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.

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.

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 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 the 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.

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.

On February 2nd, 1968, Jimi is photographed playing an almost identical guitar, minus all the wear. We assume that at this point, he decided that the old white Strat had 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…).