When Noel Redding went to his first audition with Jimi Hendrix in London on 29 September 1966, he borrowed Chas Chandler’s Gibson ‘EB-2’ semi-acoustic one-pick-up bass guitar. The Gibson was used by Redding until mid February 1967, when he purchased his own bass guitar, a sunburst 1964 Fender Jazz bass. in London.

Noel Redding: “I used a six-string bass for a while. That made the change-over from lead easier, but I could only seem to get a trebly sound of it. Later I moved on to four-string.“ This was a Fender V1 electric bass guitar, usually referred to as a Bass V1 or Bass 6.

The Fender Jazz bass was used for the remainder of Redding’s career with the Jimi Hendrix Experience (note that in January 1968 he removed the pickup cover and rear cover that protects the bridge).

In the 1980s Noel sold his Jazz bass (at that time in rather poor condition) for UK £10,000 to collector Bob Terry, who himself sold it again a few years later.

In July 1967 Noel Redding also got a Hagstrom eight-string bass (1967), which he used for some of the Axis: Bold As Love studio recordings and also for a few of the JHE concerts during 1967.

Redding always used Rotosound Swing Bass string for his bass guitars, while Sunn was his favourite amplification system from April 1968 onwards

.
Photo 1: Noel with Chas Chandler’s Gibson ‘EB-2’ semi-acoustic bass.

Photo 2: Noel with a Fender V1 electric bass guitar.

Photo 3: Noel with his Fender Jazz bass (with pickup cover).

Photo 4: Noel with his Fender Jazz bass (without pickup cover).

Photo 5: Noel with his Hagstrom eight-string bass.

Photo 6: Noel with his impressive wall of Sunn amps.

Photo 7: Noel with rare Mustang.