"Purple Haze" came out in 1967, by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and it still sounds dangerous. The rhythm part is thick, woolly fuzz pushed through loud amps. In the solo, a strange, ringing edge appears on top of the notes, almost like a second guitar playing an octave higher. That ring is the part people chase.
What was used
Hendrix is strongly associated with the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face and a Fender Stratocaster played through Marshall amps. For the solo, the Octavia is commonly cited: an octave-up fuzz built by the engineer Roger Mayer. Exact chains and settings changed from session to session, so treat this as the broad picture.
An octave fuzz like the Octavia adds a note one octave above what you play. It works best on single notes, high up the neck, with the neck pickup.
The rig below is an approximation: a common way to get close to this sound, not the exact original gear or settings.
Playing it
- Use the guitar volume knob as your gain control. On full it roars; around 6 or 7 it cleans up into a glassy crunch. Hendrix-style fuzz lives on that knob.
- For the octave effect, switch to the neck pickup and play above the 12th fret. Lower down, it turns into a muddy mess.
- Dig in with the pick for edge, play softer for bloom. The fuzz follows your hands.
- Big, wide vibrato and bends sell the sound more than any pedal does.