Jimi Hendrix’s 1967 Fender Stratocaster (White)

Jimi started using this guitar upon returning to the US, in July 1967. It was seen on July 2nd at Whisky A Go-Go, and a few days later on the 5th at the Rheingold Central Park Music Festival. From then on it was used on nearly all (probably all of them at least to some extent, but no way to tell for sure) of the US gigs up until Jimi’s return to the UK on August 20th.

Back in the UK, Hendrix continued using this Strat as his main go-to guitar. Among others, it was seen at the Hollywood Bowl, on Aug 18th, at the Olympic Studios in October 1967 [Jimi Hendrix and Noel Redding in a London recording studio, October 1967], and at the Vitus TV Studios, Bussum for the recording of the television show “Hoepla” on November 10th.

Jimi Hendrix performs for Dutch television show Hoepla, November 10, 1967.
Jimi Hendrix performs for the Dutch television show Hoepla, on November 10, 1967.

The Other White Strats

By mid-November 1967 Jimi seemed to have acquired a couple of more white Strats. Both can be seen at the Blackpool Opera House on November 25th. In the photo below, Hendrix is seen playing a different white Strat with what appears to be a dark-colored pickguard. Two additional white Strats (one of them being the one he switched from or the main one) can be sitting in the background.

Jimi Hendrix at Opera House, Blackpool. November 25, 1967. Source: YouTube Screencap
Jimi Hendrix at Opera House, Blackpool. November 25, 1967. Source: YouTube Screencap

The third white Strat (one sitting behind the first one in the background, with its back turned) is at this time a mystery. It could’ve been another white Stratocaster, or it could’ve just as likely been another large headstock rosewood Strat identical to the first one. If true, that would, of course, mean that possibly Hendrix used more than just one white Strat all this time. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll ignore the third Strat, and focus on the first one (the wear on the body does seem to confirm that one same Strat was used from mid-1967 to mid-1968, but when it comes to Hendrix – it’s always hard to tell anything for sure).

The second guitar, or the one with the dark pickguard, is most likely a 1964 Olympic White Stratocaster that you can read more about here.

Into the 1968 and Away With It

The main white Strat continued being used throughout January 1968 and can be easily distinguishable on photos from any other guitars based on the wear on the inside of the upper horn (first seen on the photos linked above taken at the Olympic Studios in late 1967). Most notably, the Strat was seen in the photos taken at the L’Olympia, Paris on January 29th, and at the Fillmore West, San Francisco, on February 1st.

Embed from Getty Images

On February 2nd, 1968, Jimi is photographed playing almost an identical guitar – minus all the wear. [Jimi Hendrix, backstage at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, 1968 – Time] We assume that at this point he decided that the old white Strat had enough of a run, and opted for an upgrade. Whatever the reason, all the gigs from then on are played on the new white Strat. The old guitar is gone missing (destroyed, stolen, or simply put away – who knows…).

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Chad
Chad
2 years ago

Would love to know the S/N of his main 1967 Oly as I’m currently building a clone of it and need a neck plate made. – about the Blackpool Strat, which he used as his Wild Thing finale strat. It is a 1964 Strat with tortoiseshell pickguard. The tortoiseshell “Texas Model” which was originally owned by Gary Boyle. Jimi used the Strat on a regular basis upon arriving in London late 1966. It’s home is the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver

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