The story behind
the Super 100JH

From the moment he plugged in, Marshall quickly became an essential part of the sound Jimi was developing. What followed helped change the sound and capabilities of the electric guitar.  2026 marks 20 years since Marshall honoured that bond in the most fitting way: by building the Super 100JH. A handwired, meticulously accurate reissue of the amplifier that helped define one of the most recognisable guitar sounds ever recorded, it wasn't simply a tribute. It was a statement about what lasting influence really means. 

By 1966, Jimi Hendrix had arrived in England with something extraordinary to say. He just needed the right tool to say it. With the support of Chas Chandler, who was introducing Jimi to London's music scene, roadie Neville Chester brought over a Marshall Super 100 head and two Marshall columns for him to try. The connection was immediate.  Knowing that his drummer, Mitch Mitchell, had a history with Jim Marshall, having worked Saturdays in the shop and taken drum lessons from him as a teenager, Jimi wasn't walking in as a complete stranger. Mitch's relationship with Jim helped forge the connection that would become one of the most significant partnerships in rock music.  When Hendrix and Marshall, two legends in music, finally met, Jim was surprised to find that Jimi was not the larger-than-life rock star he expected. Instead, Jimi was soft-spoken, charming, and genuinely curious about how his amplifiers worked. Jimi always paid full price for his equipment, showing respect for Jim and the people behind the gear he trusted. His interest in sound started when he was a child.   According to Jimi’s sister, Janie Hendrix, their father, Al Hendrix, recalled that as a child Jimi would take apart the family radio, curious to understand where the music and sound came from. His curiosity stayed with him throughout his life. Jimi saw sound as something to explore, not just play, so he often experimented with feedback, effects, speakers, and amp settings. Later, that same drive led him to ask his roadie, Gerry Stickells, to spend weeks at the Marshall factory learning how to service the gear. Jimi wanted his amps to work wherever his music took him. 

Jim Marshall, for his part, was equally certain: Hendrix was, without question, “my greatest ambassador.”  The relationship between Jimi Hendrix and Marshall was never simply one of artist and manufacturer. Jimi approached the amplifier as an extension of the instrument itself, pushing it to deliver new sounds, new textures and new possibilities. His relentless curiosity and willingness to experiment helped expand the possibilities of the electric guitar, while proving that a Marshall was capable of far more than volume alone.  Marshall gave Jimi the freedom to take the electric guitar to new levels. The amplifiers’ power, headroom, sustain, and rich harmonics let every note come alive, whether he played gentle, expressive lines or pushed his sound in bold new directions. Together, they changed what people thought the electric guitar could do. 

The Super 100, named by Jim Marshall for the extra power over the 50-watt JTM50, became a defining part of Hendrix's live sound during a crucial period in his career. Its all-valve 100-watt design, powered by four KT66 output valves and three ECC83s in the pre-amp, produced a tone that was thick, harmonically rich and alive in a way few other amplifiers could match.  Marshall amplifiers gave Jimi the power, headroom and dynamic range he needed to turn those ideas into reality. As his music became more ambitious, Marshall remained at the heart of a sound that would reshape what the electric guitar could do. 

When Marshall set out to create the Super 100JH in 2006, 40 years after Jimi first walked into the shop in Hanwell, the aim was to produce the most faithful recreation possible using the historical references and original manufacturing expertise available.  The engineers returned to the original suppliers wherever possible. Drake, who manufactured the transformers for the 1966 Super 100 heads, still held the original documentation and produced output transformers based on those original specifications. Celestion supplied the G12C 25W speakers for the 1982AJH and 1982BJH cabinets, angled and straight respectively. Each cabinet was built seven inches taller than a standard 1982 cabinet to recreate the distinctive pinstriped stacks associated with Hendrix's live performances. The extra-thick gold Plexiglas front panel was faithfully reproduced. The black Levant covering, small gold Marshall script logo, authentic venting, beading and piping were all recreated with the same attention to detail as the circuit itself. On the reverse of each head, Jimi Hendrix's logo and signature replaced the standard Marshall badge, the only outward indication that this was a special edition.  While the Super 100 became foundational to Jimi's sound, like every aspect of his music, his equipment continued to evolve. He was never content to stand still and constantly searched for new sounds, with Marshall remaining at the heart of that journey. Jim Marshall always understood that Jimi Hendrix's influence was not confined to a single moment in time - it would last for generations. 

The story of Jimi Hendrix and Marshall isn't simply history. It continues to inspire musicians over 60 years later. It lives on every time a player plugs in and pushes the boundaries of their sound. For Jimi, Marshall was more than an amplifier. It was an essential part of his creative voice, delivering the sustain, clarity and harmonic richness that allowed him to explore new musical territory. Together, Jimi and Marshall helped redefine what the electric guitar could become, and that spirit of innovation continues to shape new sounds today.