Purple Haze

The recording

On "Purple Haze", Hendrix recorded at Olympic Studios on February 3, 1967, playing his 1960s sunburst Fender Stratocaster. He used the neck pickup for the rhythm riff and the bridge pickup for the solo, feeding the signal through Roger Mayer’s custom Octavia pedal, which adds an octave‑up fuzzed tone. The guitar was driven into a Marshall Super Lead 100‑watt head paired with a 4×12 cabinet, producing the thick, saturated sound that defines the track. Engineer Eddie Kramer captured the tone with close mic placement on the speaker while additional overdubs were layered later.

Tuning E standard (E A D G B E)

Original gear

1960s Fender Stratocaster

Guitar

Hendrix used his primary 1960s sunburst Fender Stratocaster on "Purple Haze", employing the neck pickup for the clean rhythm and the bridge pickup for the soaring solo.

Roger Mayer Octavia

Octavia Pedal

Mayer’s custom‑built Octavia supplied the distinctive octave‑up fuzz heard during the solo, a hallmark of the track’s psychedelic sound.

Marshall Super Lead 100‑watt Head

Amplifier

The Strat’s signal was driven into a Marshall Super Lead 100‑watt head, delivering the thick, saturated overdrive that forms the backbone of the track’s tone.

Marshall 1960 4×12 Cabinet

Cabinet

The head was mated to a classic 1960 4×12 Marshall cabinet, providing the full‑bodied, British‑voiced breakup captured on the recording.

Alternatives

Practical playing approach

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

1. 1.Use the neck pickup for the clean rhythm riff.
2. 2.Switch to the bridge pickup for the solo to get the brighter bite.
3. 3.Engage a Octavia‑type fuzz/octave pedal for the soaring solo tone.
4. 4.Set the amp to high gain and roll back the volume for tight breakup.
5. 5.Apply wide string bends and subtle vibrato to accent the psychedelic feel.