a radio station or walkie talkie come through his amp. One should use the Fuzz that works best for them, and do Hendrix their own way.
@@wesmitchem825 I had the same issue with the reverb, on several Fender amps. It’s so odd. By myself, I can dial in a great one, but gigging, that reverb is lost or flubs up my tone. I usually just use a digital player reverb, because it takes whatever pedals fine, and some venues just don’t need added reverb, so I turn it off.
@@wesmitchem825 Agreed. On my germaniums, I do tend to dime the fuzz knob, and set the volume at around 3/4. I should have clarified that I mostly use a (lower gain) silicon unit. It's been a while since I've gigged with germanium. Also, I know what you mean about fuzz faces sounding better with certain amps.
@@MikelBluni Tone knobs around 8! Really? I've been in this mindset that the tone knobs should be on 10 - wide open - when pursuing Hendrix tones, but that has just been based on assumption, not on real info or insight. Very interested in your research and experiments. Is tone on 8 typically the way you leave them, and have you run across evidence that this would be a typical setting Jimi would use?
One thing you can do if you want even more closer to Jimi tone is that, you flip your strat pickups (also take note if your strat has enough big pickup holes under plate to flip those). Like when Jimi flip normal strat to play it lefty way he also change the sound a little of his strats. Normally when strat pickups are normal way you get more bass under EAD strings and more highs on GBE strings and looser sound, but when pickups are flipped sound is tighter and bass and highs are more even. I have tried this with my strat so i know.
Very Good Video. I like your channel ... but i can't find the video where you explain the Jimi Hendrix's Marshals settings ..... con you link it hero or put the values of the pots? (volume, presence treble ... and so on). Thenk You so much and have a nice 2024
I have a request - can you have a listen to the Police Blues (Blue Suede Shoes) and Once I Had A Woman on the Freak Out Blues album and give your estimate on what amp could have been used there? Perhaps try how close you can get to this bold percussive clean tone? To me it sounds a lot like the Record Plant sessions that were done between Woodstock and BOG, although they were a lot more fuzzy (which would be on Burning Desire album from 2006 - at least I think). Can a clean plexi sound like that? Do you think studio postprocessing is involved in getting that sound?
Police Blues was recorded at the Record Plant. The feel kinda fits in that era you describe. Soundwise there are several speculations by fans and some mixed up memories by folks who attended the sessions that took place in that time. A JTM45/100 is capable of getting that tone, a regular JTM45 and Bassman can get you there, too. Post processing had no influence on the overdrive tone, rather on creating room and adjusting EQ. ✌️
@@PByt1512 You probably know more about that than I do. I just follow my ear and guts and the Dunlop Fuzz is right there in Jimi‘s ballpark…out of the box ✌️
Hi Mikel, I have a Marshall clone (18w with JTM45 tonestack) but I’ve never managed to get that truly bright aggressive Marshall sound… so, I ended up buying a revival drive compact to use in front of it. After watching your video, I went and got myself a mini fuzz face, exactly like this one you have there. I’m setting my amp with almost everything on noon, bass on zero (it’s a super bassy amp). Which settings would you recommend on the revival drive compact (I know you have one) in order to get a nice Marshall tone like this one you have on the video? Thanks man!!!
I don’t use the RevivalDRIVE with my Marshall. So it’s hard to tell. My guess: More/Pres dimed; Drive: 3 o’ clock; Adj: noon; EQ: 2; Treble: 11; Bass: 9 o’ clock ✌️🎸
Nice sounds, but that particular mini Fuzz Face just isn’t like the bigger one. I tried out close to ten different mini ones, they were supposed to be the same BC108 Silicon transistors, snd circuit as the full size one that first came out in 2007 or 08’. They all had slight differences in how much volume knob cleanup, volume and gain. None cleaned up like the big one. The big one still will pickup radio signals as of this past week using it, but often I can move it and it will stop. I haven’t played another full size one, made more recently, but the one Mick from That Pedal Show used to use a lot, is very similar to how mine cleans up, and how Fuzzy it gets, even with the knobs dimed. Jimi may not have used a gated fuzz sound, but he would cock the wah or just go and tweak the amp constantly, trying to get more or less gain. I’ve went through many a Fuzz Face to find something that can do the tone I like to have for certain Jimi stuff, as well as other music I’m playing. I’ve had the coveted Anakogman White Dot and Red Dot NKT275 Germanium ones, that people swore by, and ended up selling one, traded another. Should’ve held onto them! 😄 I’ve had the Silicon Analogman ones as well, and the three different ones I’ve tried were great, but in a band with a fourth instrument, it just doesn’t cut through, and they didn’t sound good stacked with an eq, or a pedal for a mid boost. Then there are too many to list beyond those. The most recent I tried were the Pedal Pawn one, and the Deep Trip BOG. The Pedal Pawn is very noisy, and the Fuzz pot started making noises, to the point I quit using it. They are cool about getting them fixed or replacing them though, so I say give them a try with their other pedals. The Deep Trip BOG is an excellent pedal, that can do far more than a basic Fuzz Fsce, but it’s not much smaller than an Arbiter enclosure, so I don’t use it live. I think it’s a great studio pedal. I finally found the company Sitek, and got their Fuzzy Face, which is Germanium, but it’s not the old transistors. It works close to my full size Dunlop, with a contour knob, that can tighten it up, and a bias in case there’s an impedance issue. It also works like volume knob cleanup, until it starts doing the Velcro gated thing. It has a circuit that works anywhere in the chain, on top of just loving it, and it not being priced ridiculously, like some of these others. If I do get another to try it would be the Formula B Fuzz Ranger, which is a Rangemaster/Fuzz Face circuit, that can also be put anywhere in the chain, without a wah trick knob, and seems to have excellent cleanup as well. Cheers
Any thoughts on the Roger Mayer fuzz face mods? It produces more output and gain of the 2nd transistor. That may be where the setting of fuzz 0 volume 10 comes from
@@MikelBluni Thx for all your hard work in putting together this wonderful series! Very impressive! …. I built a fuzz face with the Mayer mods (Classic Fuzz) and an Axis Fuzz and they sound very different. I agree, the Axis with the gain at 0 doesn’t sound right. I do think the Classic Fuzz circuit sounds good with Fuzz at 0. If you ever happen to come across one, it would be cool to hear your thoughts.
Hi got a question to ask,when is the fuzz face switched on during voodoo child ? is it always switched on ? I have a blues jr and a fender strat with Texas special pick ups
Hi Mikel ! What amp settings would you recommend for an SV20H for getting that Jimi tone? Ive got a Sabaddius rainbow fuzz also, so I'm trying to dial in the best tone I can get. The fuzz has the "Wah Wah" trick feature so not sure exactly how to dial it in. Thanks Bro!
I think the Wah trick has no effect on how you set the amp. For the amp’s eq I’d recommend the exact setting I’ve shown in my video 🎸Guess that’s the closest you can get and it will work perfectly with the Rainbow Fuzz 👍 ruclips.net/video/7usMAMincd0/видео.htmlsi=hlKnscml5dzvog0g
@@MikelBluni Thanks Mikel. Im watching the video now, were both channels jumped in your/his plexi? From what you mention, its the high treble we plug into, but are the channels to be jumped ?
@@MikelBluni Thank Mikel ! I am using the Fryette power station also. it has Edge, Brite, Flat and Deep, warm, flat toggles and also Presence and depth pots. What would you recommend for those? LOL sorry for asking too many questions, ive been trying to dial in a descent tone for weeks!
I bought the band of Gypsies fuzz face and it’s the best fuzz I’ve played. I’ve spent years trying to find “that sound” and to my ears the band of Gypsies fuzz to me at least is the perfect fuzz sound and I’ve tried dozens of boutique fuzz pedals on the market.
Those small blue fuzz faces are not as good as the large blue silicon ones. The larger one has the proper electronic components and not the micro ones that are in the small pedal. The big one has a lot better dynamic range and a clarity that the small ones don't. I set my Marshall so that it is just starting to break up, I have my fuzz face volume just a tiny bit higher than unity, and then I put the fuzz to maximum, but then dial it back just a little bit, till it loses the fizziness, but retains a nice fuzz. I then control it with my guitar volume. With this set up I can go from a really nice sparkling clean to, to a really nice full on fuzz, and everything in between. Also, the big one is battery powered and when the battery is a bit less than 9v, it adds just a little bit of grit too, which I think is part of Jimi's tone.
David Gilmour STACKED this silicon fuzzface + germanium fuzz face creating a HYBRID fuzzface for the guitar solo TIME, which you can see on pompeii the blue silicon fuzzface and Red germanium fuzz face. When Stacking them you turn down the fuzzface gains to be low. Jimi Hendrix did this in the studio for his albums after electric lady land by using HYBRID fuzzfaces which you should make a video lesson about. Hendrix liked to "over bias" the silicon fuzzface because when you would overbias it has a more nasel edgy midrange tone while the Red germanium fuzzface was biased to be very Velco hairy like type fuzz so when you stacked to make a hybrid it was a good mixture.
Thanks for sharing these impulses, Wayne ✌️👍 Definitely worth trying this out. As I’ve never heard of Jimi using two Fuzzes, would you mind sharing a link or source for this insight? Thanks 😊
@@MikelBluni Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz is Both Silicon transistors BUT one transistor is PNP while the other is NPN, this is a configuration difference. Most fuzz pedals use either both PNP or both NPN but never one PNP and the other NPN. This is why the Axis Fuzz has that tonality but both transistors are Silicon.
@@MikelBluni The Roger Mayer Spit Fire is an OCD obsession Hendrix designed with Roger Mayer about how the note DECAYS and how a new note Begins. Hendrix was obsessed on designing fuzz pedals for customized DECAYS on how the notes decay. The BLAMMO Electronics makes a pedal called the Hellfire Signal Destroyer which is a Spit Fire Octavia which you should get because it suppose to have that Spit Fire DECAY + octavia which this is what hendrix was doing in the 70's using the octavia. Make a video lesson after obsession on the fuzz pedals decays. A/B the Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz, Spit Fire, Stone Fuzz, etc. The STONE Fuzz has a "feedforward circuitry" that is very unique which Roger Mayer explains in his interviews to put the STONE fuzz as the first pedal because of how it cleans up because of the feedforward circuitry is customized with Hendrix. I'm giving you a lot of secrets that no one really knows about. But you should really look into what is feedforward and how to use it. This is a special trick that Hendrix/Mayer came up with to use in the studio was feedforward clean up tones.
@@MikelBluni Hendrix would use the Olympic console preamp which was transistors. The First Prototypes of the Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz pedal was a Hybrid of silicon transistor/germanium transistor which the Axis Fuzz circuit was based on the Olympic Console preamp. Check out the CASTLEDINE Olympic Fuzz pedal. Hendrix recorded the whole axis bold as love using a hybrid Axis Fuzz and Olympic preamp transistor. Roger Mayer modified the Olympic console and make a bunch of outboard studio gear limiters, EQ's, compressors etc for axis bold as love. Email CASTLEDINE to make you the olympic custom fuzz that is Hybrid fuzz which is pretty much the first axis fuzz pedal
The dark blue mini fuzz face is a lot closer to the silicon fuzz faces jimi had. The jimi hendrix fuzz face was designed for modern tastes and modern amps. It has less distortion than the real old pedals, and the pedals own eq is all wrong. The mini dark blue ff has the same amount and kind of distortion, and the right eq.
You've asked for it and here it is. Your guide to dial in your Fuzz to get that Jimi tone! Please wathc entirely and leave a like and or thanks 🙂
Use the chapters to navigate....
00:00-00:24 Intro Jam
00:25-01:20 Introduction - what we do today
01:21-01:40 Equipment used in this video
01:41-02:37 Marshall tone and alternatives
02:38-03:43 Basic amp tone
03:44-05:47 Rumored Setting No 1
05:48-07:37 Rumored Setting No 2
07:38-13:59 Dialing in Jimi's Fuzz tone - how it's really done! Sound demos
14:00-14:41 Outro
Got it plugged in and rockin'. Thanks for explaining the process!
@@Apeshoot13 Great to hear 👍 Thanks for your feedback and enjoy rock in that pedal 🎸🔥💯
Hey Mikel, I wanted to ask, is your “ 69 Stratocaster the limited edition “ Izabella”?
@ No it’s not the Izabella Strat. Its a regular Custom Shop one ✌️🎸
@@MikelBluni do you have a video of the specs for the guitar? 🎸
I love watching your show!! You have fantastic insights on Hendrix’s style. Great work!!😁
Thanks so much for your kind words 🙏🎸✌️
@@MikelBluni Absolutely, Mikel!! You’re a magnificent player!!
Great clip and pretty much the exact conclusions I've come to over the years obsessively studying Jimi. I think many don't realize or see in some of the limited live footage that later on by 1969 (probably when the Fuzz Faces came with silicon trannies) Jimi started switching his fuzz on and off more where earlier in 1966-1968 Jimi would often leave it on for entirety of songs. You'll see this clearly at Royal Albert Hall, Woodstock and Band of Gypsys, stomping on the fuzz for solos and specific parts. You can also clearly see in the 1969 Stockholm performance of Hey Joe Jimi does have the fuzz on thru the song and when it comes time for the solo Jimi quickly walks over, reaches down and dives the Fuzz control and cranks the Volume control on his Fuzz Face providing a less fuzzy, clear driving sound. This shows clearly Jimi was dynamic with how he used his equipment and also evolved with how he used it.
Great clip 👌
Thanks my friend ✌️ You are absolutely right with what you’ve found out. I cover that in my amp settings video where for Message to Love and Spanish Castle Magic the Fuzz is off, except for the solos. 🎸☮️🎸
At the Stockholm show I think he also tweaked the controls on the amplifier, one of the volumes. He did it at the Royal Albert Hall show at least once, too.
Liked and and commented! For all people asking if the big teal JH-F1 is different sounding then the small one. I had both and they are 99% same. The big one sounded a bit less open and muddier, but I guess it’s due to the spread in transistors.
Thanks for sharing 👍 I’ve also tested both and they sounded equally well, but the small package is just sooo cool 🎸🔥
I never liked how most fuzz pedals were always balls to the walls. I've always preferred a slightly fuzzy sound instead. I was glad to finally see somebody turn the fuzz control knob to different settings !
Thanks for your feedback ✌️🎸
Your Jimi sounds videos are priceless! So packed with stuff I wanna know!
🙏 Very much appreciated - thanks for your support, Matt 🙏✌️☮️👍
Thanks very much for this video. Very informative. I've struggled at times getting a good sound with the fuzz and this will help a lot. I really enjoy all your videos.
Thanks for your feedback 🙏 A Fuzz can be tricky because it’s hard to make it sound good when you’ve never played one before and everybody is telling you how great they sound, but once you understand what the circuit needs to get to full potential it’s easy and…addictive 😉🔥 I’m happy to hear I could give you some impulses 👍
Mikel, The BasicAudio Gypsy Fuzz its a blue pedal that is based on a 60s preamp console which is what Hendrix would plug directly into the Olympic Helios preamp. You can hear them doing this on albums like Valleys Of Neptune, First Rays of the new rising run, Crash Landing, Midnight Lightning Album, The Cry of love. Hendrix 70s studio songs on these albums used mostly the Helios preamp with the Echoplex. The Helios preamp used transistors so it can get a very warm overdrive to a fuzz. You should do a video lesson about this setup to get these hendrix studio tones.
Thanks for sharing. You are correct with the console they used and actually Roger Mayer took that sound as a role model in creating his Fuzz version. Unfortunately, I do not possess such units otherwise I could make a cool vid/lesson on it ✌️☮️
@@MikelBluni yes the octavia Version#2 not the prototype version is somewhat part of the Olympic Helios console. Why don't you have the Roger Mayer VOODOO pedal that is part of the console. You have to get this pedal its a major part of hendrix tone and its an amazing pedal.
They used that on a lot of Are You Experienced?, but Mayer has stated so many different things over the years, that it’s hard to know what was actually on what.
Mayer said they put buffers everywhere, in between whatever preamp, and in Wahs and Fuzzes. I don’t know what type of buffers, or what all he meant, because he didn’t specify anything in the interview.
He also would say he used them to get more gain.
Yet, as in this video, the studio was very different from what he did live.
I have the Fulltone 2008 BC108 Fuzz Face, and it is very different from the mini pedal.
I can crank the Volume full and Fuzz on full, and it cleans up to the limit you wouldn’t know it’s on at about 6, on a my Strat. Other Strat pickups will be different.
Jimi didn’t use the same live tone from late 66 to his death.
He only used the germanium fuzz face until he got a Silicon one in 67. It’s why it’s so confusing to me why so many were fascinated by Germanium ones.
@@CorbCorbin Thanks, Corb. I’ve met Roger a couple of times in the early 2000s. I always understood he had many variations and inventions and so it can be hard to exactly remember what was used in the end. I personally sometimes forget or mix up things, too 😉 I pick the Mini Dunlop for presentation purposes oftentimes as it is a great working unit off the shelf, that allows regular musicians like you and me to easily reproduce some of the things I show with their regular stuff. It’s about approximations in my videos not product demos. People love what they love and if it’s Germanium and not Silicon it’s okay ✌️☮️
@@CorbCorbin that is true they used all different types of various buffers before the fuzzface to get different types of "clean up" tones. Mikel hasn't made a lesson about the buffers used yet but Roger mayer has said many times they used various buffers and only 5 to 10feet guitar cables during recording
Perfect, this is exactly the video I've been looking for for months, I purchased this Fuzz recently and I must say that I'm happy, I like it a lot, your explanation is excellent as always, but I keep the amplifier a little dirtier at 4 and the Fuzz around 4 o'clock because I would like to create more saturation to create feedback, but despite this I can't even if I increase the gain of the amplifier, I think I need a good overdrive pedal but there are thousands of them around that I don't know which one to choose for the Hendrix sound
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. I’m happy you like the video 👌🔥
@@MikelBluni 👐🙋🏻♂️👍🏻
Great demo and playing Mikel and feel this Fuzz captures a lot of the early tones before BOG.
Thanks! I have been wondering this sometimes too👍 Wow i really have to try that marshall in a box pedal after fuzz thing.
Go for it! 🎸🔥
I’d love to see you do some analysis on Page. Love what you’re doing with Hendrix lately! You’re doing an amazing job.
Thanks a lot 🙏💯 Page? Well, maybe one day 🎸☮️
Awesome video, this helped a lot! I just got a JHS Pedals Series 3 Fuzz pedal and have been playing around with it, this video helped me get it dialed in! Thank you!
Thanks for your great feedback 👌 I’m happy to hear you were successful👍 Enjoy your new pedal 🎸🔥✌️
I also got a JHS Pedals Unicorn Univibe, that was the last pedal I needed to have the wah , fuzz, octavio/a and univibe!
@@JDStone20 Unfortunately, I never had the chance to test the Unicorn. How do you like it and where do you put it in your chain? ✌️☮️
@@MikelBluni Sorry I didn't see this reply until now. Thanks for the tip to put the MIB pedal (I am using a Tone City Golden Plexi v1) after the fuzz, that helped a ton with the sound. I had everything set up like Hendrix did, but his Vox Wah-Wah was modded so it could go in front of a Fuzz Face, and the wah-wah sounded dead when I did that. My current signal chain where I am getting the best results are: Guitar -> JHS Pedal Series 3 Fuzz -> Tone City Golden Plexi v1 -> Boss FZ-5 (set to Octavia mode) -> Vox V847 Wah Wah * -> JHS Unicorn -> Fender PT-100 Tuner -> Peterson Strobe Stomp VS S -> Crate GFX-1200H amp ->4x12 Fender/Eminence Special Design Speakers in a custom cabinet (locally made Eagle Works Speaker Systems, Portland, OR).
*(1990s reissue, not the V847A with the 9v jack, battery only, but I use an adapter lead to a power supply because the pedal doesn't have a LED on/off light and someone removed the bumpers, so if you look at if funny it turn on or off, so I was going through batteries like crazy) That sound more like a Hendrix tone to me. I keep forgetting that you have to go by your ear, how it sounds, not settings or pedal order. It is the ADHD perfectionist in me that wants everything alike and exact, LOL! I am still trying to get a better tone out of my Boss Katana Air and Boss Pocket GT. The Katana Air only has 3 pedal chain settings to choose from (which should be enough) but on the Pocket GT you can pretty much put anything where you want it to go. I really like the Unicorn, especially with an external expression pedal. Really nails that UniVibe tone, plus in even has Tap Tempo and Ratio knob, which helps when recording or playing with backing tracks.
I use a Clapton Strat and an OCD pedal
yeah - fantastic guideline how to achieve a geat JH style FUZZ tone !!
Thanks so much for your great feedback ✌️🎸
Your video is like finding gold! thank you so much man! I've bin real thirsty for gettin closer to Jimi's tone.
Thanks for your great comment. I’m happy you like the video. You might wanna check out my other videos, too 👍 I’ve covered a lot of Jimi Hendrix ground in all different areas ✌️🎸✌️☮️
@@MikelBluni Yeh I checked out your amp setting vid...very informative...I'm sure I'll get around to rest sooner or later...thanks
again!
I used to put the Plexi pedal after the Fuzz, but then I thought of putting it first and I must say that it sounds good to me, I like it better
The first myth may have been confusing a Octavio I set it with no fuzz and volume cranked.with a fuzz face before... thanks for the info 😊
Hey Mike, I have really enjoyed your Hendrix videos my friend; thanks very much for sharing them!!
Thanks for you kind feedback 🙏🔥🎸
Super thanks Mikel !!! Love your stuff !
Thanks for your feedback 🙏🎸✌️
Good video I’m going to have a play with this 👍
Thanks ✌️🎸
Legit knowledge. Wish people knew more about unity gain!
I know it’s not a thing Hendrix did, but I found it really helpful: on my Telecaster I did a 50’s Gibson wiring modification so that when I roll down the guitar volume instead of losing treble, it actually drops some bass and low mids. The clean tone that you are getting by rolling down to 2 or 3 on your guitar, I get by rolling down to about 7. If I roll down to 5 or 6, the signal is 100% clean - not even the slightest bit of hair. I know Hendrix purists who want to only do the things that he actually did discount it, but it makes guitar volume cleanup *remarkably* easier, and you can even get passable ‘fake acoustic guitar’ tones by just rolling the volume down halfway.
Thanks for sharing! This might be interesting for some regular audience here ✌️🎸👍
🔊Great insights, awesome information, keep em coming🎸
Thanks 🙏 Will do so ✌️🎸
Wonderful!! I've learned a lot!!
Thanks a lot. Good to hear ✌️🎸
That was awesome. Love your tone and playing. Subscribed. 😎👍
Thanks a lot ✌️☮️🎸
Great Video ....thank you man !
Thanks for your kind feedback ✌️🎸🔥
Everyone knows the fuzz and volume are on full on your fuzz face and you use the guitars volume knob to clean it up and you set your plexi to the edge of break up and max the EQ to get the Hendrix tone.for Octavia get a roger mayer octavia and don't put the gain up high at all a tychobrah Octavia will work also.then a vox wah and univibe and you got Hendrix
I disagree. In a band setting, I set my fuzz face more like this, and leave it on at all times. Both knobs wide open sounds horrible, in this setting, and ruins all dynamics and musicality. Depends on what you're after though.
@@thislife6884 I use a germanium fuzz face so that might be the difference I have a Hendrix silicon fuzz face with bc108 transistors and it needs the gain and volume down a little bit or else it won't clean up for crap but I guess it all depends on what amp you're using also my twin reverb doesn't like either fuzz face at any setting and makes a lot of pedals that sound great on a sunn or Peavey sound like crap and the ones that are terrible on those amps are killer on the twin
@@wesmitchem825
“Hendrix tone” is also a misnomer, when talking about the Fuzz Face.
Most think of certain songs, for his tone.
Yet live, Hendrix used only BC108 Fuzz Faces, by early 67’, if one believes Roger Mayer.
Mayer also says that he was constantly modding them for more gain, while keep the cleanup with guitar volume roll off.
Jimi, also wasn’t using a Fuzz Face on every song in the studio, and live versions will often differ greatly, while others won’t.
The BC108 can get the live sound, and Jimi also cocked the wah, in a higher or lower position, to get very high gain sounding tones at times.
He was using more and more gain, in the studio, and live, by 1970.
Mayer sometimes was able to fix the wha issue, so Jimi could keep it first in his chain, while some shows, one can hear Jimi having the issue, hear and there, or hear a radio station or walkie talkie come through his amp.
One should use the Fuzz that works best for them, and do Hendrix their own way.
@@wesmitchem825
I had the same issue with the reverb, on several Fender amps.
It’s so odd.
By myself, I can dial in a great one, but gigging, that reverb is lost or flubs up my tone.
I usually just use a digital player reverb, because it takes whatever pedals fine, and some venues just don’t need added reverb, so I turn it off.
@@wesmitchem825 Agreed. On my germaniums, I do tend to dime the fuzz knob, and set the volume at around 3/4. I should have clarified that I mostly use a (lower gain) silicon unit. It's been a while since I've gigged with germanium. Also, I know what you mean about fuzz faces sounding better with certain amps.
Excellent video! Thanks!
Thanks for your feedback ✌️🎸☮️
I like those monitor speakers on your desk a lot! Could you share with me which ones those are???
awesome, as always!
Thanks my friend ✌️🎸☮️
What r ur tone knobs set at. Great videos. Loving this channel. One of the best Jimi impressions I've seen. Keep it comin
Thanks for your great feedback and for asking 🙏 Neck and bridge tone around 8 🎸🔥
@@MikelBluni Tone knobs around 8! Really? I've been in this mindset that the tone knobs should be on 10 - wide open - when pursuing Hendrix tones, but that has just been based on assumption, not on real info or insight. Very interested in your research and experiments. Is tone on 8 typically the way you leave them, and have you run across evidence that this would be a typical setting Jimi would use?
One thing you can do if you want even more closer to Jimi tone is that, you flip your strat pickups (also take note if your strat has enough big pickup holes under plate to flip those). Like when Jimi flip normal strat to play it lefty way he also change the sound a little of his strats. Normally when strat pickups are normal way you get more bass under EAD strings and more highs on GBE strings and looser sound, but when pickups are flipped sound is tighter and bass and highs are more even. I have tried this with my strat so i know.
Thanks for chiming in 👍 I had a Hendrix Tribute Strat for years - the ones from the 90s. I never could figure out any big differences 🧐 ☮️
I have tried at set of LH pickups in one of my Strats, it never worked for me, but technically you are right.
@@MikelBluni Yeah it's not huge changing the world difference. Mainly little reduced bass with neck pickup and more tight tone that's about it.
Put some Hendrix size strings on your strat that makes a big difference as well . 10 13 15 26 32 38 just try this ones and the tones sound really good
Very Good Video. I like your channel ... but i can't find the video where you explain the Jimi Hendrix's Marshals settings ..... con you link it hero or put the values of the pots? (volume, presence treble ... and so on). Thenk You so much and have a nice 2024
Thanks 🙏 Cool that you like my channel ✌️ Here’s the detailed amp setting reveal:
ruclips.net/video/7usMAMincd0/видео.htmlsi=MbrPeZa2Yp72Mde3
Great video
Thank you ✌️🎸
Nice!👏👏
Thanks ✌️🎸
I have a request - can you have a listen to the Police Blues (Blue Suede Shoes) and Once I Had A Woman on the Freak Out Blues album and give your estimate on what amp could have been used there? Perhaps try how close you can get to this bold percussive clean tone? To me it sounds a lot like the Record Plant sessions that were done between Woodstock and BOG, although they were a lot more fuzzy (which would be on Burning Desire album from 2006 - at least I think). Can a clean plexi sound like that? Do you think studio postprocessing is involved in getting that sound?
Police Blues was recorded at the Record Plant. The feel kinda fits in that era you describe. Soundwise there are several speculations by fans and some mixed up memories by folks who attended the sessions that took place in that time. A JTM45/100 is capable of getting that tone, a regular JTM45 and Bassman can get you there, too. Post processing had no influence on the overdrive tone, rather on creating room and adjusting EQ. ✌️
@@MikelBluni good info man, thanks a lot!
Excellent video, great tone. Would you know by adjusting the trim pot inside the pedal, what is the bias voltage set on the Hendrix mini ffm3? Thanks.
Thanks. Honestly, I haven’t touched the internals. Actually, there was no need to add it is perfectly biased in my opinion ✌️🎸
@@MikelBluni Thanks, i'm not sure but I think the standard bias is 4.5 v
@@PByt1512 You probably know more about that than I do. I just follow my ear and guts and the Dunlop Fuzz is right there in Jimi‘s ballpark…out of the box ✌️
Superb!!
Thank you ✌️☮️✌️
Hi Mikel,
I have a Marshall clone (18w with JTM45 tonestack) but I’ve never managed to get that truly bright aggressive Marshall sound… so, I ended up buying a revival drive compact to use in front of it.
After watching your video, I went and got myself a mini fuzz face, exactly like this one you have there.
I’m setting my amp with almost everything on noon, bass on zero (it’s a super bassy amp).
Which settings would you recommend on the revival drive compact (I know you have one) in order to get a nice Marshall tone like this one you have on the video?
Thanks man!!!
I don’t use the RevivalDRIVE with my Marshall. So it’s hard to tell. My guess: More/Pres dimed; Drive: 3 o’ clock; Adj: noon; EQ: 2; Treble: 11; Bass: 9 o’ clock ✌️🎸
Nice sounds, but that particular mini Fuzz Face just isn’t like the bigger one. I tried out close to ten different mini ones, they were supposed to be the same BC108 Silicon transistors, snd circuit as the full size one that first came out in 2007 or 08’.
They all had slight differences in how much volume knob cleanup, volume and gain.
None cleaned up like the big one. The big one still will pickup radio signals as of this past week using it, but often I can move it and it will stop.
I haven’t played another full size one, made more recently, but the one Mick from That Pedal Show used to use a lot, is very similar to how mine cleans up, and how Fuzzy it gets, even with the knobs dimed.
Jimi may not have used a gated fuzz sound, but he would cock the wah or just go and tweak the amp constantly, trying to get more or less gain.
I’ve went through many a Fuzz Face to find something that can do the tone I like to have for certain Jimi stuff, as well as other music I’m playing.
I’ve had the coveted Anakogman White Dot and Red Dot NKT275 Germanium ones, that people swore by, and ended up selling one, traded another. Should’ve held onto them! 😄
I’ve had the Silicon Analogman ones as well, and the three different ones I’ve tried were great, but in a band with a fourth instrument, it just doesn’t cut through, and they didn’t sound good stacked with an eq, or a pedal for a mid boost.
Then there are too many to list beyond those.
The most recent I tried were the Pedal Pawn one, and the Deep Trip BOG. The Pedal Pawn is very noisy, and the Fuzz pot started making noises, to the point I quit using it.
They are cool about getting them fixed or replacing them though, so I say give them a try with their other pedals.
The Deep Trip BOG is an excellent pedal, that can do far more than a basic Fuzz Fsce, but it’s not much smaller than an Arbiter enclosure, so I don’t use it live. I think it’s a great studio pedal.
I finally found the company Sitek, and got their Fuzzy Face, which is Germanium, but it’s not the old transistors. It works close to my full size Dunlop, with a contour knob, that can tighten it up, and a bias in case there’s an impedance issue. It also works like volume knob cleanup, until it starts doing the Velcro gated thing.
It has a circuit that works anywhere in the chain, on top of just loving it, and it not being priced ridiculously, like some of these others.
If I do get another to try it would be the Formula B Fuzz Ranger, which is a Rangemaster/Fuzz Face circuit, that can also be put anywhere in the chain, without a wah trick knob, and seems to have excellent cleanup as well.
Cheers
Thanks for sharing your impressions. Would be great to see or hear you play all these Fuzzes ✌️Where can I do that? 🎸
Hi Mike,
Do you have any treble bleed installed on your volume pot?
If yes, could you give me a tip as for the value?
Thanks 🙏
Hey Edison, no treble bleed. Check my upcoming video to see all mods I did 👍🎸🔥
Super !
Any thoughts on the Roger Mayer fuzz face mods? It produces more output and gain of the 2nd transistor. That may be where the setting of fuzz 0 volume 10 comes from
Thanks for your thoughts 👍 Have a Roger Mayer Axis myself, which is my main Fuzz. The 0/10 setting doesn’t sound right on this one either 🧐
@@MikelBluni Thx for all your hard work in putting together this wonderful series! Very impressive! …. I built a fuzz face with the Mayer mods (Classic Fuzz) and an Axis Fuzz and they sound very different. I agree, the Axis with the gain at 0 doesn’t sound right. I do think the Classic Fuzz circuit sounds good with Fuzz at 0. If you ever happen to come across one, it would be cool to hear your thoughts.
@@jonathanlok643 Thanks for your kind feedback. I have an eye on the RM Classic, but as always as a guitar nerd…I have an eye on lots of gear 😜✌️
I use crazy fuzz ,eqd. 😅 pedal pawn fuzz
Hi got a question to ask,when is the fuzz face switched on during voodoo child ? is it always switched on ? I have a blues jr and a fender strat with Texas special pick ups
Hi Mikel !
What amp settings would you recommend for an SV20H for getting that Jimi tone? Ive got a Sabaddius rainbow fuzz also, so I'm trying to dial in the best tone I can get. The fuzz has the "Wah Wah" trick feature so not sure exactly how to dial it in. Thanks Bro!
I think the Wah trick has no effect on how you set the amp. For the amp’s eq I’d recommend the exact setting I’ve shown in my video 🎸Guess that’s the closest you can get and it will work perfectly with the Rainbow Fuzz 👍
ruclips.net/video/7usMAMincd0/видео.htmlsi=hlKnscml5dzvog0g
@@MikelBluni
Thanks Mikel. Im watching the video now, were both channels jumped in your/his plexi? From what you mention, its the high treble we plug into, but are the channels to be jumped ?
@@Raj-b2q1x No jumpering! Just the High Treble Channel 👍You might wanna decrease Treble and Presence a bit to taste with these newer Marshalls.
@@MikelBluni Thank Mikel !
I am using the Fryette power station also.
it has Edge, Brite, Flat and Deep, warm, flat toggles and also Presence and depth pots.
What would you recommend for those?
LOL sorry for asking too many questions, ive been trying to dial in a descent tone for weeks!
@@Raj-b2q1x Can’t tell you for the Fryette, sorry 🎸☮️🎸
Hi, A Caline Orange burst or bb preamp does push a fender amp into Marshall territory?
Yes! Especially the Orange Burst brings out these realistic Plexi tones without being too hot in the overdrive. I’ve used it for many years 👍
❤❤Please...Analize Ranger Fuzz+Univibe...may be🤔🤔🤔🎸🎸👌
I bought the band of Gypsies fuzz face and it’s the best fuzz I’ve played. I’ve spent years trying to find “that sound” and to my ears the band of Gypsies fuzz to me at least is the perfect fuzz sound and I’ve tried dozens of boutique fuzz pedals on the market.
Thanks for sharing ✌️🎸 It’s a cool pedal 🎸☮️
I came to the same conclusions. Interestingly it seems he’d solo at 9 instead of 10 sometimes to not get too muzzy? That’s how I managed it anyway.
Yeah, don’t think he was a „Vol on 10“ guy or the electronics were modded so he could dime with a swipe, but still stop at 9 or 9.5 😀✌️🎸☮️
🌞
0:00 what’s the song here? just improv?
Just an Improvisation ✌️🎸
@@MikelBlunisounds a lot like Manic Depression!!
@@skywardstargaze1768 Indeed it’s based on that riff…sometimes I have to tweak licks a bit to prevent copyright issues ✌️🎸
❤it
Thank you 🙏
Those small blue fuzz faces are not as good as the large blue silicon ones. The larger one has the proper electronic components and not the micro ones that are in the small pedal. The big one has a lot better dynamic range and a clarity that the small ones don't. I set my Marshall so that it is just starting to break up, I have my fuzz face volume just a tiny bit higher than unity, and then I put the fuzz to maximum, but then dial it back just a little bit, till it loses the fizziness, but retains a nice fuzz. I then control it with my guitar volume. With this set up I can go from a really nice sparkling clean to, to a really nice full on fuzz, and everything in between. Also, the big one is battery powered and when the battery is a bit less than 9v, it adds just a little bit of grit too, which I think is part of Jimi's tone.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences. I like the big one too, but can get brilliant results with the little one ✌️🎸
Trying out your setting. Pretty much on the money.
Thanks for your feedback ✌️🎸
Song at 10:32?
I was just improvising here ✌️☮️✌️
Always 11
4:46 The only thing lacking here is common sense, the video is about Hendrix and not a single note is from him.
David Gilmour STACKED this silicon fuzzface + germanium fuzz face creating a HYBRID fuzzface for the guitar solo TIME, which you can see on pompeii the blue silicon fuzzface and Red germanium fuzz face. When Stacking them you turn down the fuzzface gains to be low. Jimi Hendrix did this in the studio for his albums after electric lady land by using HYBRID fuzzfaces which you should make a video lesson about. Hendrix liked to "over bias" the silicon fuzzface because when you would overbias it has a more nasel edgy midrange tone while the Red germanium fuzzface was biased to be very Velco hairy like type fuzz so when you stacked to make a hybrid it was a good mixture.
Thanks for sharing these impulses, Wayne ✌️👍 Definitely worth trying this out. As I’ve never heard of Jimi using two Fuzzes, would you mind sharing a link or source for this insight? Thanks 😊
@@MikelBluni Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz is Both Silicon transistors BUT one transistor is PNP while the other is NPN, this is a configuration difference. Most fuzz pedals use either both PNP or both NPN but never one PNP and the other NPN. This is why the Axis Fuzz has that tonality but both transistors are Silicon.
@@MikelBluni The Roger Mayer Spit Fire is an OCD obsession Hendrix designed with Roger Mayer about how the note DECAYS and how a new note Begins. Hendrix was obsessed on designing fuzz pedals for customized DECAYS on how the notes decay. The BLAMMO Electronics makes a pedal called the Hellfire Signal Destroyer which is a Spit Fire Octavia which you should get because it suppose to have that Spit Fire DECAY + octavia which this is what hendrix was doing in the 70's using the octavia. Make a video lesson after obsession on the fuzz pedals decays. A/B the Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz, Spit Fire, Stone Fuzz, etc. The STONE Fuzz has a "feedforward circuitry" that is very unique which Roger Mayer explains in his interviews to put the STONE fuzz as the first pedal because of how it cleans up because of the feedforward circuitry is customized with Hendrix. I'm giving you a lot of secrets that no one really knows about. But you should really look into what is feedforward and how to use it. This is a special trick that Hendrix/Mayer came up with to use in the studio was feedforward clean up tones.
@@MikelBluni Hendrix would use the Olympic console preamp which was transistors. The First Prototypes of the Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz pedal was a Hybrid of silicon transistor/germanium transistor which the Axis Fuzz circuit was based on the Olympic Console preamp. Check out the CASTLEDINE Olympic Fuzz pedal. Hendrix recorded the whole axis bold as love using a hybrid Axis Fuzz and Olympic preamp transistor. Roger Mayer modified the Olympic console and make a bunch of outboard studio gear limiters, EQ's, compressors etc for axis bold as love. Email CASTLEDINE to make you the olympic custom fuzz that is Hybrid fuzz which is pretty much the first axis fuzz pedal
The dark blue mini fuzz face is a lot closer to the silicon fuzz faces jimi had.
The jimi hendrix fuzz face was designed for modern tastes and modern amps. It has less distortion than the real old pedals, and the pedals own eq is all wrong. The mini dark blue ff has the same amount and kind of distortion, and the right eq.