Jimi Hendrix’s Vox V846 Wah Pedal (Woodstock)

Throughout his career, Jimi Hendrix used several different wah pedals. However, identifying the specific model he used at a given time can often be difficult due to the low-quality footage of many of his concerts.

Fortunately, when it comes to Woodstock in 1969—a performance of immense historical significance—the type of wah pedal Jimi used is relatively well-established.

According to Dave Weyer, who worked on Jimi’s equipment at the time, the wah pedal used at Woodstock was a modified Vox V846, manufactured in the Sepulveda factory in California.

Jimi had a box of wah pedals, and I had, over the course of the year, worked on every one. But Jimi’s favorite was the yet-to-be-seen by the public, Sepulveda model with the TDK inductor and the high beta Motorola transistors. It can be identified by the lack of a Vox logo on the front, the relief where the logo was supposed to be glued on, a West Coast sticker on the bottom, and Jimi’s signature on the inside of the casing wall, applied at a difficult angle, but identifiable nonetheless — and, of course, the things he loved the most, the low noise and the sharp sweep, clearly audible in the Woodstock recordings.

Jimi Hendrix’s Wah-wah Pedal and Amp in J. Levine’s New Year’s Day Auction

This particular pedal was sold at an auction in 2016 for an undisclosed price.

Not so well-established after all?

As you can see from the comments below, there’s some debate about the exact model of wah pedal Jimi used at the Woodstock Festival. Many commenters believe he used a Vox “Clyde McCoy” Picture Wah (nicknamed “picture” because it features an actual photo of Clyde McCoy on the bottom).

Further research is needed to draw any definitive conclusions on this topic. If you have additional information, preferably with reliable sources, please join the discussion by leaving a comment below.