Jimi Hendrix Gear: The Guitars, Amps & Effects That Revolutionized Rock 'n' Roll

by Michael Heatley, Michael Heatley, Harry Shapiro

How did he do it? So many years later, it's still the question guitar aficionados ask about Jimi Hendrix, whose music was like nobody else's. Song by song, album by album, concert by concert, this book analyzes how Hendrix achieved that sound--and so, shows you how to achieve it, too. The book examines all of Hendrix's equipment, providing a nuts-and-bolts analysis of each of his guitars (including serial number, history, and provenance), his amps choices, and his singular use of revolutionary effects from wah-wahs to overdrives to bizarre-o pedals like the Fuzzface. A practical reference book like no other, this volume gives the proper guidance and tools to any guitarist who wants to take a stab at emulating one of the greatest players of all time.

Genres: Music

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Michael Heatley is the author or editor of over thirty biographies, including Backstreet Boys: The Unofficial Book, Bon Jovi: In Their Own Words and Rolf Harris: The Most Talented Man In The World. In 1995, he wrote the liner notes to Rolf's best-selling album Rolf Rules OK!

Since 1977 he has written more than a hundred music, sport and TV books.

He has written for magazines including Privileged View (for viewers of UK Gold and UK Living), 442 and Fultime (Fulham FC), Music Week, Billboard, Goldmine (US record collecting magazine), Radio Times, Daily Record and the Mail on Sunday color supplement.

In addition, Michael runs a fanzine in honor of legendary Welsh psychedelic rock band Man called The Welsh Connection which is circulated to a small but fervent fanbase on a bi-monthly basis.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book about the gear of Jimi Hendrix peripherally addresses two lessons that, early on in my writing practice, informed my understanding of poetry. The first is that Hendrix, when he first began playing music, took a right-handed guitar—the most common, accessible, and affordable—and re-strung it to be compatible with his left-handed orientation. The second is that Hendrix wanted his guitar to sound like it was being played from inside the ocean, so he altered new types of pedals and amplifiers that distorted sound. If you listen to Hendrix's cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” after he says “so let us stop talking falsely now, the hour’s getting late...hey!” and before he gets to “all along the watchtower, princess kept the view,” you can hear the ocean bubbling from its underwater volcanoes.

[Cindy Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Won this through First Reads giveaway. Really like this book because it shows all the guitars used by Jimi Hendrix. It also has a lot of history and things I didn't know. After reading through it I now keep it on my coffee table as a coffee table book.