If you’ve cruised the aisles of a guitar show in the last couple of years, and sauntered up to a table full of effects pedals, you’ve probably experienced a little piece of the latest form of “vintage gear sticker shock” when you grabbed that worn-looking wah or lime-green stompbox. It’s not uncommon for certain effects to command a handful of C notes (or if you’re in the market for a real Vox Clyde McCoy wah, the better part of two handfuls).
Maxon SD9 Sonic Distortion One of Maxon ‘s most esoteric models, the SD-9 has gained a huge cult following since its initial release in the early 1980s. The Maxon SD-9 has long been prized for its ability to provide an immense range of distorted tones, from punchy overdrive to blistering fuzz, all with full-frequency response and minimal.
One company that has always aimed to help those who like the sounds these babies create (but just can’t see spending the coin that puts them halfway to a really good guitar) is Godlyke, which distributes the reissue Maxon pedals we’ve discussed a couple times on these pages.
The company’s latest offering is the “Nine Series,” which includes the Ibanez TS-9-inspired OD-9 Overdrive, the higher-gain SD-9 Sonic Distortion, and the auto-wah AF-9 Auto Filter.
![Sd9 Sd9](/uploads/1/2/4/4/124424618/918911857.jpg)
A big part of keeping the vibe alive with these pedals is their housings. Familiar shapes abound (they all use the same die-cast zinc chassis), and the knobs, sliders, and even the colors are reminiscent of our friends from the ’80s.
Always enthralled when we open boxes full of shiny/colorful things, we headed to our test room armed with the pedals, a Hamer Artist HB, and a Fender Stratocaster. At the ready were our trusty Marshall JCM900 half-stack and a Fender Twin Reverb.
Surrendering to primal urge, our paws instinctively clutched the OD-9 first.
![Maxon sd9 fender princeton nc Maxon sd9 fender princeton nc](/uploads/1/2/4/4/124424618/335924293.jpg)
The pedal has controls for drive, tone, and level, along with a rectangular on/off footswitch and LED indicator. Other noteworthy physical appointments include case-mounted in/out jacks and a DC power jack.
Through the Twin, the OD-9 proffered that smooth Tube Screamer overdrive. Hitting the switch, we noticed a slight cut in the low-end, but it was a good thing with the Twin because it allowed us to drive the amp a bit harder.
Through the JCM, the OD-9 gave us the added gain and distortion we needed for that “over the top” sustain with nice overdrive edge. This is one of the all-time classic combinations, used by thousands of players for years – and for good reason; it allows the tone of amp to come through without over-coloring it. This is due in part to the fact that the pedal’s negative feedback loop employs the famed JRC 4558 IC chip that propelled the original Ibanez TS-9.
Next, we fired up the SD-9, which is a higher-gain version of the OD-9 that replaces the drive knob with one for distortion.
Maxon boasts that the secret to this pedal’s sound is its simple-but-effective circuit (which also employs the JRC chip), which contributes to its transparency despite the fact it can deliver up to 42 db of gain (which should be more than enough to drown out your rhythm guitarist!).
The unit immediately reminded us of a Boss DS-1, but with noticeably more bottom end. It colored the tone more than the OD-9, but added nice, chunky overtones and tighter lows. Ultimately, we liked the pedal more as a straight distortion pedal than an overdrive boost.
The AF-9 auto filter was last up and is a simple automatic wah-wah. Slider controls for sensitivity and peak let you dial in exactly when the effect is engaged (per your touch on the strings), along with filter, drive, and range switches.
The filter switch (high pass/band pass/low pass) allowed us to tailor the sound more than with other auto-wahs. We were able to get traditional planky wah sounds and a funky wah/volume swell.
With the Nine Series pedals, Maxon has once again addressed guitarists considerable demand for classic guitar tones, while updating and improving the mechanics that make them happen.
Maxon Nine Series pedals
Type of Pedal: Overdrive, Distortion, Auto-Filter.
Features: Quality construction, true/mechanical bypass switch-ing, die-cast zinc chassis, easy-access battery compartments, LED power/battery life indicators, classic tones.
Price: OD-9, $180; SD-9, $180; AF-9, $229.
Contact: Godlyke Distributing, Inc., PO Box 4677, Wayne, NJ 07508, phone (973) 835-2100, www.godlyke.com.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s Nov. ’02 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
More than 40 years after his death, few guitar legends even approach the status of Jimi Hendrix. His personal style, unique musical direction and uninhibited style of playing still can be seen, felt and heard, and inspires players across age groups and around the world to this day.
While there have been plenty of other players who dabbled with effects since the ‘60s, it was Hendrix who first showed the world what an electric guitarist could achieve with a handful of primitive pedals and a lot of imagination. He was rightly revered for his live performances, but his studio recordings feature adventurous sonic and tone experiments that will ensure his place in the pantheon of heroes for as long as people play electric guitars.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the most important elements of the Jimi Hendrix sound.
In this video, we're looking at some basic combinations of modern pedals you can use to achieve Hendrix's tones. Check out our first installment in the series for how to nail the tones of David Gilmour.
Hendrix’s Guitars
Hendrix played a lot of different guitars over the course of his career, but if you’re trying to emulate his sound, the most obvious choice would be a maple-neck CBS-era Fender Stratocaster, or maybe Fender’s new Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster. However, any Strat outfitted with single-coil pickups and a functional floating tremolo will do in a pinch. You’ll want to be able to push and pull the trem bar during those extended solos, just like Jimi did, to even approximate the kind of sounds he was able to wrangle out of his guitar.
By stringing a right-handed guitar lefty, Hendrix’s tone was further tweaked in a variety of ways, including:
- the inversion of the string lengths behind the nut, which could alter the sustain.
- the reversal of the bridge-pickup angle, which according to Fender produces a tighter, warmer tone with enhanced upper harmonics and definition.
Hendrix’s guitars also had staggered pickup poles; by reversing the order of the strings, Jimi altered the pickups’ harmonic structure, contributing further to his unique sound, Fender said.
Hendrix favored coiled cables, which are known for their higher capacitance, which takes out some of the highs and warms the tone. He also was known to tune down a half step, which decreases string tension, and used lighter-gauge strings and customized string sets, with lighter G strings, which improved output.
While Hendrix is well known for destroying his guitars during live performances, including setting one on fire during his set at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, this was all part of the show and he was known to take care of his instruments offstage and in the studio.
Hendrix’s Amplifiers
Hendrix favored Marshall amplifiers, but you can start with any decent high-watt tube amp, preferably something that can capture a stinging mid- to high-gain tone. A solid Marshall or Orange is a good choice. You could opt for a 2x12 combo to push more air and obtain natural tube overdrive, or you could dive-in using a tube head and 4x12 cabinet. This will provide more volume, wattage and speakers to help you emulate Hendrix's massive sound.
Ride the Volume
It's well-documented that Hendrix would turn everything up on his Marshall heads during live performances, however he would actively ride his guitar’s volume knob to control his tone.
Try starting with a slightly over-driven amp tone, or use a pedal like the Xotic Effects SL Drive or the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret, to generate a low-gain bluesy crunch. Then experiment with rolling off the volume a few notches to clean it up, and then go back to full volume when you push into solo territory. The same is true for your fuzz pedals; the Fuzz Face in particular responds well to rolling off volume.
As far as your general tone and volume settings go, begin with a decent amount of volume and be sure to boost the mids and lows considerably while dialing down the highs to moderate settings.
Hendrix’s Pedals
There are many effect pedals on the market that can help you emulate Hendrix's tone, including a number of mass-produced, signature and tribute models, but let’s start with a look at Hendrix’s favorites:
- Octavia (designed by Roger Mayer)
- Shin-ei or Univox Univibe
In this video, Reverb recreates the Hendrix tones from several iconic songs and solos with pedals we had laying around the office, and you may find that you can achieve similar results using the tools you already have. Check the video for suggested combinations and settings. As you can see, it shouldn't be hard to locate the same or similar effect pedals that Hendrix used for the majority of his career.
Here are some easy substitutes:
- Fulltone 69 MKII or Dunlop Germanium Fuzz Face, which are based on the Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face circuit
- MXR Uni-Vibe or Voodoo Labs Micro Vibe
- Voodoo Labs Proctavia or EHX Octavix
As mentioned above, Hendrix favored the Marshall Super Lead and Plexi, and you can move even closer to his tone with:
- Xotic SL Drive, which is based on the Marshall Super Lead
- Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret, which is based on Marshall Plexi
As with anything, be sure to use any effects or tone shaping in moderation. It's easy to get carried away with some of these effects, especially when used in combinations. You will want these tones and effects to come through prominently, but you don't want to lose yourself in a wash of fuzz and wah pedals.
While Hendrix was relatively consistent in terms of his guitars, amps and pedal selections after creating the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the single most important component of the Hendrix sound throughout his career was his hands. Hendrix was obsessive about practicing and would literally carry his guitar with him at almost all times, even when going to hear others perform. So, if you’re really intent on nailing the Hendrix sound, plan to invest some real time and effort.
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