To capture the elusive, fiery magic of Jimi Hendrix’s tone using Audio Assault gear, you need to understand that Jimi wasn’t just “playing through an amp.” He was pushing a specific chain of British hardware to its absolute breaking point.
Audio Assault has modelled several “British” legends and rare boutique clones in their Amp Locker suite that are perfect for this. Here is the exact “Tone Recipe” to get that Woodstock scream and Axis: Bold as Love warmth.
1. The Core Amp: The “Plexi” Foundation
Hendrix is synonymous with the Marshall Super Lead 100 (the “Plexi”). In Audio Assault’s ecosystem, you have two primary paths:
- The Hero: LS76 (Inspired by the Suhr SL67). This is a meticulously modelled “Plexi” clone. It has the exact responsiveness and sag of a vintage 1960s Super Lead.
- The Alternative: British 45 (Inspired by the Marshall JTM45). Use this if you want the earlier, bluesier Wind Cries Mary or Hey Joe tones. It has more “glass” and less aggressive saturation.
The “Dimed” EQ Settings
Jimi famously ran his amps with almost everything turned up to create that wall of sound. Set your LS76 or British 45 as follows:
| Control | Setting | Reason |
| Gain/Volume | 8.5 – 10 | This provides the “edge of breakup” where the fuzz pedal will take over. |
| Bass | 3.0 | Too much bass into a fuzz pedal creates “mud.” Keep it tight. |
| Middle | 8.0 | This is where the “vocal” quality of the guitar lives. |
| Treble | 7.5 | Necessary for that stinging bridge-pickup bite. |
| Presence | 6.0 | Adds the “air” and high-end sizzle. |
2. The Speaker Cabinet: 4×12 “Greenbacks”
You cannot get the Hendrix sound with modern high-gain speakers (like V30s). You need the vintage “speaker breakup” of a 25-watt Greenback.
- Selection: Mr. Shall 1960BX (Based on the Marshall 1960BX).
- Speaker Model: Select the G12M25 (Greenback) inside the 3D cab loader.
- Mic Placement: Use a 57 Dynamic microphone. Place it about 2 inches from the center of the cone, angled slightly (off-axis) to smooth out the harsh highs while keeping the punch.
3. The Pedal Chain (The Magic Sauce)
Hendrix’s pedalboard was simple but legendary. Audio Assault’s Soda Pack and Drive Packs provide the exact ingredients.
A. The Wah: Distorted Wah
Jimi’s Wah (Vox/Clyde McCoy) was usually the first thing his guitar hit.
- Setting: Place the Distorted Wah at the very beginning of your chain. Keep the “Drive” on the pedal low; we want the filter sweep, not the extra distortion.
B. The Fuzz: Octafizz (from Soda Pack)
This is the MVP. It models the Octavia (Octave-Fuzz) and a vintage Fuzz circuit.
- Volume: Maxed.
- Fuzz/Gain: 7.0.
- Octave Switch: ON (for Purple Haze leads) or OFF (for standard Foxy Lady rhythm).
C. The Swirl: Not A Phaser
Hendrix used the Uni-Vibe to get that “underwater” rotating speaker sound. While not a 1:1 Vibe, Audio Assault’s Not A Phaser can get remarkably close.
- Rate: 1.5 Hz (Slow, hypnotic sweep).
- Depth: 8.0.
- Position: Place this after the Fuzz but before the Amp. This creates the “chewy” texture heard on Machine Gun.
4. Pro Tip: The “Vol” Knob Secret
The Hendrix recipe isn’t complete without your guitar’s volume knob. Hendrix kept his Fuzz pedal ON almost all the time. To get his “clean” sounds (like Little Wing), he simply rolled his guitar volume down to 3 or 4.
In your DAW, if you find the tone is too aggressive, don’t change the plugin settings—lower the input gain or the volume knob on your physical guitar. The LS76 plugin will respond exactly like a real tube amp, cleaning up beautifully while keeping that sparkling chime
The “Foxy Lady” EQ Settings
| Control | Setting | Why? |
| Gain / Volume | 8.0 – 9.5 | Jimi’s “cleans” were actually quite dirty. You need that power-tube sag. |
| Bass | 3.5 | Keep it low to prevent the fuzz from getting “woolly” and indistinct. |
| Middle | 6.5 | For that percussive, vocal-like punch on the lower strings. |
| Treble | 7.0 | Necessary to cut through the heavy modulation and fuzz. |
| Presence | 8.0 | The Secret. This gives you the “bite” and feedback sensitivity. |
| Master | 10.0 | Crank it! You want the “virtual” speakers to be sweating. |
