Little Wing

The recording

Hendrix recorded "Little Wing" at Olympic Studios in London in 1967, layering a clean, slightly overdriven Strat tone through a Fender Vibroverb with studio rotary speaker processing, plate reverb, and subtle tape‑echo sends. The guitar part is performed with the neck pickup, using volume swells and gentle vibrato, and the signal was routed through the console’s Ampex tape echo to create the song’s ethereal ambience.

Tuning Standard (E A D G B E)

Reported gear

1960s Fender Stratocaster

Guitar

Hendrix used a mid‑60s Fender Stratocaster, flipped for left‑handed play, for the clean, glassy tone heard on "Little Wing".

Fender Vibroverb (combo)

Amp

The studio track was run through a Fender Vibroverb, giving a warm, slightly overdriven clean tone that forms the backbone of the song’s guitar sound.

Studio rotary/Leslie‑style processing

Rotary speaker

Eddie Kramer applied a rotary speaker effect in the studio, giving the guitar a swirling, chorused quality characteristic of "Little Wing".

EMT 140 Plate Reverb

Reverb

The mix features a lush plate reverb applied via the studio’s EMT 140 unit, adding depth to Hendrix’s guitar tone.

Ampex tape echo (studio console)

Delay

Kramer routed the guitar through an Ampex tape echo on the console, creating a subtle analog slap‑back delay heard throughout the track.

Alternatives

Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster

Modern equivalent · for the 1960s Fender Stratocaster

$500 to $600

UAD EMT 140 Plate Reverb plugin

Modern equivalent · for the EMT 140 Plate Reverb

$80 to $120

Fender '59 Vibroverb Reissue

Reissue · for the Fender Vibroverb (combo)

$800 to $1,000

Boss DM-2 Analog Delay

Modern equivalent · for the Ampex tape echo (studio console)

$100 to $150

Rotovibe Rotating Speaker Simulator

Modern equivalent · for the Studio rotary/Leslie‑style processing

$300 to $400

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Use the neck pickup and roll the volume knob back to keep the tone warm and clean.
2. 2.Add gentle vibrato on sustained notes to emulate Hendrix's subtle pitch modulation.
3. 3.Apply a slight volume swell with the guitar’s volume control for the intro phrase.
4. 4.Set a modest tape delay (≈300 ms) to replicate the studio echo heard in the mix.