A Sixty-Year Orbit: Hendrix and the Marshall Amplifier
When Jimi Hendrix first plugged into a Marshall amplifier in the mid-1960s, he was searching for more than volume. He wanted an amp that could withstand the wild dynamics, feedback, and saturated distortion that defined his emerging sound. After meeting Jim Marshall in London and ordering three 100-watt Super Lead stacks, Hendrix found the power and resonance he needed, and Marshall found a partner who would push its circuits to the limit. That chemistry reshaped rock music, cementing Marshall stacks as the visual and sonic backdrop of Hendrix’s most iconic performances. Six decades later, Marshall is celebrating that legacy with a new cosmic-themed guitar amp collection that taps into Hendrix’s fearless experimentation. Rather than treating the past as a museum piece, the collaboration turns those original innovations into living, breathing Jimi Hendrix gear designed to inspire today’s players to be just as disruptive.
Acton III: A Velvet-Covered Portal to Hendrix’s World
The Hendrix edition of the Acton III Bluetooth speaker transforms a compact home speaker into a tribute to vintage Marshall tone and Hendrix’s unmistakable style. Wrapped in crushed velvet and finished with a sleek silver control panel, purple knobs, and matching LED lights, it channels his love of velvet, silver jewellery, and space-age imagery. Marshall has even stamped an all-seeing eye on the side, symbolising clarity and vision, echoing the way Hendrix saw sound as something cosmic and expansive. The homage goes beyond looks: standard power-on and system sounds are replaced with curated Hendrix recordings, including a rare instrumental version of “Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)” and other remixed cues that make every switch-on feel like dropping a needle on a classic record. The result is a lifestyle piece that carries the soul of a Marshall amplifier into everyday listening.
1959 JMH Half Stack: The Cosmic Reimagining of a Legend
At the heart of the anniversary guitar amp collection sits the 1959 JMH Half Stack, a handwired rig built in Marshall’s Bletchley factory to echo Hendrix’s signature stage setup. Pairing a 1959 Handwired Head with a 1960 AJMH 4×12 Handwired Angled Cabinet, it delivers the raw, open roar and touch sensitivity associated with vintage Marshall tone. Visually, this stack steps into Hendrix’s sci‑fi imagination: a black-and-purple cosmic swirl flows across the fret and control panel, accented by a purple LED indicator. Silver detailing, inspired by his jewellery, highlights the knobs, handle, logo, grill, and back panel, while all‑seeing eye badges crown the top and bottom of the stack. The limited-edition Fuzz Face Distortion pedal, dressed in the same oil‑on‑water artwork, is available exclusively with the stack, inviting players to chase the same explosive textures that once rewrote the rules of electric guitar.
Cosmic Design, Living Legacy
Marshall’s design team approached the collection as a storytelling exercise, exploring fabrics, patterns, and psychedelic motifs that felt authentically Hendrix. Crushed velvet, swirling galactic graphics, and symbolic details such as the all-seeing eye reflect his fashion, lyrics, and fascination with outer space. Working closely with Janie Hendrix and the Experience Hendrix team ensured that each piece of Jimi Hendrix gear carries emotional weight, not just brand gloss. From curated boot-up sounds on the Acton III to the handwired construction of the 1959 JMH Half Stack, every element connects modern players with a historic partnership that helped define rock guitar. More than an anniversary badge, this cosmic collaboration shows how Hendrix and Marshall still shape the future: by giving musicians tools that are bold, expressive, and unafraid to push beyond the edge of what a Marshall amplifier can do.