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This answer claims:

Hendrix would walk around the stage with his guitar during soundcheck and mark the "sweetspots" with masking tape so he knew where to stand when he wanted feedback.

Is there any evidence to support this claim? A video of him doing it would be fantastic.

If there is no evidence for this claim, have any other prominent guitarists been known to do this?

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    With all the equipment problems Jimi apparently had I think he was searching for a way to keep the feedback to a minimum if he was walking around for any reason at all. I'm trying to think of that famous British holiday place that he had that one famous performance at, he certainly walked around backstage a lot in that performance although for what reason I could not say.
    – Neil Meyer
    Commented Dec 9, 2016 at 17:37
  • I offer an answer to at least part of the question, and someone decides it's better as a comment, whilst someone else deletes it, without giving a reason. Well offside, I feel. And not even the decency to give a reason, which isn't needed because of their position - so... I expect this comment will be deleted before the day's out, too.
    – Tim
    Commented Dec 9, 2016 at 22:14
  • I just re-watched Jimi's Monterey Pop performance and I didn't see any markings on the floor. He doesn't deviate much from standing in front of the mic, and his movements are decidedly too fluid and chaotic to be "Moving from tape to tape" and are much more likely the same as the rest of his style - purely just "feeling it out". Now I'm wondering if I should close the questions or generalize it to Do any artists do this?
    – progressiveCavemen
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 18:40

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A classic example of this technique is Robert Fripp's guitar part on the David Bowie song "Heroes".

"Fripp [stood] in the right place with his volume up at the right level and getting feedback. . .Fripp had a technique in those days where he measured the distance between the guitar and the speaker where each note would feed back. For instance, an 'A' would feed back maybe at about four feet from the speaker, whereas a 'G' would feed back maybe three and a half feet from it. He had a strip that they would place on the floor, and when he was playing the note 'F' sharp he would stand on the strip's 'F' sharp point and 'F' sharp would feed back better. He really worked this out to a fine science, and we were playing this at a terrific level in the studio, too." - Tony Visconti

Source: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/classic-tracks-david-bowie-heroes

I'm not sure about Hendrix though.

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  • Interesting. This is the kind of information I was looking for. Can't wait to try it!
    – progressiveCavemen
    Commented Dec 14, 2016 at 18:37
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Ted Nugent used to tape the stage during soundcheck for feedback and he played a semi-hollow body stuffed with rags. I've seen no evidence that Hendrix taped the stage.

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  • I don't doubt your statement about TN, but is there any documentation of that, say an interview ?
    – Angst
    Commented May 10, 2018 at 18:34
  • I wandered around Google for a moment before posting and found some other anecdotal "I remember reading ..." but no direct links to interviews. Sorry but I'm in the "I remember reading ..." category. An interview in the 70s if memory serves. I know people who stage teched for Hendrix during festivals and none ever mentioned Hendrix stage taping but how much they remember of the whole decade is questionable.
    – openquestions
    Commented May 11, 2018 at 0:01
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Hendrix was spontaneous. He'd just go out and get in the zone. He Didn't tape spots or sound check all that much... He tried to NOT feedback. And You don't have to find a spot to get feedback when you have headroom enough to crank up the level to feedback volume. He could just turn up the volume-step on a pedal, etc. He tried to keep it down and under control. Stand in front of three Marshall 100 w Plexis with single coil, it's not an issue trying to get feedback. BUT > I know of people that did tape spots, like Gary Moore. He taped the floor at sound checks — BUT the difference is, he had certain numbers where he played at low levels soft and slow at first only to bring the song to a climax on a certain specific note that had to sustain to do the song justice. And he'd be playing to an audience that wasn't there particularly for real loud Festival rock levels. So, like in smaller venues, he had to make advance arrangements. He had to have things organized for feedback to hold, e.g., one note in that one song, at the exact time, with no other collateral notes. So he would find the spot at sound check and, yes, he would tape the floor.

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  • Can you add references for any of this?
    – Aaron
    Commented Mar 21, 2021 at 6:00

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