Jimi Hendrix and Marshall amplifiers are almost inseparable pieces of rock history. Sixty years after Hendrix first plugged into a Marshall in 1966, the company has decided to honor the legend with an edition for its latest collection of audio gear.
Marshall has expanded its Jimi Hendrix 60th Anniversary Collection with three more limited-edition products. This includes the Major V headphones, Emberton III Bluetooth speaker, and Studio JMH Half Stack. This follows the crushed-purple-velvet Acton III and monstrous 1959 JMH Half Stack Marshall revealed earlier this year.
The company isn’t just slapping Hendrix’s name all over the gear either, it wraps it up with purple haze. Black and purple swirl together in psychedelic oil-on-water patterns, silver detailing references Hendrix’s jewelry, and an all-seeing eye motif nods to his interest in space and the third eye.
Purple Haze looks pretty good on a speaker
The Hendrix Edition Emberton III might be the easiest way into the collection. Its purple pattern stretches across the silicone sleeve and grille, complete with purple LEDs and a silver all-seeing eye on the control button. Marshall uses a hand-dipped water-transfer printing process for the sleeve, meaning the pattern can shift between units and give each speaker a slightly different finish.
Under the hood, though, the speakers are still the same. It offers the familiar Emberton III with 32-plus hours of battery life, IP67 dust and water resistance, True Stereophonic 360-degree sound, and Bluetooth LE Audio support. It costs $179.99. The Major V Hendrix Edition gets the same cosmic treatment across its inner headband and earcups. The hardware remains largely unchanged, giving you 40mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.3, wireless charging, a customizable M-button, and an absurd 100-plus hours of battery life. Marshall currently lists it at $179.99.
The $2,500 centerpiece is for serious Hendrix fans
The Studio JMH Half Stack Hendrix Edition is handmade at Marshall’s UK factory and pairs an all-valve Studio head with a 2×12 cabinet containing two Celestion V-Type speakers. It is the one built for the real fans (that can pay obviously). It costs $2,499.99 in the US, where Marshall currently lists it as coming soon.
The head can switch between 20W and 5W, giving players plexi-era tones without requiring an arena to use it. Naturally, it receives the full Hendrix treatment, which brings the psychedelic purple and black panels, purple lighting, silver accents, and all-seeing-eye badges.