“Some of the greatest sounds were created on junk!” Joe Bonamassa reveals the secret to getting great tones from affordable gear

Suited and booted, Joe Bonamassa plays a Les Paul onstage at the Royal Albert Hall.

Back in March, online marketplace Reverb uploaded a video of Joe at his Los Angeles home, commonly referred to as ‘Nerdville West’, recalling the famous sounds of Jimi Hendrix on his seminal 1970 Band Of Gypsys live album.

But there was a twist – as well as playing through the same period-correct vintage gear Hendrix himself would have been using, Bonamassa was also tasked with recreating the same sounds using modern products that were very much readily available and affordable, at almost 70 times less in cost. Unsurprisingly, the guitar legend was able to dispel a few myths in the process…