Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster

  1. #1
    TFF Stage Crew
    Moderator
    Cogs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Burpleson AFB
    Posts
    6,992

    Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster

    Anybody play one of these? They seem to be going cheap on eBay.
    And what's the story on the actual guitar? This one was not burned or smashed? Where is it now? Who painted it?

  2. #2
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Southern NH
    Posts
    4,717

    Re: Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster

    weren't they MIM? Didn't Frank Zappa end up with the Monterey guitar?

  3. #3
    TFF Stage Crew
    Moderator
    Cogs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Burpleson AFB
    Posts
    6,992

    Re: Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster

    Well that's what I can't figure out; some are listed at around $800 & some are in the neighborhood of $2K. You have to wonder at such a wide gap in pricing
    The real Jimi owned Strat is kind of a mystery to me. I read somewhere that he actually handed the hand-painted Strat off for a different guitar that he set on fire. But I can't find any definitive info on the 'net. I just figured that some nerd would have catalogued every guitar that Jimi was seen in public with & we would know more about what it started out as, who painted it, & so on

  4. #4
    Forum Member VibroCount's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Sacratomato
    Posts
    1,508

    Re: Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster

    Please correct me if I am mistaken, but last year's Hendrix Monterey Strat seems like a slightly modified MIM '60's Classic Player, which is and was a fine guitar for around $700 new. Add $100 for the mods and paint job, and the $800 new price seemed appropriate to me. What Fender failed on was anticipating the large initial interest in the guitar, thus not only had too few at the beginning (which is a good way to increase interest and sales) but unfortunately, did not have enough additional guitars ready to be made and shipped rapidly, so dealers (brick and board, as well as online) were promising guitars on certain delivery dates to customers only to have Fender's distribution fall not just short, but months behind on meeting their own announced delivery dates.

    Now, most dealers who wanted them have them, so they are available both locally and online. But those who got them early but expected them to be underproduced collectors' items are trying to unload them like they are still scarce and in high demand.

    As for the original, there are stories, but few follow-up answers. Frank Zappa once claimed to have the guitar, given to him by Jimi. Supposedly Frank had removed the neck pickup to use in another guitar. Then Dweezil said he had it. Then the story changed to the Zappa guitar being the one Jimi played in Miami, not Monterey. The original went up for auction by Heritage last June or July. But I cannot find the details of the auction... who won it, etc.

    Those details might be interesting.
    Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don't. -- Pete Seeger

  5. #5
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Massachusetts
    Posts
    11,288

    Re: Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster

    Quote Originally Posted by VibroCount View Post
    Please correct me if I am mistaken, but last year's Hendrix Monterey Strat seems like a slightly modified MIM '60's Classic Player, which is and was a fine guitar for around $700 new.
    I think it's based on the Classic Series '60s Strat (vintage size frets on 7.25" radius fretboard, 6 screw trem).

  6. #6
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    8,163

    Re: Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster

    I was thinking they put out a version quite a few years ago. Could it be that the previous one was American made?
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  7. #7
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Southern NH
    Posts
    4,717

    Re: Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster

    there's been a Hendrix model out for a long time, but the Monterey one is fairly recent

    so ah, what does a left handed Hendrix model look like? An upside down right-handed guitar ?

  8. #8
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    8,163

    Re: Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster

    Quote Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan View Post
    there's been a Hendrix model out for a long time, but the Monterey one is fairly recent

    so ah, what does a left handed Hendrix model look like? An upside down right-handed guitar ?
    My first Fender was an early-mid 90s LEFTY MIJ white 68 reissue Strat that was modeled after Hendrix's white Strat. It was totally lefty, no reversed headstock.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  9. #9
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Posts
    437

    Re: Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster

    I watched this a couple weeks ago.



    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2OtCllDjFc

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •