Even more than five decades after his passing, Jimi Hendrix is still a force in the musical world. Nobody could play guitar like him, and even fewer could write songs with the same impact as him. To celebrate his music, a few of today’s best guitarists, singers, and songwriters took to the road on the Experience Hendrix Tour — and we got to talk to a few of them!
Check out the latest AMS Interview with some of the stars from the 2025 Experience Hendrix Tour, including Marcus King, Zakk Wylde, and Devon Allman.
Where Are All the Stratocasters!?
Jimi Hendrix was known for playing a Fender Stratocaster. It was his axe of choice throughout almost his entire career. However, when playing on a Hendrix-inspired tour, do the artists rock their own Strats?
Not necessarily. The only person we talked to who “crossed the aisle” from his favorite Gibson Les Paul to a Fender Stratocaster was Devon Allman.
Devon is a well-known Gibson guy, but you might not have known that he played on a Stratocaster for almost 20 years before picking up the LP! Back when he was mostly a rhythm player, he played a Stratocaster. However, when he swapped to learning leads, the Les Paul “just had that thing.” It was more “singing and wooshy,” which gave him confidence as a lead player. But he was super excited to pick up the Strat again to celebrate one of the most legendary Strat players in existence.
According to Devon, “The Strat is all quack and smack. You can really beat the hell out of it.” When he’s playing a Stratocaster, his style is more “funky and stabby,” which is a fun change. He definitely has a way with adjectives…
Marcus King and Zakk Wylde stuck to their own rigs for the show — mostly. Marcus King has a ’62 Stratocaster that he loves to play, but it didn’t make it on the tour. For the Experience Hendrix tour, King brought a Banker guitar that’s made by one of his friends from Atlanta and some of his favorite pedals, including a Tube Screamer, Rotovibe, Clean Booster, and a Tru-Fi Color Driver (which is made by another friend of his). He did however swap from his beloved Orange amps to a Fender Super Reverb for this tour.
Zakk Wylde stuck with the Wylde Audio Warhammer, of course. It’s his go-to guitar with a whammy bar for Hendrix riffs. However, he does still own one of hist first Stratocasters: a Fernandes Strat in Burgundy Mist. “Always hold on to your first guitars,” says Zakk. There are always so many memories that come rushing right back every time you pick it up. You don’t want to lose that!
For this tour, Wylde did however swap his Wylde Audio backline for a Marshall JCM 800 amp — which according to Zakk “is like a pair of Levi’s and a Fruit of the Loom t-shirt. They never go out of style!”
Who Plays Which Songs?
When you have guitarists like Eric Johnson, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Samantha Fish, Dweezil Zappa, and Buddy Guy, along with Devon Allman, Marcus King, and Zakk Wylde (just to name a few!) it’s probably tough to decide who plays which Hendrix song. They’re all such amazing players! How do you decide who plays what on such a star-studded tour?
Well, it all comes down to John McDermott, the tour director. He knows the all the songs through and through and can dish out pieces to the exact player who will best suit the song. Devon Allman calls him a great “casting director.”
What do the artists think about that? They’re more than happy to go with it! They all agree that it’s an honor to be there in the first place, celebrating such a unique and amazing musician, that they don’t really care what they play. Plus, find a bad Hendrix song… I’ll wait. According to Devon, “all the eatin’ at the table is good,” so it doesn’t matter what they’re asked to play.
Everyone we talked to loved Hendrix through and through. Marcus King was almost named after him! His dad was such a big Hendrix fan that he originally wanted Marcus’s name to be James Marshall. When Marcus’s mom found out that it was Jimi Hendrix’s real name, “she put the kibosh on that.”
When it comes to playing Hendrix, Devon Allman’s approach was to tap into his spirit. “[Hendrix] left a lot of spirit on this planet — swimming through the cosmos forever.” Of course, Devon still put his spin on the songs (and even plays his dad’s version of “Little Wing” on the tour). Who can really play just like Hendrix, anyway?
Marcus King agreed that it’s good to put your own stamp on the songs. He told us that when honoring someone’s music, it’s important to do it your own way and not try to emulate. Pay homage, but if you try to copy it note-for-note, you’ll get stuck in the weeds.
What did the tour director ask Zakk Wylde to play? Apparently just the spaces between songs. Then they lock him in the dressing room…
A World Without Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix had such a profound impact on the music world, despite his short career. What do the performers think the world would look like if Hendrix never happened?
They all shared the same sentiment, but Devon Allman put it best:
“It would be a pretty gray world without his colors floating around.”
Even 50+ years after his passing, we’re still listening and learning from the great Jimi Hendrix. He was truly one of a kind, and having so many incredible musicians take time out of their busy schedules to go on tour and honor his legacy just proves how remarkable and impactful his music really was.
A huge thank you to Devon Allman, Marcus King, and Zakk Wylde for taking the time to hang out with us before the show. And another huge thanks to Marshall Amps for setting it all up!
Keep an eye on the horizon for tons of shows from Zakk Wylde, including more Zakk Sabbath, Pantera, Black Label, and about 16,000 other projects (dude must not sleep…). Marcus King teased a few signature models coming soon — including (hopefully) a Gibson “Big Red” ES-345 and a USA Epiphone El Dorado acoustic. And Devon Allman is staying busy with the Devon Allman Project and The Allman Betts Band.
Don’t forget to grab your tickets to the Experience Hendrix tour as it comes through your town (you definitely won’t want to miss it) and pick up all the best Hendrix-approved Marshall gear right here at American Musical Supply.
