Fender ToneMasterPro - Hendrix Setup

**Navdeep_Singh** · 03-23-2025, 10:06 PM

Hey, I asked a question on the Gear Page about Hendrix gear setups for the Fender ToneMaster Pro. BECAUSE I DON”T KNOW SH*T ABOUT ROCK GUITAR GEAR SETUPS. I AM A COMPLETE DUMB-DUMB. My original question was:

“Hello, jazz box Luddite here. I’m a jazz box to Fender Princeton R kind of guy. Plug and Play. Trying to figure out rock guitar setups for Fender ToneMaster Pro, I have the Fender ToneMaster Pro, 2 Fender 12 FRFRs, and the associated Expression Pedal. What I need is a screen shot of your best Hendrix Signal Chain for a “Tele” style guitar. Explanations or flow charts would be good, too. Thank you!”

Not only did I get some great responses, someone was inspired to post a detailed YT video response (see below).

One of the best responses in the tread about Hendrix’s set up was as follows:

Hendrix Set up

Amp & Cab Setup
* Amp: Use the "British 100W" (or the closest Plexi-style model)
* Gain: 6-7 (crank it for natural breakup)
* Bass: 3-4 (Hendrix kept it low to avoid muddiness)
* Mids: 7-8 (boost for that thick presence)
* Treble: 6-7 (bright but not harsh)
* Presence: 6-7
* Master Volume: High for power amp saturation
* Cab: Use a 4x12 Greenback or Vintage 30s (Hendrix used Celestion speakers)
* Mic: SM57 or Ribbon 121
* Mic Placement: Slightly off-center for a warmer sound
2. Essential Effects
* Fuzz: Hendrix’s main drive came from a Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face
* Use the "Fuzz Face" model
* Fuzz: 8-10 (aggressive but tweak to taste)
* Volume: 5-7
* Roll back guitar volume for cleaner, dynamic tones
* Wah: For "Voodoo Child" & expressive leads
* Use the Cry Baby Wah model
* Keep it parked in certain positions for tonal variation
* Octavia: Used in "Purple Haze" & "Band of Gypsys" era
* Add the Octave Fuzz effect for extra bite
* Univibe: Essential for "Machine Gun" & "Little Wing"
* Use the "Vibe" model
* Speed: Moderate
* Depth: High
* Reverb: Subtle Spring or Plate Reverb
* Mix: 20-30%
* Delay (Optional):
* A Tape Delay with low feedback (used for ambience in later recordings)

I asked DeepSeek. here was it’s response: Creating a detailed preset rig to emulate Jimi Hendrix's classic tones using the **Fender Tone Master Pro** requires a deep understanding of his signal chain, amp settings, and effects. Hendrix's tone was primarily driven by **Marshall amps**, **Fuzz Face pedals**, and **wah pedals**, with a focus on midrange, clarity, and dynamic response. Below is a comprehensive setup to achieve his iconic sound using the Tone Master Pro's virtual rig capabilities.

---

### **Fender Tone Master Pro Rig for Jimi Hendrix Tones**

#### **1. Amplifier and Cabinet**
- **Amp Model**: Marshall Plexi (1967 Super Lead 100W)
- **Gain**: 7
- **Bass**: 6
- **Middle**: 8
- **Treble**: 7
- **Presence**: 6
- **Master Volume**: 5 (adjust for desired volume)
- **Bright Switch**: On
- **Output Power**: 50W (for headroom and dynamics)

- **Cabinet Model**: Marshall 4x12 (1960A with Celestion Greenbacks)
- **Mic**: Shure SM57 (dynamic mic, off-axis)
- **Mic Position**: 2 inches from the speaker cone, slightly off-center
- **Room Reverb**: Light (10-20% mix)

---

#### **2. Pedals and Effects**
The signal chain should replicate Hendrix's classic setup. Here’s the order and settings:

1. **Wah Pedal** (Vox Wah or Dunlop Cry Baby)
- **Position**: Toe-down for rhythm, mid-sweep for solos
- **Frequency Range**: 500Hz - 2kHz
- **Q (Resonance)**: Medium

2. **Fuzz Face** (Germanium or Silicon, depending on the song)
- **Fuzz**: 8
- **Volume**: 7
- **Bias**: 5 (adjust for smoothness or grittiness)
- **Tone**: 6 (slightly bright)

3. **Univibe** (for modulation)
- **Speed**: Medium (adjust for "Machine Gun" or "Little Wing" tones)
- **Intensity**: 7
- **Mode**: Chorus/Vibrato (depending on the song)

4. **Octave Fuzz** (for solos and leads, e.g., "Purple Haze")
- **Octave Mix**: 50%
- **Fuzz**: 8
- **Tone**: 6

5. **Delay** (Analog Tape Delay)
- **Time**: 300ms (slapback) to 500ms (for solos)
- **Feedback**: 2-3 repeats
- **Mix**: 20-30%

6. **Reverb** (Spring Reverb)
- **Decay**: Medium
- **Mix**: 15-20%
- **Damping**: Medium

---

#### **3. Signal Chain**
The signal path should follow Hendrix's classic setup:
```
Guitar ? Wah ? Fuzz Face ? Univibe ? Amp ? Cabinet ? Delay ? Reverb
```
- **Wah**: First in the chain to interact dynamically with the fuzz.
- **Fuzz Face**: Early in the chain for maximum responsiveness.
- **Univibe**: Before the amp to simulate Hendrix's modulation effects.
- **Delay and Reverb**: In the effects loop or post-amp for spatial depth.

---

#### **4. Guitar and Pickup Settings**
- **Guitar**: Stratocaster (single-coil pickups)
- **Pickup Selector**: Bridge or Middle position (for rhythm), Neck or Bridge (for solos)
- **Tone Knobs**: Roll off slightly (7-8) for smoother leads
- **Volume Knob**: Adjust dynamically (7-10) for clean-to-dirty transitions

---

#### **5. Volume and Dynamics**
- **Guitar Volume**: Use the guitar’s volume knob to clean up the fuzz for cleaner tones.
- **Amp Volume**: Set the amp loud enough to push the speakers (around 5-6 on the Master Volume).
- **Pedal Volume**: Adjust the Fuzz Face volume to match the amp’s clean tone when engaged.

---

#### **6. Preset Variations**
Here are some specific settings for iconic Hendrix songs:
- **"Purple Haze"**:
- Fuzz Face: Max fuzz, mid-range tone
- Wah: Mid-sweep for the intro riff
- Univibe: Off

- **"Little Wing"**:
- Fuzz Face: Lower fuzz (5-6), cleaner tone
- Univibe: Slow speed, high intensity
- Delay: Light slapback (200ms)

- **"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"**:
- Fuzz Face: High fuzz, bright tone
- Wah: Aggressive sweeps
- Delay: 400ms, 3 repeats

---

#### **7. Final Tips**
- **Play with Dynamics**: Hendrix’s tone was highly dynamic. Use your picking strength and guitar volume knob to control the amount of distortion.
- **Experiment with Bias**: Adjust the Fuzz Face bias to get smoother (Germanium) or grittier (Silicon) tones.
- **Room Reverb**: Add a touch of room reverb to simulate the natural ambience of live performance.

---

This setup should get you very close to Hendrix's classic tones using the Fender Tone Master Pro. Adjust settings slightly to match your guitar and playing style!

**rpjazzguitar** · 03-24-2025, 03:35 PM

I saw Hendrix, as Jimmy James and the Blue Flame, just before he became famous. Cafe Wha?, where he was "discovered". Quotation marks are to recognize that he was a successful sideman with name acts prior to this gig.

I recall a white Stratocaster and what I think was a Twin Reverb, cranked way, way up. He was loud enough that he could get a chord to sound by blowing on the strings.

I don't recall any pedals. Just Guitar>cable>amp.

He had lots of moves, like banging the guitar on his hip, playing with the back of his arm, behind his head and so forth.

He was great.

Between sets I asked him about his tuning. As I recall, he said he was playing in open E.