Fender Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster vs. Modded Lefty Strat Part 1
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Be sure to watch Part 2 at • Fender Jimi Hendrix St...
This is a first impression review of the Fender Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster guitar and comparison to a "modded" left-handed Stratocaster, recorded at B Street Music & Sound in San Mateo, CA.Be sure to watch Part 2 at • Fender Jimi Hendrix St... . If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below. Be sure to subscribe for more gear demos and reviews.
Visit B St Music at www.bstreetmusi... or call them at (650) 342-6565 if you want to buy this guitar or look at their huge selection of guitars, basses, drums, keyboards and more.
Visit www.kevynova.com for more music. Title song "She Makes" written and performed by Kevy Nova and available on iTunes. itunes.apple.c...
The upside down look of the right handed Strat looked cool on Jimi and it sort of became his trademark. Yes there were other notable left hand players but Jimi just looked so much more noticeable! It became very marketable as an idea.
being a lefty myself. The knobs don't turn down for me on my righty strung lefty. I'm actually turning the knobs up with my forearm. So Hendrix was turning it up constantly with his picking arm. If you rewire the knobs to turn backwards you will alleviate your problem.
Good to know, thanks for the info!
+chronicinsomnia Exactly. A true left-hand model has left-hand taper. I thought KEv said he replaced the pots, but must have been wrong
chronicinsomnia there is a way to fix that, if you put some foam like cushioning foam, in your knobs, it makes it to where your knobs wont move accidentally.
chronicinsomnia makes no sense you’re still having to adjust
Hendrix played most of his notes picking very close to the bridge, and with his hand sort of arched. I think because of the tone knobs getting in the way he played like this.
I think you're right. When I play my lefty Strat, I have to hold my forearm out away from the body or else it accidentally turns the tone knob down.
+Max Mendeloff actually Hendrix only played near the bridge when he wanted to..as well as playing a lot right over the middle & neck pick-ups & where the neck connects to the body to get different tones & harmonics..i think the way he was built physically enabled him not have any trouble with the knobs & selector...his arms just sat perfectly on a guitar..i think his picking was his real magic(as was his rhythm playing)..he could more tone with his picking hand than most people....
+Kevy Nova I guess I just got used to it... AND I don't wear guitars low
Agreed. I think his oversized hands allowed him to get a little bit further from the knobs and still reach where he wanted to pick. He did have that way of arching his hand as you mentioned. He played around the knobs at times, not over them like most people have to. I think it was his physical build that allowed him to bypass some of the hurdles most people run into playing upside down. Same with the fretting hand. He had more reach to the high frets than the average hand size. He could comfortably reach past the roadblock most everybody else runs into.
I play a reverse strat and in the beginning i thought it got in the way but pretty quickly i got used to it. When its your only good sounding guitar you kind of gotta make due lol. Its not too bad tho
He put garden hose washers under his knobs....read about it years ago...they couldnt figure out what the black Mark's were on one his guitars around the knobs.... he put natural rubber black hose gaskets under the knobs and they deteriorated over time and fell off.
He used Roto strings alot. I guess he liked the string diameter width they had and did custom sets for guys who were touring in the UK.
I made a lefty Strat into a righty. It’s my main guitar. I absolutely love it. I had a little trouble getting used to it. Regular strats feel weird to play now. Also, as far as the inlays on the side of the fret board, I have absolutely no trouble knowing where I am on the neck.
It’s definitely a fun guitar to play once you get used to it.
@@KevyNova I traded a car for mine lol. I was pretty serious about it at the time. My number 1 is a Gibson Les Paul now, but I still love my flipped Strat.
@@rapaladude that IS serious! Haha!
@@rapaladude Is it a lefty L P upside down. L O L.
I personally play a right guitar upside down, cause I'm lefty and I just learned like that, and the knobs are something you just gotta get used to.
I imagine it’s not much of a problem if you learn that way.
go buy a ibanez rg the knobs are different than strat
@@mikeroe7942 right, but I play upside down so that wouldn't help at all.
How do u tremulo picking with the knobs on the way??
@@juanandresochoaheredia1423 not too hard, I reach my wrist around them
Dear right handed players,
We already have few enough guitars as it is please stop taking ours and making them right handed:(
Sincerely,
Left handed players
Sorry.
Graham Hicok lol
How about you take a right handed guitar and flip it? That way you can mind your own fucking business what other people do.. Just a suggestion..
@@theaxis7033 because the whole reason left handed guitars were invented was for.... guess who! left handed players you idiot
@@Anonymous-jb6gj obviously you didnt get smacked enough as a kid. Mind your own fucking business.. Simple as.
Reverse headstock is so fascinating and so good looking. Interesting to know that is also so functional for higher strings to reduce tension and facilitating bends
How did you get the Jimi Hendrix Sound ??? Amp ? Pedals , ? Great Guitar Playing !!!
Thank you. Nobody can ever really sound like Jimi but I tried for this video.
Another big problem about the lefty guitar turned upside down is the difficulty to achieve the highest frets.
+Jacob Ray Of course. But I do want to play on them if I feel like, even if playing Hendrix songs. Actually, He often hitted the 21 fret and bent to the highest E.
Also Hendrix had hands the size of a baseball mit. In fact its a tie between Hendrix and Wes Montgomery as to who had the biggest hands
william weir don’t forget Paul Gilbert
@@jacobray4961 I've seen Hendrix play all the way up live. It wasn't super common for him to do, but he could do it.
@@williamweir1547 Andre Segovia had huge hands too, as did SRV, and many other great guitar players (Gregory Koch too, but he is 6'7")... There are also many great guitar players with smaller hands, unfortunately I'm not one of them.
Great review....bought one in December haven't played anything else since.
+Dylan M Nice!
Signature guitars are hit and miss with me. It's very cool that a company can reproduce the tone of an artist that many people love. But I also feel like originality trumps all.
Agreed.
Never mind the naysayers. This is a great guitar. I love mine.
Billy Shears Me too, it's a great guitar 👍
I'm glad you are happy with it. I'd like to have one myself.
Billy Shears may i introduce to you... THE ONE AND ONLY BILLY SHEARS!!
Yeah man. Forget it's a Hendrix model. It's just a cool looking great sounding guitar. I'm getting one.
they should make a true Jimi. guitar Lefty for a Righty
+BiggBoi Sam Exactly.. you CAN custom order them. My first Strat in 1971 was. Can you believe that they held my order up... because the body upper strap pin was drilled for lefty mistakenly and they waited for the next un-drilled left body to roll around in the correct color?
From who can i order from?
An how much do yoy think the price will set me back?
+BiggBoi Sam Probably a few thousand, best build it yourself id say
They did a Woodstock mirror image Jimi Strat in the 90's. You can find them used for about £1000 - £1500, about the same money as the Voodoo Strat from the same period.
Jonathan Spiers I just realised this was nearly a year ago... Not long after I bought my Jimi Hendrix signature Strat ✌😀🎸
I play lefty and my first guitar was a squire. It was made to be lefty but I always wished I could bend those high strings just a little more. So I may convert a righty to a lefty next time I buy a guitar because I don't need the indicator dots on the side. I learned by ear and I play by feel so like Jimi if I make a mistake I make it work for me. If you watch Jimi play and pay attention there are times where he plays notes he didn't mean to but adjusts and incorporates it into the riff which contributes to his sound. Like a rock jazz kinda thing
dude you're such a geek I love it, thanks for doing this vid - really helped me decide not to reverse angle the bridge on an otherwise righty strat, I think if you're going for a "hendrix" vibe you need the complete flip, complete with the style of playing adjustments
+Auxend I'm definitely a geek, that's for sure!
Was thinking about flipping one for my next guitar project. Thanks so much for the info!
I saw Jimi and started to play a Strat and Marshall with effects in 1970, five months before he passed away.
The worst thing about playing a Strat upside-down is having the tremolo arm in the way,
keeping you from palm muting the strings.
You should cut back the tremolo arm so you can have it under your hand and pick over the neck pickup.
When I started using a left-handed body with a right-handed neck in 1972, other guitarists would ask about it.
I'd say it's nice to be able to tune without holding my arm up so everyone can see my sweaty armpits.
Everyone agreed.
Ha, that’s very funny!
Kevy Nova, a refreshing look at the realities of the latests Fender market idea, the advantages of using a lefty if you want to emulate JH, and also for such an informative detailed and thoughtful description. Very nice job. Enjoyed every minute. Sincerely, Michael. PS you are a bad ass player....m
Thanks Michael, I appreciate that!
Telling you, my modified Squier stratocaster standard is about as close as I've had to that sound. The upside down pickups is the key to me. The sounds are there. I can't duplicate this any other way so far.
Ritchie Blackmore played
left handed Fender Stratocasters
right handed.
9:38
PICKIN UP THE WHAMMY
DROP IT DOWN
WITH THE EDGE OF MY HAND....
thanks for the comparison! i had noticed that the fender hendrix model didn’t sound exactly like the flipped one to me before so it’s nice that you showed all the differences specifically. still seems like a great guitar overall!
Nice, I'm doing this as we speak. 8 years later 😆 nice playing!
Thanks! You should post a video of it when you’re done.
@@KevyNova ah, I struggle to do video's for some reason. I live a primitive life where I cannot play with an amp out loud and I don't have a computer so my video's are pretty low quality. I may try as this has stopped me from growing. Nobody has seen my work but a few. Thanks for replying. Hope to catch up later with that.
The Train's a-comin'...
I shoulda played that!
Whoops. When you REPLACED those knob pots, you had them wired right-hand tapered... clock-wise. That is why your arm keeps turning the mid tone DOWN instead of UP. But I do suggest moving the output to the back of the guitar (use the straight plug end) instead of the face jack, to keep you from moving your strumming position away from the jack. Leave the face output plate as a disconnected dummy. When I ordered my custom left-righted, Fender wired knobs for a right-hander, too. Now I have a true left-hand wiring. If you watch Jimi ever do a swell.. you see it changes that. Watch the Woodstock SSB close-up where Jimi is doing all the tone select changes and stuff. You can't do it on a right handed setup. You just can't do it. Everything is too far UNDER. You do get used to reverse knob rotation and placement, in fact, with the knobs ABOVE, like the vibrato bar, you can more instantly push it forward, at the knobs bottom edge than pulling back towards the tail (or you use your THUMB, instead of little finger to pull back on the TOP edge). Your thumb is already right there. And.. consider, you never have to cross over the strings to reach ANYTHING... not to mention you can SEE everything without ever moving your hands over. Ever notice how often Strat players look down waaay over and around their hand to check especially the tone knobs' numeric position.. or jangle the strings trying to get to knobs and vibrato bar. reversed, it's all faster. BUT, if you grew up playing a Standard Strat setup.... you are going to resist adapting to ALL of the changes! You will say.. I HATE that stupid shit. LMAO
P.S. Using an angled cord end in the Strat's recessed jack plate will wear them out REAL fast. They may stick better, but that hard flexing isn't good. Wrap it on the strap near the lower pin, if you have a problem stepping on the cord and pulling it out!
+Joshua OnMaui I usually use an angled cable and wrap it under the strap above the strap button and I have no issue with my arm hitting the cable. Straight cables on the other hand, are a big pain on this guitar!
@@KevyNova I use a straight jack that is pulled tight against the body, wrapped around the top-side of the body to behind the cable above the strap button. With an angled jack, I have to wrap the cord tight to the body lower on the side, so it's actually more in the way. I have a cable with straight on one side, angled on the other, so I learned from flipping them around and playing both ways. I agree that some straight jacks stick out too far- it has to be pulled tight against the body, so it doesn't get in the way. I've never liked strats before, mainly because the volume knob is in the way, although it can be moved down to the tone knob below it, then the bottom tone for all three pickups, which is what I'm going to do on my righty Nash strat. This Hendrix Tribute is the first strat I've ever bonded with, for other reasons too. The wang-bar on top is much better, and having the knobs on top can be better too, as the comment above mentions. The reach isn't as good, and while Hendrix had huge hands - I don't. ANYways, my opinion on the jack connectors fwiw.
Wow impressed by your playing, cool video and that you have only 2k views. What the hell is wrong with people this video deserves at least 500k views. I learned some tricks of Hendrix's playing from you thanks!=)
Thanks! I wouldn't mind getting 500,000 views either! I'll just have to keep making more videos...
....years ago I (as a lefty) used a righty guitar flipped upside down, I played in a working band and eventually I had to tape the knobs down so as my arm rubbed during playing, I wasn't turning the volume down or altering the tone unintentionally mid-song....a real PITA live in a dark bar or club
Been playing a turned over lefty for 20 years .
Some remarks : the staggered pole pieces ( mine are flat) . The staggering is for a wound G , as used in those days . Over the years strings used got thinner and the wound G became a plain one . So the staggering is off : the G pole piece should be much lower to get the sound the maker intended ,the G string will be louder .
Second : the tone knob . By carrying the guitar higher (Hendrix did) and also more to the left ( as righthanded player) this is avoided . On a righthanded strat I had to overcome the problem of unintentional turning down the volume pot with the right hand .
One disadvantage : the cutaways are turned over , less room to reach the highest notes on a turned over lefty , the difference is about three frets .
The markers : indeed : the markers being on the other side of the neck made me realise I used them , lol. Also realised my head was behind the plain of the fret board , I could not see it , hence the realisation I was using the markers .
When you play a lot , really a lot , you get used , adapt to the anomalies that every guitar will have , maybe even use them to your advantage , f.e. knowing where you are without seeing the markers .
The main thing about "sounding like Hendrix" is tuning the guitar down . It changes the basic sound of the guitar the lowered string tension makes it much easier to bend strings and use vibrato , much easier to play in general .
Last : the whammy bar is NOT a tremolo . The mistake was made by the man himself , Leo Fender , when he placed the terms "synchronised tremolo" on the headstock . Tremolo is variation of volume , variation of pitch ( that's what it does) is called vibrato . A blunder , carried over , parroted for 65 years and counting .
Just imagine the professional blindness at the Fender factory . Two different products , guitars and amps , that both featured "tremolo" . Being variation of volume on the one and variation of pitch on the other . From drawing board to shipping and al stages in between , no one in the whole factory ever noticed the mistake .
I agree with everything you said. I could do a whole ‘nuther video on pole pieces and how back asswards it is to have ‘50s staggering with modern strings! The “tremolo” thing is a very famous blunder. Leo has confused guitar players for generations!
very useful and entertaining comparison!! 😁 thanx a lot!! 😎
You're welcome!
Man, I am not really sure about the tension thing.
I am pretty sure that the size/lenght ratio is just about the section from the nut to the bridge. The extra should be irrelevant.
That would be true if you had a locking nut but since the strings pass through a traditional nut when you bend, the length to the tuning post does make a difference. But as always, I could be wrong.
*****
Don't get me wrong, I loved the video and I just felt like sharing this information or discuss it, if I'm wrong.
Doesn't matter if it's a locking nut or not, I guess, it would change something *if* the string would be free to vibrate for all its lenght, that would of course produce a lower note, and then you will have to increase the tension to compensate...like a baritone guitar.
But after the nut, even if the string is one meter long, what will produce the note is the ratio between the string size and the nut/bridge lenght...that will give you a specific tension that is only relative to that fraction of space, and since it's a constant, doesn't matter how long is the string altogether, must be the same value...dunno if I was clear :)
I get what you are saying, I've just never heard it explained that way. I'm no physicist and I only go by what I've heard. You've got me curious, I'll have to do some research. My understanding is that when you bend, you are pulling the string through the nut so the shorter the distance from the nut to the tuner, the less string you have to pull through the nut before reaching the desired pitch.
This would make a great Mythbusters episode!
*****
Oh, sorry then, I got it all wrong :D
You didn't mean the tension of the string, but the force it opposes when you bend it.
Well yes, that must be true.
When you bend a longer string, also the section of the string that is after the nut is part of the equasion.
I made a quick test to be sure...just by playing the segment of the string between the nut and the tuners, whilebending the string on the bridge...the pitch changes, so it's part of the equasion :)
GREAT REVIEW! Honestly these type of gear reviews are more valuable than anything a company will put out. =)
Thanks! The last two that I did were very popular so I'm going to do many more like this.
I have thought of some project like this. Your video really helpful. Thanks 🙏🏼 .
I’m glad it was helpful.
Did you see part 2?
@@KevyNova yes, I did. Great informative.
Great vid mate…top resource of info if i decide to make one.
Thank you!
Terrific video, thanks! I've gone back/forth between getting a LH USA strat and stringing it backward vs. just buying the MIM Fender factory Hendrix model... you brought up a few very key points that I hadn't even considered! Again, many thanks... -bruce
You’re welcome and thank you. Did you see my follow up video to this one?
I need that reverse decal!
I found someone on eBay who makes custom decals.
@@KevyNova already got one from UK. Thanks though
@@johnb4024 that’s where I got mine from. I wonder if it’s the same person.
@@KevyNova MPS Guitar Restoration was the place. Haven't applied it though. Still working on the Jimicaster.
@@johnb4024 I don’t think that’s the same that I got. I hope it turns out great!
You can actually push the pole pieces down if need be Takes a little pressure but won't hurt anything
Good to know!
I have just bought both of these guitars the white and black, they play superb very pleased nice review!
Sweet, I'm jealous! Please let me know if you post any videos!
If you want a super good replica of the Jimi Hendrix 1968 Stratocaster, buy a Left handed CIJ 68 reissue and change the nut for right handed stringing. The CIJ 68 reissues are actually built with the Original Fender Fullerton Tooling and are absolutely spot on period correct. $1200... I guarantee you will not be disappointed..
what kind of pickups does it have? What kind does this re-issue have?
Michael Craig The 68 CIJ reissues have Fender custom shop Texas specials.. This Hendrix Strat has American Vintage 65 pups..
I've flipped at least 5 MIJ '67 & '72 re-issue Strats. They have a great feel and incredible build quality. I also switched out the electronics to the Highway 1 High Output Pick-ups and Grease Bucket wiring harness. The Highway 1 pups have a sweeter frequency response due to the Grease Bucket circuit. I've played Texas Specials in different Strats, even in the SRV Tribute, and I never liked them.
The Highway 1 pick-ups with the white writing on the bottom bobbin are a killer secret.
Fano More I've never heard anyone ever say they didn't like custom shop Texas specials.. Awesome bluesy midrange chirp.. 6.7k at the bridge..
I'm odd. I can respect your opinion. I remember playing them in 80's were, to my ears a little bright. I've been using the Highway Ones since 2009. I haven't gotten my G.A.S. immunization shot this year but I don't see a change anytime soon. ha
If you get a chance to jam some Hi-ways the good ones are '06-'12 with white writing on the bottom bobbin.
take care and have a good week
Awesome playing!
Thank you very much. I hope you check out my other vids or website for more.
It's been soooo long, but I'm sure I failed to mention, Jimi was turning his knobs reverse of lefty ergonomics. Left hand guitars are wired for COUNTER-CLOCKWISE taper, but Jimi was turning the POTS backwards too. Ever think of that? I never did until a friend of mine gifted me his dead nephew's stock Fender factory left-handed Strat. Until I first played a true left-hand model, I never thought of THAT. I never reversed the taper, the only thing I changed was the nut and strap pin location. So you wind up turning knobs up/in, instead of down/out. Volume swells are completely whacked, but that's what the man was doing
Nice demo... I used to own a left-handed Strat and experienced the issues described. One other problem is - depending on your fretting hand''s reach - the upper Strat bout/horn impedes access to the upper frets/registers when flipped. Jimi had huge hands, so not an issue for him, obviously.
Thank you. It’s definitely not easy to play up high unless you have ridiculously long fingers! I go over that in part 2 of this video. Thanks for watching!
I am making my own voodoo strat...I used the exact same backward waterslide decal on mine....I love it...
Cool! Have you posted any videos of it?
WOW YOU ARE SO AWESOME FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO!!!! Finally. Thank you dude. I have been tirelessly debating this issue for such a long time now!! Long before they came out with this new Hendrix Strat in fact. Excellent review of the pros and cons of each. Totally re-influences my decision actually. My only concern is the pickups and wondering if they are in fact reversed pole pieces like "left handed" pickups or are they just standard right handed pickups with a reverse bridge slant? Could you clarify or guarantee this for me? If so, that would be the kicker lol.
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! I've actually thought of a few other things that I didn't mention in the video so I'm going to do a part 2 tomorrow and the pickups will be part of that. I can tell you, however, that the Jimi Hendrix Strat does have the pickups upside down to get the proper sounds. Doing that on a lefty Strat is a little complicated and I'll go over that in the next video. Stay tuned...
+Kevy Nova Sweet!! That's exactly what i would love to find out more info about. Thanks dude. So the 65 pickups that come in the new hendrix strat are reversed? Ah see i was thinking they were just standard run of the mill regular ol' pickups. Hmm... thinking about buying a new guitar now.
+Jeremy Wilburn I just uploaded Part 2 with some more info on the pickups and other features.
+Kevy Nova thanks dude, do u have a link to that vid? wasn't able to find it
+Jeremy Wilburn I put the link in the video description. Hope you like it!
What if I take a fender Hendrix guitar and use it upside down? 🤔
I wouldn’t do that if I were you. It might disrupt the space-time continuum.
Wait, if you are left handed, maybe it finally makes sense 😃
Awesome man, sweet sound.
Thanks!
Great in-depth review.
+pg123ab Thanks!
only left handed people can complain then?
Oddly enough, I have a right handed strat with a lefty neck. If im playing live and get sweaty enough, I can sweep my arm across the neck with no trouble lol
You have a very lucky funny bone.
1:42 Actually, Jimi was fairly ambidextrous; he didn't do everything else right-handed. I remember watching a documentary that said Hendrix wrote and held a phone right-handed, but ate and threw a ball left-handed. Kurt Cobain was the one who played guitar left-handed, but did everything else right-handed.
best review of what really makes the Jimi's special and about the "tribute" recent fender production benefits and shortcomings! I am sharing ! by the way, the tribute is on sale already ? and did you buy it ? Great playing also...
+e. tienne Thank you for your kind words! I think B St had a Sale recently but I don't know if it is still on sale. You could always contact them about the price. I don't work for them but I've certainly bought a lot of gear from them at good prices!
Excellent video! .... I ordered a floyd rose to my fender strat, Musicians Friends delivered a left handed floyd (culd not return it because i moved to another country), wich is kind like the same case in this trem bar on the video, and its a nice vintage bronze color wich makes it really rare and cool, any how it got me thinking if i could play comfortably like that, when palm mutting i suspected that i would not be nice, but now that i have seen the video i am going for it, and also learned nice and interesting stuff about Hendrix, he´s way of playing and tone... THANKS A LOT!!
You're welcome. I bought a bridge from Musicians Friend years ago and they sent me the completely wrong one as well. Apparently they aren't good at shipping the correct bridges!
Fantastic video with an excellent presentation of this guitar👍
Thank you very much! I plan to do many more.
hm........
SO I bought a left handed 57 AVRI and am left handed everything but play right handed.
That means in order for me to get the Hendrix experience I would need to swap that lefty guitar around and make it into a right handed one, correct?
That is a very weird inversion of inversions :)
Thanks for making this video - was debating this very question the other day :)
Also Jimi Hendrix reverse wound the Low E string so the string won't potentially pop out of the nut during heavy trem use. It just makes it without touching the A string. Look at any photo. The Low E is reverse wound.
I never noticed that before. Thanks for pointing it out!
That Fender logo is trippy
Thanks for doing this. I learned a lot.
+silverfiltermusic you're welcome, thanks for watching!
Watch some live performances and you'll see he does play bar chords depending on the song. Johnny B Goode at Berkley in 1970 is a good example.
+LucyWonderland You're absolutely right. I've always noticed that "Johnny B. Goode" is one of the few times you see him play barre chords without using his thumb. "Jimi Plays Berkeley" is a GREAT concert film!
Nice! The New Hendrix Strat sounded a bit fatter even though you popped the lighter gauge
string (set). I always knew that about the differences that happened when Hendrix played his righty Strats strung lefty. It's a cool idea that surprises me that it took so long for them to do.
I always thought the Strat bridge pickup should be inverted that way since day one. A bit fatter and mellower on the trebles and more attack on the basses. Jimi knew that. I have a Strat. I wish I could just invert that bridge pickup. Not practical. Oh well.
You can actually get righty pickguards with a lefty slanted bridge pickup hole. I’ve bought a couple on eBay.
Holy hell those horns tooting at around 8.30 scared the shit out of me! Great vid btw:))
+Adrian Hole I guess I'm used to them!
How much does the Jimi one cost, is it made in USA, and what type of pickups are in it? What type of capacitors are on the back of the tone, and volume knobs, etc?
Great points! Another thing is I know you have to use a 90 deg cable on the converted one or it really sticks out in the way. Never thought about the fret markers or the string tension. If Fender was really thinking, they could have reversed the horns and kept everything else the same as they have it. I read that Jimi would have been playing a left handed strat if he had one available, but he did not and he got used to it that way and ended up liking it.
I *always* use a 90° cable, just as Jimi did. You’re right about Fender too. I read somewhere that Fender made a lefty Strat for Jimi but he couldn’t get used to it. I don’t know how true that is.
@@KevyNova I believe the lefty Strat Jimi didn't use was a gift from Eric Clapton, thinking Jimi needed a "proper" Stratocaster
@@RelicOnMaui that’s a different one. Eric did buy him a lefty Strat that he never got to give him but I also read somewhere that Fender sent Jimi one earlier and he didn’t like it. Clapton obviously was unaware of that.
@@KevyNova Once you make yourself at home on a flipped Strat, especially after years, going to the standard layout feels "backwards" LOL
there was a guy talking about a stock Z28 Camaro and it had the original oil filter... everything here is relevant son...
As a left handed person i have owned a few right handed Strats strung upside down. I have given them all away over time, because they really are a compromise to playing. I am however getting the itch and am about due to get another.
YOU’RE LIKE THE DR. BERG OF GUITAR!! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Im a lefty so I plan on getting a right handed mexican strat and doing what he did but with my taste
I really think this Strat is more than just a Jimi guitar. Like models with extra buttons and switches, this offers us a Strat with something special. I almost wish it was just as is and not called a Jimi so I wouldn't be a bit intimidated to play it or have to debate it's validity. It's just a cool looking, great sounding Strat in my book. And I'm so glad it's a Mexican. The Mex Strats are awesome now, maybe just a little heavy. Make mine violet, and I'm springing for the tweed case. Great tones. Great vid. Will like and follow.
Thanks. I also agree that it’s a very cool guitar on its own.
Great review! These are the very reasons why Jimi probably never wanted to play a lefty Strat. Being a righty that plays lefty I did the exact same thing to a R.H. Squire made in Japan that I bough for $90 at an antique market. I wasn't going to spend a lot of money on a new Strat just to do this little experiment. Actually I prefer playing the inverted R.H. Squire more than my L.H. American Standard Strat that I've had for 20 years. Does Fender offer a left handed JHS?
+petemclinc I don't know if Fender makes a left handed Hendrix Strat. It would be totally stupid of them if they didn't though.
the headstock flip doesnt do what you say it does. increasing the scale length would increase tension, but if that nut position doesnt move, and the saddle is not moved, tension is the same
jerry madsen did he flip the strings too? not correct sound then
Most important thing that contributed to Jimi Hendrix sound = He was Jimi Hendrix! Seriously guys.... Stop trying to copy him 'cause you'll never get it right. Keep it original for gods sake...
+Tuomas Raatikainen I mention that in my part 2 of this video. No gear in the world will ever duplicate Jimi. Only Jimi sounds exactly like Jimi.
inspirational people inspire others, every player picks up on things from those who went before and Jimi left a lot to pick up on "standing on the shoulders of giants"
Following that logic there would be one guitar player in history, and it would be the guy who invented it. Jimi opened the door to a new style and new techniques, as did every great player or inventor.
I flipped my neck and pickups because I found the music I want to make is in Hendrix's corner. That doesn't mean I want to be him. Robin Trower wanted to be Hendrix. While some of his solo's could trick even the best into thinking they were hearing Jimi, he'll never be more than a copycat. There's no utility, honor or art in copying someone. But borrowing trade secrets is how literally everything evolves. I don't want to be Jimi, I just want to use what he gave us to make my own sound.
Well I would not try to be Hendrix but I would really enjoy having a tube rectified amp with reversed pickups on a strat to have that tone👍😀
B 0311 it’s not to have honor or utility that we play others songs, it’s that we enjoy them so much that we want to take the time to learn it to be playin’ it while still enjoyin’ it
Good stuff. I play a lefty strat, but learned like Albert king with the low e on the bottom. So I had to get a righty nut and all that... Love Hendrix
Great video, thanks. You answered my question about string tension behind the playing length. BTW I wonder with the JH Strat was not set up with a lefty trem like the SRV.
Yeah, I don't know why Fender didn't include the lefty bridge. I think it's the one thing missing from this guitar.
Cool review
Thanks!
I would love to know the settings on your Blues Jr. while filming and to know if you're also using any type of distortion/overdrive pedal. All guitar debate aside, I love the tone you're getting with both guitars. Thanks for a great video.
You're welcome and thank you! I set all the controls except Master Volume and Reverb at half, so that you get an idea of what it sounds like without a lot of eq. I did use an Ibanez Tube Screamer for parts.
Did you ever mention that the left-hand model also reverses the direction of the volume and tone controls? I ordered a left-handed setup right Strat in high-school, and since cannot stand a right-handed Strat. Having the vibrato bar reversed and the toggle and reversed controls on the UPPER side I actually prefer. The only drawbacks I would change is to route the BACK of the body for a second flush mount output jack. It's the OUT JACK that is making you move your arm towards the knobs. The only other thing is to add side fretboard position markers. Especially in the dark, it really easy to find yourself a half-step out of position. But overall... the "Hendrix" model is missing so many elements that actually make a difference (like the upper positioning of the vibrato bar) I use only a lefty/righted. Jimi could have ordered custom Strats... (he had a left-handed V) but it would REVERSE THE VOLUME taper direction AND vibrato bar position. Those two differences would have made the thing just too odd. Once you go reverse, there's no turning back. I can't get into a right handed Strat. I know that sounds insane. But there are secrets about it people can't "figure". Most guitar players are just so used to RIGHT-handed Strats.. they never really get into the other animal. Lucky me.. a friend's left-handed relative died, so his uncle told me, if ANYBODY should have his guitar, it is you. Lo and behold, me and my FAVORITE guitar were re-united. Now... where is that Marshall 8x12! Yes, It takes at least that much AIR MASS.. not wattage, to get Jimi's on-stage sound. To quote a friend of mine, "It takes THREE Marshall stacks... to change the world. LMAO
Peace
+Joshua OnMaui The knobs on my lefty Strat turn in the same direction as a right handed Strat. Maybe it's because it started out as a Squier. I haven't played a lefty Fender.
+Kevy Nova Mine IS a Fender built for a left-hand player... Mexican. All these guitars differ as I am looking at A Squire from India.. and one from Indonesia. The Indonesian has staggered polepieces where the Indian doesn't. There is also a difference with the Squire ii. LOL.. I think maybe there are lots of reasons to buy an American made Fender Stratocaster
Joe Perry played an upside down Strat too back in the 70's. I wonder how he side stepped those problems. Thanks for posting.
I'd like to ask him!
Joe still plays one. He puts a tele neck on there.
10:30, Jimi had to bring his arm from the side. Instead 9f strumming up and down with the entire arm he strummed with his wrist and fingers
I guess when you spend years playing an upside down Strat, you just get used to it.
@@KevyNova ya, I had to learn like that and after a while it starts to feel normal
Great video! It was quite long but it wasn't boring. I had fun and it was really interesting. Thanks man!
Thanks! I try not to be boring but there is do much to talk about with this guitar. I even had to do a part 2 because I left so much out!
I have a 1997 Hendrix Tribute, which is a period correct mirror image of a 1968 model. I learned to avoid cord, knobs and switches by reaching around the side of the guitar more, rather than close to the body - what the strat carve is there for. speaking of carves, the back carve isn't in the right position for your belly or ribs anymore. How I get around that, is by wearing the guitar higher on my body, like sitting down with the guitar between my legs - the way I play sitting. That allows my arm to go around the side of the body, below the cord and knobs. I like the straight input jack, because it sticks out higher, and I pull it close to the body - out of the way. The reach on high notes is obviously not as good either, but on the whole - I prefer the lefty-reverse strat design, rather than fender's hybrid version, although I would love to get one of those newer Mexican Hendrix strats like you're playing. Eric Gales plays a revers strat too, including the strings in his case, so he is another reverse strat aficionado, despite the drawbacks mentioned. Thank you for the demo - sounding good.....!
EDIT: Important fact - the reverse Fender logo can only be read normally in a mirror STANDING ON YOUR HEAD (or upside down_ - I have the same logo on my Hendrix Tribute, and learned that by experience (did Hendrix ever play upside down?)........
Funny how the text caption said 'Wow' when he first starts playing the guitar
Mosrite has done this for musicians.
Cool guitars! They always make me think of The Ventures and The Ramones.
You did not mention the specail string sizes he used mix of 10 gauge and 3 odd size, that is a difference also in slinky sound and less bass sound on e or drop d
Hendrix could play righty just as well. One of the things he did with the righty Strats was to string the low E string backwards on the tuner.
well, for starters, Jimi was known to flip his pickups 180" so the original string by string staggering was normal.He also raised the pickups on the "bass-side" . resulting in a more dynamic bass sound and a smoother treble sound.He also tuned in E-flat, which in fact makes quite a difference on most stratocasters. Both his tonepots were locked at full-open position. So he couldnt by accident move them with his underarm. Finally he played with 8-38 gauge strings ( except for the 0,08 E-string that was a 0,10. Now, up to 1972 you couldnt get a non-wound G-string so he used a Hawaii guitar string. ( When playing in Europe, where Hawaii guitars was rare, he used a thicker B-string in the G position ). From concert footage its clear that he mostly played with the center pickup. Never forget Jimis sound came from his hands. You can have a "Bob Hope strat" or a "Ronald Regan tele". The guitar will always sound,,, OF YOU.
+pbstratocaster I agree totally about sound coming from the fingers, I even say that in the follow up video to this one. I knew that he adjusted his pickups to be higher on the bass side but I never heard about him flipping the pickups. Interesting stuff. I've been studying Jimi for 35 years and I'm still learning new things!
Hey loved the video, but what settings did you use on your amp? Loved the tone
Thank you! The amp was a Fender Blues Jr NOS and I put everything except the master volume and the reverb at halfway.
Dude I enjoy your knowledge. I recently bought a Jimmie Voughn Signature Stratocaster, it has the bar on top. It has signatures of org. Band members. It looks like it is real road worn. It is the sweetest guitar 🎸 💕. Could it be one of his first guitars? It even has a cigarette burn in the head stock. Jesse Nashville James 👍
What were you using at 11:50 ?????
Mason Edwards that’s an old Dunlop Rotovibe, my favorite pedal! It really nails the “Machine Gun” sound. Unfortunately, I heard that they are now discontinued. Mine is from the early ‘90s when they first started making them. The newer ones I’ve heard sound thin to me. If you try to get a used one, get one from the ‘90s if you can.
Brilliant video and informing,I'm getting the white one.Cheers.
Thanks. Did you get it yet?
0:35 Creepiest death stare ever lol. Great review btw
+Thomas Takeshita I creep myself out with that stare every morning in the bathroom mirror!
Excellent review!
Was that an American or Mexican white strat?
Thanks
Wolf
+The WOLF Mexican.
+The WOLF Yup, it is Mexican made.
I remember when the Hendrix strat came out. I might be wrong but the guitar in this vid is actually a fender Hendrix Voodoo strat. That is a right handed guitar with a left hand neck and reverse bridge pickup as in this vid. again i'm not trying to argue but what I remember in or around "97 or so, the hendrix tribute strat was in fact a left handed guitar set up to play right handed. correct me if i'm wrong but they did have two different Hendrix guitars, the tribute and the voodoo strat.
You are right!
It is not doesnt have an upper truss rod acces
You are correct.
Jimi wore his guitar high on his body, almost chest high sometimes. That, combined with his long arms, allowed him to play without touching the controls accidentally.
Lol the fret dots... there's a video on CZcams of Hendrix playing live & he has to count the frets with his finger before he starts playing, so he does it out loud, making light of himself. Always humble... that's what made him so awesome :-)
That's probably why he wore it so high. He was the greatest!
Now THAT is the one disadvantage of flipping a lefthanded neck:side position markers are not in view. On a darkened stage I have often started a song a half-step high or low! Hard to recover when you start sounding like a wreck. LMAO
P.S. - Never trust a player who wears a low hung guitar.
Redneck Guitarist it’s also kind of hard to see sometimes but Jimi also played with the guitar resting closer to the middle of his pelvis than most players naturally do , me included. I rest the guitar more on my right hip which changes how parallel my forearm is with the strings and since my forearm comes into the strings more on an angle it slides up against the knobs😓
Thanks so much to that awesome explanation! Subscribed!
Thank you!
Body or rib contours and the most important difference,the cutaways at the neck, which don't allow high fret access, we're not mentioned. Changes the way you have to play at the 19th fret or so.
That's why I made a part 2 of this video. ;-)
Are you using a Univibe ? What brand/make ? Sounds really good ...... dan
Dunlop Rotovibe
Anyone else noticed that he played hear my train coming at 8:15 right before we hear a train at 8:25! ahah
It’s magic!
In an interview with Guitar World, Roger Mayer recounted Jimi’s custom string gauges: .010 / .013 /.015 / .026 / .032 / .038
+Sage those are surprisingly light, especially on the low end! I wonder if that's why Jimi raised the low E side of his pickups so much.
It is very surprising.I think the whole heavy string thing is exaggerated... Hendrix,Page,Gilmour,Gibbons and EVH used light gauge strings
Sage I prefer beefier strings but it's mostly a feel thing. Like Pete Townshend says, Rock & Roll isn't supposed to be easy, you're supposed to have to work for it.
You seem like a cool guy!
Thanks for the great review.
Thank you very much! Did you catch part 2?
@@KevyNova no actually i haven't!
The Axis After I made the first video I realized how much more stuff I could’ve talked about so I made a part two.
@@KevyNova hey I will check it out. I actually just sold one today. I noticed the body has larger cavities for more pickup customization!
Great video Kevy Vintage do a right handed strat with lefty neck just like the fender but they are about £250 (whatever that is in dollars) and it is wonderful
I’ve played quite a few Vintage guitars and they are wonderful for the price.
Is that a Vox 846-HW wah-wah by any chance? (I ask because mine does the exact same thing yours appears to have done. It sometimes gets the bypass switch in an in-between position where it's neither wet or dry signal but completely off. I need to pick up a new switch for it. I considered sending it back but it's otherwise excellent and it's an easy and relatively inexpensive fix so I figured I'd stick with the devil I know.)
+Admiral Quality I'm not sure of the model number but it's just a plain Vox Wah with a black body & chrome top. I hope it was just a fluke and I don't have to replace anything but if I do, I appreciate your info.
+Kevy Nova I'm guessing we had the same problem and both wahs probably use the same toggle switch part. (Is your wah true bypass like mine is by any chance? You can tell if there's 4 wires going to the switch instead of just 3.)
That actually makes me extra glad I didn't return mine as the next one would have probably done it too. (It doesn't happen if I step REALLY hard on it but it's new and the rubber pads are fresh so it's easy to click it kind of halfway and end up with no sound at all. Again, will be an easy and relatively cheap fix, I just need to get to an electronics store.)
Check out the 846hw, it's awesome. voxamps dot com /v846hw
Admiral Quality I'll look into it. Thanks for the info!