Jimi Hendrix’s 1960s Danelectro Bronze Standard

Brand: Danelectro

Model: Shorthorn

Following the theft of his Supro, with support from his father, Jimi Hendrix acquired a 1960s Danelectro Bronze Standard guitar, marking it as his second electric guitar in chronological order.

Interestingly, Hendrix himself later claimed that the Danelectro was his very first guitar, raising the possibility that the Supro may have been a borrowed instrument. This theory is further supported by the fact that Hendrix was only documented playing the Supro on a single occasion.

When I was seventeen, I formed this group with some other guys, but they drowned me out. I didn’t know why at first, but after about three months I realized I’d have to get an electric guitar. My first was a Danelectro, which my dad bought for me. Must have busted him for a long time.
Starting At Zero: His Own Story by Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix in the Army holding a Danelectro Bronze Standard guitar. Photo credit: Unknown

The Color of the Guitar

In Steven Roby’s book Becoming Hendrix, it is suggested that the Danelectro was initially green but that Hendrix later painted it red and inscribed “Betty Jean” on the front as a tribute to his girlfriend at the time, Betty Jean Morgan. Photographic evidence confirms the presence of “Betty Jean” written on the guitar, but verifying the paint color change is more difficult.

One early photograph shows a young Hendrix wearing a red sports coat, standing next to a red car, and holding what appears to be a bronze-colored guitar. This particular finish was standard for many of the Danelectro models, including the one Jimi had.

Young Jimi Hendrix holding a copper-colored Danelectro guitar. Photo credit: Unknown

Initially, it was speculated that Jimi’s Danelectro had a single pickup. However, a closer look at a photograph from his army days (see first photo on this page) reveals that the guitar actually had two pickups. Based on the shape of the pickguard and other visual details, it is highly likely that Hendrix’s instrument was a 1959 Danelectro Model 3022 Shorthorn.

A guitar that looks pretty much identical to Jimi’s, which is interestingly pretty hard to encounter because most 1960s models have pickguards that are shaped differently. Photo source: Reverb.com

Army Days

A collection of photographs from Jimi Hendrix’s Army days (circa 1961) shows him with this particular Danelectro guitar. Interestingly, earlier photos depict the guitar without a pickguard, suggesting that Jimi may have removed it.

Later images reveal “Betty Jean” inscribed on the lower portion of the guitar’s body, a tribute to his girlfriend at the time, as mentioned earlier.

In October 1961, Hendrix wrote a letter to his father, published in the book Starting at Zero: His Own Story, asking him to send the guitar to his Army base. This implies that Jimi initially arrived at Fort Campbell without his instrument but eventually felt compelled to reconnect with his music:

p.s. Please send my guitar as soon as you can – I really need it now – it’s still over at Betty’s house.
Jimi Hendrix – Letter to his father, October 1961; Starting at Zero: His Own Story

Leaving the Army

After his discharge from the Army in July 1962, Jimi had $400 to his name and headed to Clarksville, Tennessee. While there, he visited a jazz bar and spent the majority of his money, leaving himself with just $16. Strapped for cash and unwilling to ask his father for help, Jimi faced a tough situation.

Clarksville is the closest large city to Fort Cambell, at around 13 miles or 20 kilometers.

Adding to his uncertainty were unresolved feelings toward Betty Jean, to whom he was engaged, and the question of whether to return home. Deciding to stay in Clarksville, Jimi attempted to earn money by playing guitar. However, he had sold his Danelectro to a fellow serviceman shortly before leaving the Army, leaving him without an instrument. Determined to keep playing, he borrowed the guitar back:

In the army I’d started to play guitar very seriously, so I thought all I can do is try to earn money playing guitar. Then I remembered that just before I left the army I’d sold my guitar to a cat in the unit. So I went back to Fort Campbell, found the guy and told him I just had to borrow the guitar back.
Jimi Hendrix – Starting at Zero: His Own Story

From that point on, Jimi likely used the Danelectro for a while, performing local gigs in Clarksville and taking odd jobs to make ends meet. It can be assumed that he eventually returned the guitar to its owner, but the story ends there, with the instrument seemingly vanishing without a trace.