This new Marshall x Jimi Hendrix collab looks like it fell out of 1969
A lot of purple velvet
There are few objects more deeply tied to rock mythology than a Marshall amp. Stick one behind someone holding a guitar, and they instantly look about 40 per cent cooler. Stick six behind Jimi Hendrix, and you get the sort of images that end up printed on pub walls, band tees and uni bedroom posters for the next half century.
So this new collaboration between Marshall and the Hendrix estate feels less like a random merch drop and more like something that probably should have happened years ago. To mark 60 years since Hendrix first plugged into a Marshall amp in 1966, the company has unveiled a limited-edition collection inspired by both the guitarist’s sound and his famously chaotic sense of style.
The standout piece is a special edition Acton III Bluetooth speaker, which swaps Marshall’s usual understated rock aesthetic for something far more psychedelic. The whole thing is wrapped in crushed purple velvet, finished with cosmic graphics, glowing purple controls and a giant all-seeing eye on the side panel. Even the startup sounds have been lifted from rare Hendrix recordings.
It looks less like a speaker and more like an artefact recovered from a 1969 recording studio after several days without sleep.
Underneath all the flamboyance, though, there’s some genuinely serious gear. Marshall has also produced a limited-edition version of its 1959HW 100-watt amplifier and matching 1960AHW cabinet, complete with Celestion speakers and handmade construction from the company’s Bletchley factory.
The setup recreates the towering half-stack rigs Hendrix became synonymous with during the late 60s, back when louder apparently meant better and tinnitus was barely considered a medical issue.
There’s also a custom Hendrix-inspired version of the legendary Fuzz Face pedal, the snarling little stompbox that helped define some of the most recognisable guitar tones ever recorded. Hendrix used the effect constantly, pushing its fuzzy analogue distortion into something that sounded less like a guitar and more like the amp itself was about to physically disintegrate.
The collaboration lands at an interesting time for Marshall. While the brand still makes amps, it has spent the past decade transforming itself into something closer to a lifestyle audio company, branching into headphones, Bluetooth speakers and home sound systems. Guitar culture itself is also having another moment, with younger artists dragging old-school pedals, analogue setups and vintage rock gear back into fashion.
Which makes this collection feel surprisingly well timed. Nostalgia is booming, guitar music is creeping back into the mainstream, and apparently, people are once again interested in owning speakers covered in purple velvet.
The Acton III is priced at £259.99, while the full Marshall x Hendrix 60th Anniversary amp comes in at a considerably louder £3,799.99.
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