The Guitars of Jimi Hendrix

There are guitar heroes and then there is Jimi Hendrix. Jimi’s name will forever be synonymous with electric guitar and will usually conjure images of a Fender Stratocaster. But, like many guitar enthusiasts, Hendrix had room in his heart and imagination for a lot of guitars. From Strats to Supros, Danelectros to Gibsons, Jimi played just about everything at some point, and as fun as it is to dissect his music, it’s just as fascinating to investigate the incredible guitars of Jimi Hendrix.

So today, let’s look at Jimi's guitars chronologically, starting with the first guitars he ever played (not including the broomstick a young Jimi jammed with..). This list is not exhaustive and we’ll be focusing on the guitars of Jimi Hendrix that were most important to his career or tied to legendary stories and moments that embedded in the history of rock and roll.

Stratocasters

Hendrix played a lot of guitars in his career, but he is by far the most well-known for playing Fender Stratocasters. Once his career took off, he played them almost exclusively. Here are some of Jimi’s essential and iconic Strats.

1960 Fender Stratocaster - “Carol”

This 1960s model is probably the first Strat Jimi ever owned, beginning a life-long connection with them. Jimi’s then girlfriend Carol bought him this guitar in New York City, prior to the journey to the UK that would launch his career in 1966. The guitar itself was stock apart from Jimi’s restringing it to accommodate his left-handedness.

The rest of this guitar’s history is a bit of a mystery. It’s not the white Strat Jimi took to the UK, and it seems like this one was only used briefly before leaving the US. Some claim this guitar was smashed by Jimi at a show, but given Jimi’s struggles with money at the time, that doesn’t seem likely. 

1964 Fender Stratocaster - “Linda”

Jimi met Linda Keith, Keith Richards’ partner at the time, after a show in New York City in 1966. Linda magnanimously decided to help Jimi with his career and lent him this 1964 white Strat from Keith’s collection.

This was the only guitar Jimi took with him when he left for the UK in 1966, and he used it almost exclusively for his shows overseas that year, including TV appearances in December. This guitar was also likely used to record “Hey Joe.”

As with most of Jimi’s strats, this guitar was stock with no modifications. Sadly the whereabouts of this guitar are now unknown. Stolen at some point in 1967, it has never resurfaced. 

1960s Fender Stratocaster - “Zappa”

Jimi’s scorched 1960s Strat that went on to be owned by Frank Zappa (followed by his son, Dweezil) is one the most iconic guitars of Jimi Hendrix.

Zappa claims that he procured this guitar from Jimi’s roadie and assistant Howard Parker in 1968. According to Zappa, the guitar was ceremonially burnt by Hendrix at the Miami Pop Festival, but that story doesn’t quite add up. 

Multiple people have confirmed that Jimi did not burn any guitars during his performance at Miami Pop, and this Strat is clearly quite crispy.  So what’s the real story?

Hendrix is only confirmed to have burnt three guitars, and this one may actually be the Strat that he lit up at his infamous Astoria gig in Lancashire, England. The scratches and wear on the back of the body line-up perfectly with photos of the Astoria Strat. 

Mysteries about this guitar are still abound - Parker didn’t work for Hendrix at the time of the Astoria gig, so how did he get the guitar? And how did the guitar make it from London to the US? Why would Jimi lug around a burnt-up guitar? These questions make “Zappa” one of the more puzzling guitars of Jimi Hendrix.

1963/64 Fender Stratocaster - Monterey Pop

The 1963 or 1964 Stratocaster that Hendrix set ablaze at Monterey Pop is probably his most well-known guitar. He acquired it at some point in early 1967, and its first documented use was on Top of the Tops in March of that year. 

The guitar was originally red with a rosewood fretboard, setting it apart from his usual choice of maple necks with maple fingerboards. At some point in 1967, he repainted it with the now iconic psychedelic design. 

Despite its love-in looks, this guitar was ritually sacrificed at Monterey Pop after Hendrix’s performance of “Wild Thing.” After it was set on fire, Hendrix smashed it into pieces, a chunk of which now resides at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. 

Even though Hendrix only used this guitar briefly, it has become so iconic that Fender has done multiple Monterey Strat models. 

1965/66 Fender Stratocaster - Monterey

This Black Strat seems to have been one of Hendrix’s favorites, as he played it extensively in 1967. It was used throughout his Monterey Pop performance, and unlike its aforementioned counterpart, survived the show to go on to play the Fillmore West and Whiskey a Go-Go later that year. 

However, while unconfirmed, it seems like Hendrix burned this guitar at the Ambassador Theater in Washington, DC, the last time he was known to have burned a guitar on stage. The guitar was then smashed, and Hendrix signed the pieces and distributed them to the venue’s staff.

In 2012, a guitar listed to be Hendrix’s black Monterey Strat was put up for sale. It seems very unlikely that the guitar was the genuine article, and this video from CGS sums up the issues with its authenticity. 

1960s Fender Stratocaster - Modified

Jimi was only seen using this 1960s Strat a handful of times in 1967, but this guitar is notable because it’s the only modified guitar Jimi was ever known to have played. 

The guitar’s mod was to its pickup switch, which featured three independent toggles instead of a standard five-way. This allowed Jimi to turn each individual pickup on or off, opening up a ton of different pickup configurations.

Hendrix may not have been a big fan of this mod, however, as he was never seen using that configuration again and the whereabouts of this guitar remain unknown. It’s possible that the pickguard was replaced with one wired to standard Strat specs and Hendrix went back to playing it, but that’s only a guess. 

1967 Fender Stratocaster - White

Hendrix used this 1967 White Strat for most of 1968, and it seems to have been one of his favorites. This guitar was used at Miami Pop and the Fillmore East in 1968, as well as other shows. 

This white Strat is also one of the most well documented guitars of Jimi Hendrix, as he used it to record much of Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, engineer of the album, specifically remembers Jimi using a white Strat for the recording of “Voodoo Chile”—likely this very guitar. 

1968 Fender Stratocaster - Woodstock

Hendrix’s most legendary performance makes this Strat perhaps the most iconic of all of the guitars of Jimi Hendrix.

This 1968 Strat was acquired by Jimi during 1968. It remained stock and he used it regularly leading up to the Woodstock Festival in 1969. 

In 1970, Hendrix gave the guitar to Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell, who kept the guitar until 1991 when he sold it to an Italian TV host and music critic. It was then sold again to the co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen. Allen founded the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, and the guitar is now kept there as a piece of music history.  

1960s Fender Stratocaster - Newport

This guitar is unique from every other Strat Hendrix owned for one huge reason—it had a Telecaster neck. He only used the guitar at two shows, one of which was the Newport Folk Festival. 

Neal Moser, a luthier in Hollywood, claims to have fixed this guitar for Jimi and installed the Tele neck. He says that the original neck broke, and when Jimi needed a replacement he had no Strat necks available. He had a Tele neck handy, popped it on before the show, and the Newport Strat was born.

Outliers and Oddities 

Any guitar in Jimi Hendrix’s hands  that isn’t a Strat can be considered an outlier. Let’s take a look at some of the guitars of Jimi Hendrix that strayed from his beloved Stratocaster.

1961 Epiphone Wilshire

Jimi moved to Nashville in 1962, and along with his friend Billy Cox, formed a band called The King Casuals. During that time Jimi’s primary guitar was a 1961 Epiphone Wilshire. Despite his relative obscurity at the time, the Wilshire has become associated with Hendrix. 

This guitar was likely modified at some point, either by Jimi or its previous owner. The 17th fret inlay was much bigger than the stock one, so it may have been a sticker. The guitar also featured a tremolo, which was not an option for these guitars in 1961.

1967 Hand-Painted Gibson Flying V

Jimi only used this 1967 hand-painted Flying V briefly, but it’s an incredibly iconic guitar thanks to its paint job. Jimi bought this guitar at some point in the summer of 1967, and it was one of his main guitars from then until early 1968. Outside of its unique decorations, it is a stock Flying V.

There are some rumors about Jimi having used the V on Electric Ladyland, specifically on “All Along the Watchtower.” These rumors remain unsubstantiated, but Hendrix definitely used it as a stage guitar up until 1968.

Mosrite Joe Maphis 12/6 Doubleneck

This Mosrite Joe Maphis 12/6 doubleneck was purchased by Hendrix and used to record “Spanish Castle Magic” from Bold as Love. 

There are conflicting stories as to how Jimi ended up with this guitar. Some claim he purchased it from a shop in NYC, while Dana Moseley—daughter of Mosrite founder Semie Moseley—claims to remember Jimi coming to the factory to pick it up. 

Though this isn’t his iconic or well-known guitar, it is a unique outlier in the guitars of Jimi Hendrix that played an important part on one of his most well-loved songs. 

1965 Fender Sunburst Jazzmaster

This 1965 Jazzmaster wasn’t used by Jimi much himself, though a photo confirms it was present at the Miami Festival. One of the few sightings of an offset in Jimi’s hands, there’s something else that makes this guitar notable:

This was eventually purchased by Steven Seagal. Yes, that Steven Seagal. 

If you’re unfamiliar with Segall's illustrious career as a blues guitarist and collector, we recommend this great video from former Reverb writer, Casey Hopkins. In his deep-dive, Hopkins discovered that Segall sold many of his guitars before moving to Russia. The status of this Jazzmaster is currently unknown.  

1956 Gibson Les Paul Custom - Fillmore West, Miami Pop

While he was a Fender man, Jimi also played Gibsons from time to time. This 1956 Les Paul Custom was purchased by Jimi in early 1968.

Jimi played his Custom on performances of “Red House” regularly in spring of 1968. He also famously used it at the Fillmore East in 1968 and Miami Pop a week later. 

Outside of that, Hendrix didn’t really use this guitar much. However, having been used at two of his most famous performances, it’s one of the notable Gibsons in the guitars of Jimi Hendrix. 

1967 Gibson SG Custom

Jimi procured this white 1967 SG Custom in 1968, and it saw a lot of use over his remaining years. He would frequently use the guitar to play “Sunshine of Your Love” as a nod to Eric Clapton’s use of an SG with Cream. Most famously though, Hendrix played the SG during his appearance on the Dick Cavett show in 1969. 

This is speculation, but Jimi likely was fond of the guitar because it was easy to play left-handed. SGs are nearly symmetrical, meaning there are no barriers to entry when playing it upside down. 

Hendrix’s SG is now on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Atlantic City, New Jersey. 

1970 Gibson Left-Handed Flying V

This 1970 Flying V was custom made for Jimi in the spring of 1970. He played it up until his death, most famously at the Isle of Wight Festival in August of 1970. 

The guitar was mostly a standard Flying V, but it did have some features unique to Jimi. It had split diamond inlays, a fully bound neck, a Les Paul Custom truss rod cover, and an inlaid Gibson logo on the headstock. 

This guitar is now on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in London, England. 

Hendrix’s Legend = Legendary Guitars

In his all too short career, Jimi Hendrix quickly became the vanguard of rock guitar and an indisputable icon for just about every guitarist. Because the influence of his otherworldly playing runs so deep, his choice of instruments will forever fascinate players. While this fascination will often inspire folks to pick up a Strat, Jimi, like us, was a guitar nerd who was always interested in trying out new gear. So, whether or not you own one of the guitars of Jimi Hendrix listed here, grab your guitar, wind it up with Stringjoys, and let that Hendrix chord ring out! (Oh, and maybe keep the lighter fluid away from it…)