Marshall has announced its celebrating the 60th anniversary of its historic association with Jimi Hendrix by rolling out a host of special edition releases.
Aside from his flipped Fender, Hendrix is largely associated with one piece of gear: a Marshall stack. Indeed, the image of Hendrix wielding his Stratocaster in front of a Marshall amp is one of the most enduring and recognizable symbols of rock ‘n’ roll.
Hendrix first plugged into a Marshall in 1966, and would use the brand’s amps over the course of his life during some of the most iconic gigs in history. Monterey 1967. Woodstock 1969. Ronnie Scott’s in London. The list goes on.
As Marshall puts it, “Hendrix didn’t just play through Marshall amps, he redefined what they could do. From London and Monterey in ’67 to Woodstock ’69, he tamed the raw power of the Marshall stack to shake the world.”
To honor its world-conquering collaboration with Hendrix, Marshall has released a limited-edition 1959 JMH 100W Half Stack and 1960 AJMH 4x12 cab, as well as a limit-edition Fuzz Face pedal.
Both have been inspired by “Hendrix’s iconic sound and cosmic aesthetic", meaning there’s an appropriately psychedelic Purple Haze-esque artwork given to the amp, cab, and pedal, as well as a nifty purple LED indicator and silver detailing inspired by Hendrix’s jewelry.
As for how they channel Hendrix’s sound, Marshall tells Guitar World that the amp remains as standard for a 1959 hand-wired half stack, while the pedal utilizes BC183 silicon transistors for a more aggressive, snarling tone.
The pedal, Marshall says, offers a fuzz tone more akin to Hendrix’s 1970 Isle of Wight performance, with a vintage-style wire harness and hand-stuffed components to boot. It is available exclusively with the stack.
“Jimi was a formidable musician, a real force of nature. He took everything to a new level and carried everybody with him,” says Terry Marshall, Co-founder, Marshall Amplification.
“When he played, it was an emotional time for everybody because everyone was thinking, if he can do it, I could maybe do it. And he’s using Marshall, therefore we want Marshall.
“It was a really special time for us all and there’s no doubt that we grew with him and his fame, it was a natural tie-up. The rest is history as they say.”
The half stack and pedal are joined by a similarly styled Action III wireless speaker, complete with the same purple-on-black, water-on-oil style aesthetic.
The Hendrix head is available now for $3,400, while the matching cab is priced at $1,1599.99. The bundle, which includes the pedal, is priced at $4,999.99.
Head over to Marshall to find out more.
