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The recording
Recorded at Electric Lady Studios in 1968, Hendrix used his Olympic White 1968 Fender Stratocaster tuned a half‑step down, feeding a Cry Baby wah set to a fixed position and a germanium Fuzz Face into a cranked Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W Plexi head, creating the iconic thick, mid‑range tone of the track.
Tuning E♭ Standard (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭)
Signal chain
Reported gear
1968 Fender Stratocaster (Olympic White)
Guitar
Hendrix recorded the track using his Olympic White 1968 Fender Stratocaster, a right‑handed instrument he played upside‑down, tuned a half‑step down.
Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95 Wah pedal
Wah
The opening wah lick uses a Cry Baby wah, set to a fixed position to shape the guitar's tone throughout the riff.
Ross Fuzz Face (Germanium)
Fuzz
A germanium Fuzz Face drives the signal into massive sustain, especially when Hendrix rolls back his volume knob.
Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W Plexi
Amplifier
The signal is fed into a cranked Marshall Super Lead Plexi head, delivering the classic thick, mid‑range driven tone heard on the recording.
Alternatives
Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster
Budget alternative · for the 1968 Fender Stratocaster (Olympic White)
Dunlop JHF1 Hendrix Fuzz Face (silicon)
Modern equivalent · for the Ross Fuzz Face (Germanium)
Vox V846 Wah pedal
Modern equivalent · for the Dunlop Cry Baby GCB95 Wah pedal
Marshall JCM800 2203 Reissue
Modern equivalent · for the Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W Plexi
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Set the wah pedal to a fixed 2/3 position and keep it engaged throughout the main riff.
- 2.Roll back the guitar’s volume knob to tame the fuzz and bring it forward for solos.
- 3.Use the bridge and middle pickup together for a biting, aggressive tone.
- 4.Tune the guitar a half‑step down to E♭ to match the original pitch.
- 5.Let the Fuzz Face saturate fully by cranking the amp to high gain.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Voodoo Child (Slight Return) guitar tone?
The available research points to 1968 Fender Stratocaster (Olympic White) into Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W Plexi. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Voodoo Child (Slight Return) amp settings documented?
Exact historical knob positions are not reliably documented for most recordings. ToneTwin does not publish generated values as studio fact; it creates playable settings only for the amp and pedals a player selects.
What tuning is Voodoo Child (Slight Return) in?
The current research record lists E♭ Standard (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭). ToneTwin keeps corrections open when reliable accounts disagree.
How do I recreate the Voodoo Child (Slight Return) tone on my own gear?
Use the reported pickup, gain character, effects and signal-chain order as the target, then translate that target to your equipment. The matcher models controls for your selected rig rather than copying undocumented studio numbers.
Researched and reviewed by the ToneTwin Research Team.
