Jimi Hendrix’s 1959-1964 Fender Jazzmaster

During the latter part of the Isley Brothers’ tour in late 1964 and the tour with Little Richard in early to mid-1965, Jimi was seen playing a sunburst Fender Jazzmaster. This guitar also made an appearance during one of Jimi’s earliest TV performances in May 1965.

Dating the Jazzmaster

Based on the guitar’s features, its manufacturing year can be narrowed down to between 1959 and 1964. The pickguard seen on Jimi’s Jazzmaster was introduced in 1959, and both the small headstock and logo design are consistent with pre-1964 models. Additionally, the guitar appears to have a veneer fretboard, which would limit the production range to between 1959 and 1962. Unfortunately, no photos provide a clear enough angle of the fretboard to make a definitive determination. If you happen to find a photo of Jimi playing the Jazzmaster with a better view of the fretboard, please share it in the comments.

Post Little Richard

Jimi was seen with this Jazzmaster in a photo taken at the Hejaz Grotto Hall in July 1965 during his second stint with the Isley Brothers, after leaving Little Richard. While we can’t display the photo here due to copyright, it can be easily found with a quick Google search.

Another photo of Jimi with the guitar was taken later that year while playing with Joey Dee and the Starliters. According to a letter Jimi wrote to his father, he performed with Joey around November 1965.

After that, the sunburst Jazzmaster seems to have disappeared from Jimi’s collection. He transitioned to a white Jazzmaster, which he used while performing with King Curtis, and later to a sunburst Duo-Sonic during his time with Curtis Knight.