The Guitars of Jimi Hendrix
To most people the truth about when Jimi Hendrix got his first guitar and what types of guitars he played throughout his career is somewhat of a mystery. Although, he was unarguably the greatest guitar player ever, and with his fertile musical mind, perhaps the greatest composer of our generation or ever for that matter. No disrespect intended, putting Jimi in company with Bach, Beethoven and the likes. True Genius.
The path that will be described here is what I would consider the most accurate, after a lot of research and a little voodoo-magic. Realistically though, boiling down the mixture may leave some people to disagree with me, and I welcome the input.
The evidence and consistencies suggest that his first guitar was a cheap acoustic his dad gave to him, as early as eleven years old. The story goes as such, that even at a young age of six years, his school teacher mentioned to his dad, Jimi obsesses over having a guitar so much that it may be contributing to some mental health issues. Not to discount todays teachers, but that was a very perceptive statement at that time.
His first electric guitar was bought from Myers Music in Seattle in 1959. Professed to be a white, single pickup Supro Ozark. The next axe that Hendrix played was a red Danelectro single pickup Silvertone, nicknamed Betty Jean. In’62, while doing some gigs with the King Casuals in Tennessee, he traded his Danelectro for an Epiphone Wilshire, which had dual pickups and a glued on mahogany neck with a solid mahogany body, as opposed to the bolt on Fender Stratocaster guitar necks.
In 1964, Jimi would play rhythm guitar for the Isley Brothers. During this nine month gig, he finally got his first Fender guitar, a blond’59 Duo-Sonic. He next played with Little Richard in ’65, and briefly played a Fender Jazzmaster. However, he switched back to a Dou-Sonic when he played with Curtis Knight and the Squires. Even though Jimi later returned to the Jazzmaster.
A point of interest is that none of the gigs he had with the bands mentioned above lasted very long, because Jimi’s guitar work stole the show. His unbelievable guitar abilities were noticed by all immediately, which took the focus away from the musical-icons he worked for.
Jimi purchased his first Strat from Manny’s Music in New York in ’66 in the summer. Early on he would use a variety of CBS Strats with rosewood fretboards. While he was staying in Greenwich Village in late ’66 and ’67 he narrowed down his choices to a ’60′s era Reverse Fender Stratocasterblack or white Fender Strats using maple fretboards. Which, most likely is the reason the Fender Stratocaster is the most important guitar in the history of guitars and music.
From then on he played Fender Stratocasters with large headstocks. One of his many unusual playing techniques was to play a right handed guitar backwards, or in the left handed position, obviously because Jimi was left handed. In order to do that one must reverse the strings and (bone) nut so the low E was still on the top. My understanding was that he preferred the controls on the top of the guitar. Apparently he could work his magic easier with the voluminous amount of tricks he performed, partly by messing with the volume control knob. Jimi was not much on tone controls or guitar setup. Mostly Jimi spent the bulk of time modifying his tremolo to do things like lower the pitch more than usual and create trem sounds otherwise unheard of.
Naturally Jim Hendrix had purchased and played a tremendous assortment of guitars in his lifetime. During my fact finding mission, this is the list of the other guitars Jimi most likely owned and played; a Gibson ES-330, a Gibson Firebird, a Mosrite electric resonator guitar, a Guild 12 string acoustic, a Black Widow Spider acoustic, several Rickenbacker’s including a bass Rick, a double neck Mosrite, a Hagstrom 8 string bass(it was the on played on Spanish Castle Magic from the Axis Bold As Love album’, a ’67 Gibson Flying V, a ’67 Gretsch Corvette, a lefty Guild Starfire Deluxe, a Hofner electric, a ’55 Gibson Les Paul, a Gibson Dove acoustic, a Martin acoustic, a ’68 Gibson SG Custom and a black lefty Flying V. Wow!
It is not surprising that Jimi owned so many guitars. The depth of knowledge and pure unadulterated playing style was not limited to just electric guitars and Stratocasters. His unique abilities allowed him to play any guitar with the deep soul jarring vibes that were all his. It would be unrealistic to think he was limited to one style of guitar. Or for that matter, one type of music. Jimi’s interest in music extended to the world of classical music as well.
Lost to many, is the fact that Jimi was one of the best rhythm guitarists ever, most folk know him for his lead and solo guitar work, he was also an adept bass player too. And last, he was a master at the acoustic guitar, using chords in a manner unknown to mankind at that time. This combo of skills and abilities produced the man who will be forever the patron saint of rock guitar.
A long article to read indeed. A true joy putting the info together. It turned out to be a long path to find the truth. Enjoy it.
Guild Guitars Company Overview
|
|
Guitar acoustic GUILD D4 NT 12 string Great Condition w/case $675.00 |
|
|
Stolen rare Guild DV52 acoustic guitar £1000 cash reward gibson martin vintage $3,160.60 |
|
|
Guild GAD Series GN-5 Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural $999.99 |
|
|
Guild GAD 30 Sunburst Acoustic Guitar With Case! $350.00 |
|
|
1976 GUILD 12-STRING ELECTRIC-ACOUSTIC GUITAR W/ ORIGINAL CASE VERY NICE $695.00 |
|
|
’68 GUILD GUITAR BASS CATALOG CLAPTON BINSON WEM COPICAT ECHOREC PRE FENDER $89.99 |
|
|
OLD PICK+ Gibson Epiphone Gretsch Guild Ibanez Les Paul ES SG Electric Guitar Ad $7.50 |
|
|
Fossilized Bridge Pins w/Ebony Inlay to fit Guild Guitars $99.95 |
|
|
1 vintage white celluloid Guild 346 heavy gauge guitar pick! NOS!! $9.99 |
|
|
Vintage Guild acoustic guitar made in usa serial #AD404642 true american model $338.88 |
|
|
1 vintage black celluloid Guild 346 heavy gauge guitar pick! NOS!! $9.99 |
|
|
1964 Guild Thunderbird S-200 guitar $6,995.00 |
|
|
Guild GN-5 GAD Series Nylon String Acoustic-Electric Guitar – Natural $999.99 |
|
|
60s 70s UNIVOX hollowbody vintage guitar gretsch guild tailpeice?MIJ great playr $189.00 |
|
|
GUILD ACOUSTIC ELECTRIFIED D-25 VINTAGE 1977 GUITAR $0 FREE SHIP REFURBISHED WOW $1,200.00 |
|
|
vintage original Guild Guitar color brochure – Pointy Head X-100 Bladerunner,etc $39.99 |
|
|
Guild GAD-G212E Acoustic-Electric Guitar w/ Fishman Acoustic Matrix VT $639.00 |
|
|
Guild Mark II classical guitar neck $124.99 |
|
|
GUILD GAD50E ac/el guitar w case ROSEWOOD LIST $1400 $599.00 |
|
|
3 Packs USA Made.12′s Acoustic Guitar Strings.On Sale,Special,Cheap,Discount!!!! $5.99 |
|
|
HY WHITE, GUILD GUITARS INC. Original Vintage Magazine Ad “Met. Music” 1959 $13.00 |
|
|
OLD PICK+ Gibson Epiphone Gretsch Guild Ibanez Les Paul ES SG Electric Guitar Ad $2.25 |
|
|
BIG KENNY OF BIG & AND RICH GUILD GUITAR PICTURE! COOL $10.39 |
|
|
Guild F-150RCE GAD Series Jumbo Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar – Natural $1,249.99 |
|
|
Vintage Guild Sprint electric guitar, made in USA $200.00 |
|
|
1966 Guild Starfire II Vintage Guitar Cherry Red All Original $2,100.00 |
|
|
1988 EARL SLICK & KEVIN RUSSELL FOR GUILD GUITARS AD $9.99 |
|
|
1980 JOHN ABERCROMBIE PLAYS A GUILD ACOUSTIC GUITAR AD $9.99 |
|
|
USA Leather Personalized Strap Button With Your Name On It for Guild Guitar $19.99 |
|
|
Guild GAD-C1 GAD Series Classical Acoustic Guitar – Natural $699.99 |
|
|
Muddy Waters: Classic Concerts $6.32 Anyone who calls the late McKinley Morganfield, aka Muddy Waters, the greatest of all bluesmen isn’t likely to get a whole lot of argument. But just in case, Classic Concerts offers a handy rebuttal to any doubters. The approximately 90 minutes of music here were drawn from three separate Waters concerts, spanning some 17 years. The five tunes from the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival include two, “(I’m… |
|
|
Jota: Guitar Music By Francisco Tarrega $11.93 … |
|
|
The Great Regondi: Volume 2 $9.33 … |
|
|
Guitar Card 5 x 7 inch premium quality folded paper greeting card. Music & Dance cards for the whole family are available at Greeting Card Universe. Make the occasion a memorable one by sending a custom Music & Dance card. Allow Greeting Card Universe to handle all your Music & Dance card needs this year. This paper card includes the following themes: black, white, and guild. Greeting Card Universe has the bi… |
|
|
Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars 2nd Edition (Softcover) $27.95 Authors George Gruhn and Walter Carter are no strangers to fretted instruments: Gruhn runs one of the best vintage instrument stores in the country, and Carter was Gibson’s company historian for several years in the 1990s. In the second edition to Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars, the pair have created a useful resource for any lover of fine guitars, banjos, or basses. Though not a price gui… |
|
|
The Guild Guitar Book $21.46 Guild guitars have been around since the early 1950s, and by the beginning of the ’60s, the company had established a solid reputation for its electric and acoustic archtops, which are still widely regarded today. Despite this enduring popularity, little was known about the history of Guild. The Guild Guitar Book is the result of years of intensive research and countless photo sessions. It include… |
|
|
2010 Official Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide $18.56 For more than 20 years, The Official Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide has been the industry-leading reference for values on vintage and collectible guitars, basses, lap steels, mandolins, ukuleles, amps, and effects. The expanded 2010 edition spans nearly 600 pages and includes information on more than 1,800 brands with more than 1,300 photos, plus a detailed look at the “hows” and “whys” of th… |