Hope you're all enjoying this video, it was fun to make! Here is also a link to the Pyramid Strings Jimi inspired set www.stringsbymail.com/pyramid-pure-nickel-jimi-hendrix-inspired-custom-set-10-38-full-set-15204.html
i knew this vid would be about string gauges!!! i had this book growing up that was a straight up hendrix bible that stated he used fender 8 gauge strings. i have used 8 gauge for about 11 years now and they sound awesome. what do you think? about the 8 gauge thing?
Great vid R.J - pure nickel round core seems to be important too, apparently the choice in strings was way less back then hence the pure nickel round cores. Rock on!
You should try out stringjoy. They make amazing quality strings for about the same price as nyxl's. You can order custom gauges from their website at www.stringjoy.com/
RJ what is your source for Jimi's gauges? I imagine he experimented quite a bit and didn't use one set of gauges consistently. I was backstage briefly at his concert at Baltimore Civic Center in June 1970, because a close friend of mine played in one of the opening bands and I lent him my alto sax. I got a look at one of the strats Jimi played that night and definitely the top two strings weren't 10s. I pegged them at 8s. The word on the street back then, while Jimi was still alive, was that 8s were his first choice, when available.
It wasn’t just Hendrix’s guitar that made the difference, it was also the style of his very unique voice that completed the overall mystique and allure of his sound.
GHS makes a set with these exact string sizes, it's their GBLXL set. It gives you a very balanced sound, the G-string isn't as overbearing, I really like this combination of string sizes! Cost is under $5 a set
I just bought three sets of D'Addarios 10,13,17,26,36,46. Close enough for me and besides they do a convincing Alan Holdsworth tone. I am surprised that by just tuning down to Eb they get very Hendrixlike.
well, i was skeptical... but your dead-on. that's a revelation. I always thought that his G, in particular was lighter allowing it to cut through more. Thanks for that.
Man, this gave me the shivers all over!!! Not the string set concept, but the way you nailed Jimi's tone! Awesome, like the man himself got up from his grave and picked up that Strat! Keep making videos man!
Wrong and its still wrong after 3 years. You're obviously deaf cause none of that was even close to hendrix sounds. It was the sounds of metal string vibration with aftermarket pickups.
@@dreyn7780 No problem man, you're very welcome to show me how to sound more like Jimi without being him, make your own video and I will be the first to like it. Use whatever strings you like, pickups...use JTM45 or whatever. After 30 years of playing guitar I think I can say beyond any doubt - this guy can play, and is very familiar with Jimi's style. As for me being deaf, that's funny. There are tests, you know. Take some.
Wonderful stuff, I'm a 67 year old Hendrix fanatic who will be able to play like you or Jimi could, but listening is good enough. I saw him at the Isle of Wight in 70 just months before he left us - Thank you sooooooooo much - terrific stuff
I'm 67 also, and this is the first I've heard about the string gages Jimi used. Crazy! I'm gonna try it, first on my Mexican strat and if it sounds promising, I'll try them on my 1979 American strat.
One thing I noticed about Jimi's playing he used a large pick and picked lightly. The light picking might have helped avoid string buzz with the lower light gauge strings. Thanks for an infomative video and a great demonstration.
Dude I did this and totally got the feeling and sound better. I argued with a lot of people about this that said I was crazy but you can't deny this works. Especially down tuning correctly
Wow! Not only is your “Hendrix style” playing ON POINT, but the difference in the string gauges makes a HUGE difference in the tone! As always, thanks for the great video.👍🏽
Gotta say, this guy is the real deal. So obvious but who would think about it over pedals and such. Marvelous and inspirational. Those low strings especially hit the mark. Wow.
R. J. As a Seattlite who grew up just down the street from him & played in/with his Seattle 'bands' You are only partly right. He also used 12 gage sets too. He learned that string trick from 'the older guys' here, like I did. He also paid a lot of attention to the whole set up, everything to do with all aspects of the system, strings, springs, bridge, saddles, nut, frets and alignment. He said one thing/concept that totally makes any strat sound like his in Electric Ladyland. All vibrations must be in harmony. And that is as close as I'll tell the outside world. We spent hours on the phone devising this theroy, but in reality I think he was revealing his work/concepts as ours. Those who copy his licks are really off the mark, those who copy his vibe got it. Oh, and my uncle, commander of the 101st got him out, we had a lot in common.
The first time I saw him play was at my high school gym dance. He was sitting in with the band while on break from the 101st He was quite the piece ;))) He would show up at the gtr slingers gigs with his Supro Thunderbolt amp saying if your amp blows, you can borrow mine, but I get to sit in. By gtr slingers, I mean Nokie 'n Bob from the Ventures, Joe Johansen, staff gtr @ Volt, signed to AM and Rich Dangle, Fabulous Whalers - way before Bob Marley and Larry Corriel. I would see him in the music stores copping licks off of the gtr players around town. Picked beans with him 'n Leon and borrowed the same football hi tops he did. Our pats crossed in many ways, but 'we' didn't know it till much later. Al was not Jimmi or Leon's father, and Leon has been screwed out of the legacy, but you gotta hear Leon play the Hammond, equally as gifted as Jimmi on gtr, but everyone want to see him flounder on gtr than hear him play organ - SHEESH ! Red House is about his girl 'friend's house up the street from Al's where Jimmi would run to when Al was drunk and beating on him Define gear slut in '60's terms... Norm Sunholm set him up with piles of Sun amp for the first tour. He bought the Who's gtr amps (because they were taller cabs) and he had a pile of Fenders in Hawaii. If a musician can, they will ;)) As far as gtrs, he loved my Super 400's 'n Larry's, Joe's and Richards. And we both love 54/57 Strats with the big deep V necks, under 8 pounds and he had '67/8's because they were easy. I don't think anybody realizes just how much influence production had on Jimmi's career/sound. Jimmi sounded just like any of the great Seattle players - don't get me wrong here ;) Jimmi was very talented. Production and studio gave him sounds that were not there yet cept for Gibson Fuzz tones and Vox in line filters. Now having said that, I also herd Jimmi 'sound' like he had a fazer or wa wa when he didn't, but lots of Seattle guys knew how to do that... Jimmi deserves just as much credit for his mind as his playing. He broke down everything, Every way to make a sound on a gtr he'd search for, every way to make a note, he longed for... Music was a flow, not a sequence. It is the moment, not a plan. "If you thought you played good, you didn't" He'd always criticise. You have to be in the moment reacting to the stimuli. I know, TMI
This makes perfect sense from my experience. I got more of a Hendrix-ish sound with my reverse Firebird and standard strings than I ever did on any other guitar. The longer throw of the bass strings made them more rubbery and closer to that feel/sound. Thanks for the great video. Nice playing!
Fender used to make a set of strings with these gauges. The first time I change strings on a guitar back in 1975, these were the string gauges that were in the Fender set. I think they are called Rock and Roll 150's, or something like that.
Yeah, exactly! I changed to use these strong gauges 10-38 and it sounds awesome! An interesting variation on this string set was Hendrix would move the 10 to the B strong and use a 9 banjo string for the high E, per Andy Aledort in his book "Play Like Hendrix". This set up might explain why Hendrix was also reported to use 9s, as one of his guitars had a 9 high E that was measured.
I’m a bass player and I’ve always loved jimis playing and I must admit you sound astonishingly like him the best I’ve ever heard good job man and I subscribed to you and Jimi
R.J. is always on the money with all of his videos ,a nd that is a rarity on CZcams. He's not selling product, he's imparting knowledge. Thank you, R.J.
You are alright, man. Wonderful insight into Jimi’s tone. It’s awesome that you went the extra step & proved it! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Excellent guitar work. You are an asset to the music world. May the Lord bless & keep you 🙏🏻 Merry Christmas! 🎸
Thank you , I’m 64 years old and grew up with he being my ultimate guitarist idol . True genius. I recently started playing again after a decade. I played professionally for years starting age 10. I recently have purchased 4 different strats to learn his style , glad I found your channel . The string difference is an true breakthrough for me . I started with a VOX PEDAL AND FUZZ FACE BECAUSE THATS ALL WE HAD .. The technology is amazing now . Thanks a million ,
You had a great answer, one I didn’t even think about. You are definitely correct in the string gauge matter. I would add that you need to be playing LOUD. A bit louder then normal. Meaning your amp needs to be cracked to almost breaking up or broken up. He did everything with the volume knob.
That you are in the general class of Frank Marino and Robin Trower as a tribute player is indisputable, and your playing is as soulful as anyone's. Great information, great delivery, great channel. *****
I clicked on the video, expecting some total bs about gear. But you sir, have actually spoken the truth about the Hendrix secrets to his signature sound. This string gage tip is one that is often not mentioned when talking about sounding like Jimi. Thank you. Mad respect. And subscribed.
Hey R.J., not sure you'd remember me, but we actually went to college together! Anyway, great video - I can really hear the difference in the bottom strings. Great playing too!
I tried the fender Hendrix strings. They totally work. I’ve been using Ernie ball 9’s for more than thirty years. It’s amazing the difference in tone and pick attack sound. I have a home built Strat with fender custom shop 69 pickups and the Hendrix strings on it. Holy hell it’s spot on Jimi tone! Thanks R.J.
I love that punchy sound that he has on the lower strings. He’s got a bass sound, the sound of the picking is so loud it’s percussive, and then, of course, there’s the guitar itself. Jimi’s like a one-man band with the guitar alone.
RJ! You are THE MAN! Why didn't I know this, when I I started playing 43 years ago ;-) Hendrix was always my biggest hero, and I actually attended one of his last concerts (in Stockholm Sweden, 1970,) I was new born, but my parents was at Gröna Lund with me in a pram :-) So, I'm about to turn 50 this summer.... (We have a mutual friend in David Henriksson, BTW) I've been searching this tone ever since, believing the heavier Gauges, the better, but never truly been content.... This was really a revelation to, and since we're in Corona lockdown, I decided to put a set together and try it, even though I was sceptical ;-) but, DAMN! It really sounds "Hendrix'y" THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Sincerely Perry Stenbäck " Your new friend in Danish Showbiz" (Been living in Denmark for 25 yrs, even though I am Swedish ;-) )
I'm a 49 year old 50 in October blues man and Hendrix fanatic But I could listen to you play Hendrix all day... thumbs up bro. Great chops you definitely put in work to get what you got..
Any Rory Gallagher fans? He used this set too. It does make you play rather differently. It takes a while to get everything back intune and intonated. I don’t know how Jimi could play that set tuned down half a step. Look for pure nickel with a round core. Curt Mangan makes a quality set.
i'm a fan. do you know if this set was like, a guitar tech "trick" circulating in the late 60s? i always thought hendrix preferred thicker gauges OR simply didn't care what gauge he was playing.
I swear that you could get Ernie ball super slinky 10-38 sets. My dad would get them off the shelf from Andertons. Gallagher, Hendrix, even my old man-all in south east of England in the late 60’s... I think it was a fashion. But, when I asked in a guitar shop recently, they guessed maybe they were lap steel gauges? As an aside, Jimmy Page mentions using a banjo string as a high e back at that time, to create a lighter gauge, so who knows.
carusoe_ Not a trick it was called Fender Rock n’ Roll 150 set. I still have a few Fender sets I found when we moved 1.5 years ago. I think Pyramid makes a round core 10-38 and I know Curt Mangan does, but I don’t know if you can get them in the U.K. I now prefer the Mangan round core Monel strings for single coils and the hex core for humbuckers and acoustic guitar. They are a bit brighter than pure nickel and seem to last about twice as long because Monel has better corrosion resistance vs nickel. I swapped out the wound third string and put a Martin Retro 10-47 Acoustic strings on my main Strat. I put them on in mid-January and I am only changing them today because they now make my fingers black lol. Maybe I should just wipe it down with alcohol and see how long they can last.
RJ, YOU ROCK!!!! I'm a big time Hendrix fan. My band, Divine Therapy, had our first rehearsal at Nancy's on Jefferson St., here in Nashville, TN....where Hendrix and Billy Cox lived back in the early 60's. Cox still lives here, I think. Thanks for explaining the missing link to Hendrix's tone. Everyone thinks...its amps, speakers, pedals, etc...or just "in the hands." But no one detailed his string choice, or even stated that mixing gauges can produce such dramatic effects. If you are ever in Nashville, message me. I OWE YOU A BEER, BRUH!!!! Thanks!
Terrific video. I'm definitely going out to get some new strings like this for my strat TODAY! Love that low end blend of slink, clank and spank. Really great advice, put together really well. Great playing too. (And love your high school act. Cool!). Thanks man. Greetings from London.
He nailed 'the tone'. Nailed it to the wall. Hendrix played as Hendrix because he was Hendrix more than anyone trying to emulate Hendrix. Thanks for pointing out the obvious.
Great video, RJ, you really understand Hendrix, that's for sure. I was 15 years old and remember buying "Are You Experienced" when it first came out in 1967. I became a huge fan immediately and I remain so today. Jimi is still head and shoulders above just about everybody, even today. When I'm driving in my car and Hendrix comes on the radio, I crank him up and listen with just as much admiration as I did 50 years ago.
Hello sir I was talking to a friend of mine who is a pro when it comes to audio and video I told this guy on you tube had to get ready for 2 gigs a country and heavy metal gigs almost at the same time and accomplished both he looked at me and he's a pro I said he really is.i have been playing a while not pro but I hope I can get more inspiration from your videos.....Roland J Gutierrez from Magdalena New Mexico usa
Holy shit you're right about that! fyi my guitar mentor, we're going back 45 years now, ALWAYS bought his strings as singles, never sets. It was probably just the way it was done back then and just forgotten about.
Having Eddie Kramer in the studio behind the controls was helpful too. Together, they created the best guitar sounds ever recorded. True art. Thanks so much for this video, I have been getting ready play a strat again. Peace!!!
I couldn’t play that light. I’d be hitting those bass strings out of tune. Used to the 48 on the low E. Plus all that action, tremelo tension and intonation changes. Its not a small deal to change gauges like I used to think it was.
agreed. I have a hard time keeping 9's in tune but 10's - no problem. Jimi had trouble staying in tune too - check some of his liver performance videos out..
Great demo video. One thing, though, Pyramid is letting everyone think that they came up with this gauge set independently, but Fender already made string sets of exactly the same gauge, called Fender 150 Rock N'Roll in the late 60s and throughout the 70s, and even later in reissue form; you can still find them listed on MF and other gear sites, as discontinued. I used them in the late 60s and early 70s myself. Hendrix may have used this same Fender set, or may have coincidentally selected the strings separately, but for sure Pyramid came very late to the game.
I wrote off string gauges years ago as lot of mumbo jumbo, then I tried this out - what a young fool I was - this is the most significant thing I've learned in years!!! I can't put my Strat down again, totally inspired and a 100% real thing - Thank you!
Watching u from saudi arabia i'm not pro guitarist but just a fan of jimmi also.can i request,can u do the tutorial of hendrix solo little wing. i know that u can do it also.
RJ your the best ever to portray and explain MY MAN's Sound...I could not relate to anyone until Jimi came along...I couldn't express that conection back at 16 but I've integrated Jimi's 'feel' in all I do....Strings are a must....and you alone have shown these folks...and myself (being reminded)...the significance of it all..Thanks...Your a KEEPER
musikfanat Check out "Greg" CZcams channel for the best Hendrix player on CZcams. His work is note perfect, his Castles Made of Sand cover is mind-blowingly accurate!
When you switched to 10-46 had more srv tone but and definitely agree with this video’s subject and answer, great musicians review of a great musician.
Hendrix had a first fuzz pedal low gain active (on cleans too, low gain on it) before the wah (by the way the wah has to be always activated too fully pushed heel up toes down) and a second fuzz pedal to activate for leads after the wah (higher gain on that one) take your time to set them all properly because fuzz can make great tone as it can also be a real mess. Enjoy your new great tone👍😀
My Dunlop wah won't die, but when it does, I plan to get a Vox wah like Jimi really had. I used a friend's one night at a show years ago and was surprised how it was a little sweeter than mine. To Dunlap's credit, my wah keeps working and it's from like 1998.
My fellow guitar brother, don’t sell yourself short, you get that sound simply because, damn boy, you know how to play well. Grooovy. Someone can get all the gear Hendrix used, amps, pedals , guitar, strings, etc. But if you play like crap you sound like crap..... which you ooobviously don’t. Cheers. 🍻.
i get so god damned tired of always reading someone that says that some old shit and it pisses me off. Obviously he has groove and the plays with the Hendrix feel. But there also people that can play like that and want to know how to shape tones. Like he did before he knew about the strings. God damn
@@jorgenaia4866 Facts. The "Hendrix tone" would've been a different tone if he used different gear. Its like saying you don't need a whammy bar to sound like EVH.
I play in a Black Sabbath tribute band and have found EXACTLY the same relationship with string gauges...Iommi uses VERY light strings even when tuned to C# and it makes ALL the difference in how "authentic" the tone becomes due to the string tension/response...regardless of how accurately you play the riffs, if the string gauges are too heavy, you lose that slightly out of tune "looseness" in the overall guitar tone....and that holds true for Hendrix, Iommi, , Billy Gibbons, Malmsteen, all of whom use lighter gauges, even with dropped tunings in some cases.
you're wrong on the string gauges....sorry.... I did a years worth of gigs with Noel Redding.... he said Hendrix used a light set, starting at .008 and ending at .038, plus also tuned down a whole step. But you are a great guitarist... but you should check out Randy Hansen and The Vibratory for accurate Hendrix playing
Come on man. You discredit yourself by saying he tuned down a step. Do you play guitar? It's pretty easy to figure out he tuned down a half step in the latter part of his commercial career, but rarely, if ever a whole.
Been playing for 6 years now and my dad was the one who taught me all I know about the guitar. He fell in love with Hendrix when he was coming up and he played this gauge so by default I’d been playing them my entire life and then I fell in love with Hendrix and my dad gifted me his 85 elite strat, haven’t looked back since.
You seem to to say that the smaller strings are more jangly and have more slinkyness, but unless you're using different words than I'd expect, you might be wrong that they're simply brighter and more tight sounding rather than lose sounding since there's much higher PSI of tension on the strings than a thicker string. Rick Beato discusses this and I thought it was interesting. I cant wait to try this set!
Hi R.J. I just subscribed after watching your videos about the "Jimi" string gauges and the guitar exercises. While I am an accomplished pro guitarist. I experienced having difficulty playing a particular lick for the first time ever (I'm 63). It was the opening lick to Sweet Child Of Mine. I believe this exercise will help me get back some of my dexterity that I've lost due to age. I'll let you know how it works out. Thank you for posting this.
I used to do exactly the same! But with the ernie ball, i just stopped and started use only the 10-46 but i agree, i could feel the difference, expecially with a reverse neck (or strat) , nice video!
Cool little look into Jimi's choice of string gauges, and the guy does emit some cool Hendrix tones. Key word is "some", namely "Jimi playing Muddy Waters" and "Stone Free 1969 version/Tax Free" type tones (based on this vid). Jimi's sound was a lot more than just those particular examples. Still haven't heard any guitarists get it right, but that does simply come to down a "heart, mind, and soul" thing. No real technicalities that one can simply discover & use to replicate Jimi's sound fully, only partially imitate through the help of modern gear; things Jimi didn't have outside of initial (sometimes cruder) constructs. That's what makes him a legend, putting him #1 on most guitarist lists which include other brilliant players as well.
very good video! Theres shit tons of video on youtube focusing ONLY on the gear that he used, but you could have the same gear and sound like kirk hammet! Here you really focus on the most important part of hendrix tone, gauges , tune down, and also middle pickup , people don't realise how much he used the middle pickup ! Same goes for SRV , when i was younger people used to put 13/56 string gauges on their guitar to get the SRV tone , dude , it never worked and ruined some peoples guitar!
Fantastic tone. Getting the right strings is definitely a big part of the sound. But your guitar and amp must be important too! Your Strat: 1. Body tonewood? 2. Brand and value of pots? 3.Value of capactor? 4. What pickups are in your guitar ..brand and DC output of each pickup? 5. What amp are you using? 6. What settings on the amp?
Wrong. You're approach is from the opposite direction. We're not going backwards like you want us to do. We own the official hendrix sounds and now we've had them for 30 years, were exploring the slinky string version and the purple JH strat version and, and, and. You're still going backwards. You haven't even discovered the 1990's hendrix sounds yet. You're 30 years behind the rest of us.
Thank You soooo much for posting this!!!!! I just bought a Jimi Hendrix Fender Guitar, and I was concerned about the string Gauge. So I will now restring the Guitar.
Hope you're all enjoying this video, it was fun to make! Here is also a link to the Pyramid Strings Jimi inspired set www.stringsbymail.com/pyramid-pure-nickel-jimi-hendrix-inspired-custom-set-10-38-full-set-15204.html
i knew this vid would be about string gauges!!! i had this book growing up that was a straight up hendrix bible that stated he used fender 8 gauge strings. i have used 8 gauge for about 11 years now and they sound awesome. what do you think? about the 8 gauge thing?
Great vid R.J - pure nickel round core seems to be important too, apparently the choice in strings was way less back then hence the pure nickel round cores. Rock on!
You should try out stringjoy. They make amazing quality strings for about the same price as nyxl's. You can order custom gauges from their website at www.stringjoy.com/
pyramid strings are awesome! also how could anyone thumbs down this video?? losers...haha
RJ what is your source for Jimi's gauges? I imagine he experimented quite a bit and didn't use one set of gauges consistently. I was backstage briefly at his concert at Baltimore Civic Center in June 1970, because a close friend of mine played in one of the opening bands and I lent him my alto sax. I got a look at one of the strats Jimi played that night and definitely the top two strings weren't 10s. I pegged them at 8s. The word on the street back then, while Jimi was still alive, was that 8s were his first choice, when available.
this is by far the only guitarist i found on youtube that actually sounds like hendrix and isnt a clown....
LISTEN to "ANDY ALEDORT!!" You'll thank me later!!!!
Dave Simpson in England can play some pretty good Jimi .
I got to see him in April of 69 and May of 70 in Philadelphia. He’s my favorite 🙏👌☮️
look up the Vibratory, he IS Hendrix but the closest is Randy Hansen by faaaarrrr
Should go check RANDY HANSEN, best hendrix player ever mann, sending big vibe to the crowd
czcams.com/video/fNLTGgPL6V4/video.html
Yes good job - never occurred to look st string guage
The World’s Greatest Mysteries
1. The Bermuda Triangle
2. Area 51
3. Jimi Hendrix’s Guitar Playing
And srv sound forgot 🤓
Trump´s hair...
@Blasphemous Raspberry- GREAT list!! However, I would have JIMI in the #1 position. Still a GREAT list as well as concept!!
@@alaincouillaud8997 Now that's Comedy!!
No mystery practicing and talent
Giant Chuck Berry hands helps - the strat looked like a toy in Hendrix's hands. Channeling alien transmissions is also very beneficial.
Yeah, his hands fit a Strat neck like my hands fit a Les Paul.
@@rickc2102
I thought the Les Paul neck was bigger than the Strat?
Being God helps as well.
Tomás Ó Treasaigh it is lol
Soft V Neck, it's the best neck Fender ever made
It wasn’t just Hendrix’s guitar that made the difference, it was also the style of his very unique voice that completed the overall mystique and allure of his sound.
yeh but ......take Little Wind ....... THAT tone & sound & playing style immedietly says Hendrix. without a voice even.
GHS makes a set with these exact string sizes, it's their GBLXL set. It gives you a very balanced sound, the G-string isn't as overbearing, I really like this combination of string sizes! Cost is under $5 a set
Hollander B I agree. GHS has been my choice of strings for 40 years. The lighter gauge, the better.
GHS strings rock! Love them
I just bought three sets of D'Addarios 10,13,17,26,36,46. Close enough for me and besides they do a convincing Alan Holdsworth tone. I am surprised that by just tuning down to Eb they get very Hendrixlike.
you need a 15 for the G
I use the GBLXL set, always.
well, i was skeptical... but your dead-on. that's a revelation. I always thought that his G, in particular was lighter allowing it to cut through more. Thanks for that.
Mac arius: agreed. Good video!
Man, this gave me the shivers all over!!! Not the string set concept, but the way you nailed Jimi's tone! Awesome, like the man himself got up from his grave and picked up that Strat!
Keep making videos man!
Wrong and its still wrong after 3 years.
You're obviously deaf cause none of that was even close to hendrix sounds.
It was the sounds of metal string vibration with aftermarket pickups.
@@dreyn7780
No problem man, you're very welcome to show me how to sound more like Jimi without being him, make your own video and I will be the first to like it.
Use whatever strings you like, pickups...use JTM45 or whatever. After 30 years of playing guitar I think I can say beyond any doubt - this guy can play, and is very familiar with Jimi's style. As for me being deaf, that's funny. There are tests, you know. Take some.
Nice tone and playing, RJ!
Wonderful stuff, I'm a 67 year old Hendrix fanatic who will be able to play like you or Jimi could, but listening is good enough. I saw him at the Isle of Wight in 70 just months before he left us - Thank you sooooooooo much - terrific stuff
I'm 67 also, and this is the first I've heard about the string gages Jimi used. Crazy! I'm gonna try it, first on my Mexican strat and if it sounds promising, I'll try them on my 1979 American strat.
One thing I noticed about Jimi's playing he used a large pick and picked lightly. The light picking might have helped avoid string buzz with the lower light gauge strings. Thanks for an infomative video and a great demonstration.
DUDE THAT JENDRIX TRIBUTE BAND! YES!
Himi Jendrix
flat cat hahahahaha
Dude I did this and totally got the feeling and sound better.
I argued with a lot of people about this that said I was crazy but you can't deny this works.
Especially down tuning correctly
Wow! Not only is your “Hendrix style” playing ON POINT, but the difference in the string gauges makes a HUGE difference in the tone! As always, thanks for the great video.👍🏽
Gotta say, this guy is the real deal. So obvious but who would think about it over pedals and such. Marvelous and inspirational. Those low strings especially hit the mark. Wow.
Post that Hendrix tribute show please!
Definitely is the key to that sound and styling playing. A good teacher on Jimi starts by explaining his strings. Good work!
R. J. As a Seattlite who grew up just down the street from him & played in/with his Seattle 'bands' You are only partly right. He also used 12 gage sets too. He learned that string trick from 'the older guys' here, like I did. He also paid a lot of attention to the whole set up, everything to do with all aspects of the system, strings, springs, bridge, saddles, nut, frets and alignment.
He said one thing/concept that totally makes any strat sound like his in Electric Ladyland. All vibrations must be in harmony. And that is as close as I'll tell the outside world. We spent hours on the phone devising this theroy, but in reality I think he was revealing his work/concepts as ours.
Those who copy his licks are really off the mark, those who copy his vibe got it. Oh, and my uncle, commander of the 101st got him out, we had a lot in common.
Very cool. Was he much of a gear head? I was always under the impression he used whatever gear was available and just plugged in and played.
The first time I saw him play was at my high school gym dance. He was sitting in with the band while on break from the 101st
He was quite the piece ;)))
He would show up at the gtr slingers gigs with his Supro Thunderbolt amp saying if your amp blows, you can borrow mine, but I get to sit in.
By gtr slingers, I mean Nokie 'n Bob from the Ventures, Joe Johansen, staff gtr @ Volt, signed to AM and Rich Dangle, Fabulous Whalers - way before Bob Marley and Larry Corriel.
I would see him in the music stores copping licks off of the gtr players around town. Picked beans with him 'n Leon and borrowed the same football hi tops he did. Our pats crossed in many ways, but 'we' didn't know it till much later.
Al was not Jimmi or Leon's father, and Leon has been screwed out of the legacy, but you gotta hear Leon play the Hammond, equally as gifted as Jimmi on gtr, but everyone want to see him flounder on gtr than hear him play organ - SHEESH !
Red House is about his girl 'friend's house up the street from Al's where Jimmi would run to when Al was drunk and beating on him
Define gear slut in '60's terms... Norm Sunholm set him up with piles of Sun amp for the first tour. He bought the Who's gtr amps (because they were taller cabs) and he had a pile of Fenders in Hawaii. If a musician can, they will ;))
As far as gtrs, he loved my Super 400's 'n Larry's, Joe's and Richards. And we both love 54/57 Strats with the big deep V necks, under 8 pounds and he had '67/8's because they were easy.
I don't think anybody realizes just how much influence production had on Jimmi's career/sound. Jimmi sounded just like any of the great Seattle players - don't get me wrong here ;) Jimmi was very talented. Production and studio gave him sounds that were not there yet cept for Gibson Fuzz tones and Vox in line filters. Now having said that, I also herd Jimmi 'sound' like he had a fazer or wa wa when he didn't, but lots of Seattle guys knew how to do that...
Jimmi deserves just as much credit for his mind as his playing. He broke down everything, Every way to make a sound on a gtr he'd search for, every way to make a note, he longed for... Music was a flow, not a sequence. It is the moment, not a plan. "If you thought you played good, you didn't" He'd always criticise. You have to be in the moment reacting to the stimuli.
I know, TMI
This makes perfect sense from my experience. I got more of a Hendrix-ish sound with my reverse Firebird and standard strings than I ever did on any other guitar. The longer throw of the bass strings made them more rubbery and closer to that feel/sound. Thanks for the great video. Nice playing!
This is 100% spot on. Been using these for years. It's by far the most dramatic change towards that hendrix tone
Fender used to make a set of strings with these gauges. The first time I change strings on a guitar back in 1975, these were the string gauges that were in the Fender set. I think they are called Rock and Roll 150's, or something like that.
Fender stopped making them a few years ago. I have a few packs left!
Ok grandad
Injurylawyer
😂😂😂😂😂
That specification rings a bell.
they still sell them as voodoo child strings. they also sell "original 150s" but they arent the right gauges.
Yeah, exactly! I changed to use these strong gauges 10-38 and it sounds awesome! An interesting variation on this string set was Hendrix would move the 10 to the B strong and use a 9 banjo string for the high E, per Andy Aledort in his book "Play Like Hendrix". This set up might explain why Hendrix was also reported to use 9s, as one of his guitars had a 9 high E that was measured.
I’m a bass player and I’ve always loved jimis playing and I must admit you sound astonishingly like him the best I’ve ever heard good job man and I subscribed to you and Jimi
R.J. is always on the money with all of his videos ,a nd that is a rarity on CZcams. He's not selling product, he's imparting knowledge. Thank you, R.J.
Wow, when you demonstrated the regular set of strings on the other guitar you can really hear the difference. Well done.
You are alright, man. Wonderful insight into Jimi’s tone. It’s awesome that you went the extra step & proved it! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Excellent guitar work. You are an asset to the music world. May the Lord bless & keep you 🙏🏻 Merry Christmas! 🎸
Thank you , I’m 64 years old and grew up with he being my ultimate guitarist idol . True genius. I recently started playing again after a decade. I played professionally for years starting age 10. I recently have purchased 4 different strats to learn his style , glad I found your channel . The string difference is an true breakthrough for me . I started with a VOX PEDAL AND FUZZ FACE BECAUSE THATS ALL WE HAD .. The technology is amazing now . Thanks a million ,
Try Amplitube you wanna enjoy like a Child
You had a great answer, one I didn’t even think about. You are definitely correct in the string gauge matter. I would add that you need to be playing LOUD. A bit louder then normal. Meaning your amp needs to be cracked to almost breaking up or broken up. He did everything with the volume knob.
A video on some of these Hendrix licks and techniques would be pretty awesome - I know there are many out there but you've really nailed it sir.
i got them today. wow. you are right. really funky , loose set that is great to dig int, bend, and slap stings. thanks for posting this video.
That you are in the general class of Frank Marino and Robin Trower as a tribute player is indisputable, and your playing is as soulful as anyone's.
Great information, great delivery, great channel.
*****
I clicked on the video, expecting some total bs about gear. But you sir, have actually spoken the truth about the Hendrix secrets to his signature sound. This string gage tip is one that is often not mentioned when talking about sounding like Jimi.
Thank you. Mad respect. And subscribed.
Hey R.J., not sure you'd remember me, but we actually went to college together! Anyway, great video - I can really hear the difference in the bottom strings. Great playing too!
Hey man of course I do! Good to see you here! Come by a Saturday live stream, I got some other UM alumni in the chat usually.
I tried the fender Hendrix strings. They totally work. I’ve been using Ernie ball 9’s for more than thirty years. It’s amazing the difference in tone and pick attack sound. I have a home built Strat with fender custom shop 69 pickups and the Hendrix strings on it. Holy hell it’s spot on Jimi tone! Thanks R.J.
I love that punchy sound that he has on the lower strings. He’s got a bass sound, the sound of the picking is so loud it’s percussive, and then, of course, there’s the guitar itself. Jimi’s like a one-man band with the guitar alone.
How does he get the bass sound
@@nasc1008 Some high quality amps have things like Bass, Treble, and Middle(?) Bass is just turned up.
RJ! You are THE MAN! Why didn't I know this, when I I started playing 43 years ago ;-) Hendrix was always my biggest hero, and I actually attended one of his last concerts (in Stockholm Sweden, 1970,) I was new born, but my parents was at Gröna Lund with me in a pram :-) So, I'm about to turn 50 this summer.... (We have a mutual friend in David Henriksson, BTW) I've been searching this tone ever since, believing the heavier Gauges, the better, but never truly been content.... This was really a revelation to, and since we're in Corona lockdown, I decided to put a set together and try it, even though I was sceptical ;-) but, DAMN! It really sounds "Hendrix'y" THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Sincerely Perry Stenbäck " Your new friend in Danish Showbiz" (Been living in Denmark for 25 yrs, even though I am Swedish ;-) )
I must admit.
We got an expert here. 👏👏
Wow you really nailed some classic Hendrix riffs and like you I have listen to a lot of Hendrix.
there are a lot of rubbish how to play like Jimi vids but your contribution is on point, nice job
I'm a 49 year old 50 in October blues man and Hendrix fanatic
But I could listen to you play Hendrix all day... thumbs up bro. Great chops you definitely put in work to get what you got..
Any Rory Gallagher fans? He used this set too. It does make you play rather differently. It takes a while to get everything back intune and intonated. I don’t know how Jimi could play that set tuned down half a step.
Look for pure nickel with a round core. Curt Mangan makes a quality set.
i'm a fan. do you know if this set was like, a guitar tech "trick" circulating in the late 60s? i always thought hendrix preferred thicker gauges OR simply didn't care what gauge he was playing.
I swear that you could get Ernie ball super slinky 10-38 sets. My dad would get them off the shelf from Andertons. Gallagher, Hendrix, even my old man-all in south east of England in the late 60’s... I think it was a fashion.
But, when I asked in a guitar shop recently, they guessed maybe they were lap steel gauges?
As an aside, Jimmy Page mentions using a banjo string as a high e back at that time, to create a lighter gauge, so who knows.
That was over 20 years ago though. Can’t buy them now
carusoe_ Not a trick it was called Fender Rock n’ Roll 150 set. I still have a few Fender sets I found when we moved 1.5 years ago. I think Pyramid makes a round core 10-38 and I know Curt Mangan does, but I don’t know if you can get them in the U.K.
I now prefer the Mangan round core Monel strings for single coils and the hex core for humbuckers and acoustic guitar. They are a bit brighter than pure nickel and seem to last about twice as long because Monel has better corrosion resistance vs nickel. I swapped out the wound third string and put a Martin Retro 10-47 Acoustic strings on my main Strat. I put them on in mid-January and I am only changing them today because they now make my fingers black lol. Maybe I should just wipe it down with alcohol and see how long they can last.
Thanks! I love Rory and Jimi!
RJ, YOU ROCK!!!! I'm a big time Hendrix fan. My band, Divine Therapy, had our first rehearsal at Nancy's on Jefferson St., here in Nashville, TN....where Hendrix and Billy Cox lived back in the early 60's. Cox still lives here, I think. Thanks for explaining the missing link to Hendrix's tone. Everyone thinks...its amps, speakers, pedals, etc...or just "in the hands." But no one detailed his string choice, or even stated that mixing gauges can produce such dramatic effects. If you are ever in Nashville, message me. I OWE YOU A BEER, BRUH!!!! Thanks!
This guy is a fantastic musician. I love his playing.
Watched a couple of your videos today and decided to subscribe! You're great, brother. Keep up the music!
Terrific video. I'm definitely going out to get some new strings like this for my strat TODAY! Love that low end blend of slink, clank and spank. Really great advice, put together really well. Great playing too. (And love your high school act. Cool!). Thanks man. Greetings from London.
The only secret about Hendrix was Hendrix.
He nailed 'the tone'. Nailed it to the wall. Hendrix played as Hendrix because he was Hendrix more than anyone trying to emulate Hendrix. Thanks for pointing out the obvious.
Hendrix used that gauge of strings to compensate for the different height of the pickup poles since he played a right-handed guitar backwards.
Me watching this playing Hendrix songs on a classical guitar: 👁️👄👁️
Great video, RJ, you really understand Hendrix, that's for sure. I was 15 years old and remember buying "Are You Experienced" when it first came out in 1967. I became a huge fan immediately and I remain so today. Jimi is still head and shoulders above just about everybody, even today. When I'm driving in my car and Hendrix comes on the radio, I crank him up and listen with just as much admiration as I did 50 years ago.
Dope. I always thought 9s on a 25.5 were way way better than 10s for Jimi’s stuff. I’ll have to try out this hybrid mix.
Hello sir I was talking to a friend of mine who is a pro when it comes to audio and video I told this guy on you tube had to get ready for 2 gigs a country and heavy metal gigs almost at the same time and accomplished both he looked at me and he's a pro I said he really is.i have been playing a while not pro but I hope I can get more inspiration from your videos.....Roland J Gutierrez from Magdalena New Mexico usa
I thought I'd be the first guy to thumbs down this vid when I saw the title. Well, not so much. Very, very cool my friend .
Holy shit you're right about that!
fyi my guitar mentor, we're going back 45 years now, ALWAYS bought his strings as singles, never sets. It was probably just the way it was done back then and just forgotten about.
Yeah... I'm going shopping for strings tomorrow. Mahalo RJ!
Having Eddie Kramer in the studio behind the controls was helpful too. Together, they created the best guitar sounds ever recorded. True art. Thanks so much for this video, I have been getting ready play a strat again. Peace!!!
Esp. the stuff added to all along the Watchtower. Great engineering by EDDIE the other EDDIE of the Guitar world. LOL.
@@ksharpe10 bold as love for me the second solo is pure ecstasy
What a excellent video , right on for this. You got chops bro 👊
Awesome dude. I was skeptic about the title 😂 I thought maybe it's one of those videos. But you're legit. Especially the tone.
I couldn’t play that light. I’d be hitting those bass strings out of tune. Used to the 48 on the low E. Plus all that action, tremelo tension and intonation changes. Its not a small deal to change gauges like I used to think it was.
agreed. I have a hard time keeping 9's in tune but 10's - no problem. Jimi had trouble staying in tune too - check some of his liver performance videos out..
Probably the best way for me to copy Hendrix's tone would be to have you come over and play. You did a GREAT job!
Very interesting and informative. Another avenue of tone chasing that I never thought of. Thanks!
Absolutely brilliant!!!!! I always felt something was going on there with Jimi's tone. Such great info! I'm gonna try it! Ty!
You sound like Hendrix more (alot) than any other bud👍👍👍
Great demo video. One thing, though, Pyramid is letting everyone think that they came up with this gauge set independently, but Fender already made string sets of exactly the same gauge, called Fender 150 Rock N'Roll in the late 60s and throughout the 70s, and even later in reissue form; you can still find them listed on MF and other gear sites, as discontinued. I used them in the late 60s and early 70s myself. Hendrix may have used this same Fender set, or may have coincidentally selected the strings separately, but for sure Pyramid came very late to the game.
Nice touch, killing the Hendrix tone and vibe....always have loved your playing....
I wrote off string gauges years ago as lot of mumbo jumbo, then I tried this out - what a young fool I was - this is the most significant thing I've learned in years!!! I can't put my Strat down again, totally inspired and a 100% real thing - Thank you!
Watching u from saudi arabia i'm not pro guitarist but just a fan of jimmi also.can i request,can u do the tutorial of hendrix solo little wing. i know that u can do it also.
RJ your the best ever to portray and explain MY MAN's Sound...I could not relate to anyone until Jimi came along...I couldn't express that conection back at 16 but I've integrated Jimi's 'feel' in all I do....Strings are a must....and you alone have shown these folks...and myself (being reminded)...the significance of it all..Thanks...Your a KEEPER
I have to say, you're the most inspiring guy on the internet. Now excuse me, while I go practice my guitar :)
That's awesome, you don't get info like this everywhere thanks man.
You have the best and closest sound to Jimi out of all that I have heard so far. Your playing is closest, as well...
musikfanat Check out "Greg" CZcams channel for the best Hendrix player on CZcams. His work is note perfect, his Castles Made of Sand cover is mind-blowingly accurate!
Patrick Foster
The Vibratory is pretty good as well. He and Greg have some really accurate covers, and play alongside, for Jimi's music.
musikfanat pilky is a great Hendrix channel
When you switched to 10-46 had more srv tone but and definitely agree with this video’s subject and answer, great musicians review of a great musician.
Im a Hendrix junkie to the bones can you play with the fuzz and wah wah pedal? With those same strings to see how it would sound?
Hendrix had a first fuzz pedal low gain active (on cleans too, low gain on it) before the wah (by the way the wah has to be always activated too fully pushed heel up toes down) and a second fuzz pedal to activate for leads after the wah (higher gain on that one) take your time to set them all properly because fuzz can make great tone as it can also be a real mess. Enjoy your new great tone👍😀
Thanks for the well informed lesson. Shout out from South Africa. Love your vids bro.
The #1 secret to Hendrix's guitar playing was acid
Likely
Oh yeah, I remember those days...
I can't believe how much the smaller E,A,&D strings give u so much more articulation & definition. You nailed it!
Another hendrix's big secret, is the 30ft cable.
Does cable length significantly change tone?
Are you being funny? I’ve noticed a coiled cable butters up tone.
My Dunlop wah won't die, but when it does, I plan to get a Vox wah like Jimi really had. I used a friend's one night at a show years ago and was surprised how it was a little sweeter than mine. To Dunlap's credit, my wah keeps working and it's from like 1998.
My fellow guitar brother, don’t sell yourself short, you get that sound simply because, damn boy, you know how to play well. Grooovy. Someone can get all the gear Hendrix used, amps, pedals , guitar, strings, etc. But if you play like crap you sound like crap..... which you ooobviously don’t. Cheers. 🍻.
i get so god damned tired of always reading someone that says that some old shit and it pisses me off. Obviously he has groove and the plays with the Hendrix feel. But there also people that can play like that and want to know how to shape tones. Like he did before he knew about the strings. God damn
Yeah he aint hendrix but still he is dedicating on how to get not exactly the sound but to get close
@@jorgenaia4866 Facts. The "Hendrix tone" would've been a different tone if he used different gear. Its like saying you don't need a whammy bar to sound like EVH.
I play in a Black Sabbath tribute band and have found EXACTLY the same relationship with string gauges...Iommi uses VERY light strings even when tuned to C# and it makes ALL the difference in how "authentic" the tone becomes due to the string tension/response...regardless of how accurately you play the riffs, if the string gauges are too heavy, you lose that slightly out of tune "looseness" in the overall guitar tone....and that holds true for Hendrix, Iommi, , Billy Gibbons, Malmsteen, all of whom use lighter gauges, even with dropped tunings in some cases.
you're wrong on the string gauges....sorry.... I did a years worth of gigs with Noel Redding.... he said Hendrix used a light set, starting at .008 and ending at .038, plus also tuned down a whole step. But you are a great guitarist... but you should check out Randy Hansen and The Vibratory for accurate Hendrix playing
Come on man. You discredit yourself by saying he tuned down a step. Do you play guitar? It's pretty easy to figure out he tuned down a half step in the latter part of his commercial career, but rarely, if ever a whole.
When did you do play those gigs?
Good vid thanks for sharing. this is the best Hendrix tone I have heard other than the man himself. You have stdied the master very well.
Your tone is amazing! Can you please tell what other gear/settings was used in this video? Subbed :)
Been playing for 6 years now and my dad was the one who taught me all I know about the guitar. He fell in love with Hendrix when he was coming up and he played this gauge so by default I’d been playing them my entire life and then I fell in love with Hendrix and my dad gifted me his 85 elite strat, haven’t looked back since.
No one in this world can get his tone his tone is unique
Eddie did.
randy Hanson comes dam close, and he is charming
You seem to to say that the smaller strings are more jangly and have more slinkyness, but unless you're using different words than I'd expect, you might be wrong that they're simply brighter and more tight sounding rather than lose sounding since there's much higher PSI of tension on the strings than a thicker string. Rick Beato discusses this and I thought it was interesting. I cant wait to try this set!
Dude, really cool! I'm curious to try that.
Hi R.J. I just subscribed after watching your videos about the "Jimi" string gauges and the guitar exercises. While I am an accomplished pro guitarist. I experienced having difficulty playing a particular lick for the first time ever (I'm 63). It was the opening lick to Sweet Child Of Mine. I believe this exercise will help me get back some of my dexterity that I've lost due to age. I'll let you know how it works out. Thank you for posting this.
great observation based on REAL experience = mahalo nui loa 4 sharing !
I used to do exactly the same! But with the ernie ball, i just stopped and started use only the 10-46 but i agree, i could feel the difference, expecially with a reverse neck (or strat) , nice video!
The secret to Hendrix tone?
Have Hendrix' hands.
tiny b and his brain.. your brain tells your hands how to move and act
And who tells your brain...
Stratamania Nature herself
Not quite where I was going with that...
haha
Cool little look into Jimi's choice of string gauges, and the guy does emit some cool Hendrix tones. Key word is "some", namely "Jimi playing Muddy Waters" and "Stone Free 1969 version/Tax Free" type tones (based on this vid). Jimi's sound was a lot more than just those particular examples. Still haven't heard any guitarists get it right, but that does simply come to down a "heart, mind, and soul" thing. No real technicalities that one can simply discover & use to replicate Jimi's sound fully, only partially imitate through the help of modern gear; things Jimi didn't have outside of initial (sometimes cruder) constructs. That's what makes him a legend, putting him #1 on most guitarist lists which include other brilliant players as well.
very good video! Theres shit tons of video on youtube focusing ONLY on the gear that he used, but you could have the same gear and sound like kirk hammet! Here you really focus on the most important part of hendrix tone, gauges , tune down, and also middle pickup , people don't realise how much he used the middle pickup ! Same goes for SRV , when i was younger people used to put 13/56 string gauges on their guitar to get the SRV tone , dude , it never worked and ruined some peoples guitar!
Middle pickup? I definitely don't use mine very much, and will try that. Thanks for the tip!
WinnieRoo1138 yeah people don't use it much but it's a great pickup position on a strat
Utaï Middle pickup for rhythm. Bridge and neck pickup for leads
Fantastic tone. Getting the right strings is definitely a big part of the sound. But your guitar and amp must be important too! Your Strat: 1. Body tonewood? 2. Brand and value of pots? 3.Value of capactor? 4. What pickups are in your guitar ..brand and DC output of each pickup? 5. What amp are you using? 6. What settings on the amp?
Wrong.
You're approach is from the opposite direction.
We're not going backwards like you want us to do.
We own the official hendrix sounds and now we've had them for 30 years, were exploring the slinky string version and the purple JH strat version and, and, and.
You're still going backwards.
You haven't even discovered the 1990's hendrix sounds yet.
You're 30 years behind the rest of us.
I have always wonder how that sound was so different,,, also I think, his engineer, was his last name Kramer,,,that guy was ahead of his time👍👍🍺🥃🍺🥃🇺🇸
Eddie Kramer. And I think he is still alive.
Randy C I think your right 👍👍🍺🍺
Of course it is Eddie Kramer.
Who was his bagel technician?
The producer and engineers on the Cry of Love were not Kramer and they did a fantastic job.
Never knew about the string gauges but that’s very important. That’s definitely part of the “brightness” in his sound.
Thank You soooo much for posting this!!!!! I just bought a Jimi Hendrix Fender Guitar, and I was concerned about the string Gauge. So I will now restring the Guitar.
Great information, thanks man!! Did Stevie Ray do anything like that also?
Thanks for watching. SRV was known for his heavy gauge strings: 13-60
ive been using this gauge for a while, its damn magic and feels so good to play
Wow! this is a game changer....thanks
Did this today, and I can feel that twang way down in my soul