Tone Profile

A classic, Hendrix-inspired Stratocaster tone that is glassy and on the edge of breakup, defined by the 'quack' of an in-between pickup position and a slow, watery swirl from a Uni-Vibe pedal.

Production Credits

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• This track was an instrumental outtake from the 'Ten' album sessions, recorded at London Bridge Studio in Seattle in 1991.
• The tone is a direct homage to Jimi Hendrix, particularly his cleaner sounds on tracks like 'Little Wing' or 'Castles Made of Sand'.
• The core of the sound comes from the combination of a Stratocaster's 4th pickup position and a Uni-Vibe pedal, which creates the signature watery, phasey-chorus effect.
• The amp is set to its sweet spot, where it's mostly clean but breaks up naturally when the guitar is played harder or boosted by the overdrive pedal.
• Extensive use of the guitar's tremolo arm for vibrato and pitch dips is a critical performance element of this sound.

Recreation Tips

• Use a Strat-style guitar and select the neck/middle pickup position (position 4).
• Set a Fender-style tube amp for a clean tone that's right on the edge of breaking up. Use your guitar's volume knob to go from clean to slightly dirty.
• A Uni-Vibe pedal (or a phaser set to a slow, subtle speed) is essential for the swirling modulation.
• Add a generous amount of spring reverb from your amp or a pedal.
• Don't be shy with the whammy bar; use it for expressive vibrato and dips, mimicking Mike McCready's phrasing.
• Use a light overdrive like a Tube Screamer with the gain set low and the level high to push the amp, rather than for heavy distortion.

Original Gear

• Fender Stratocaster(guitar)
• Fender '59 Bassman LTD(amp)
• Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer(pedal)
• Dunlop Rotovibe JD4S(pedal)
• Fulltone Custom Shop Mini DejaVibe CS-MDV-1(pedal)
• Shure SM57(mic)