Martin D-45 Acoustic Guitar Formerly Owned by Jimi Hendrix

From mid-1969 on, Jimi Hendrix kept an apartment in New York City at 59 West 12th Street, where he would crash and recuperate between gigs and tours. This 1968 Martin D-45 acoustic guitar, purchased in 1969 at Manny’s Music in midtown Manhattan, was kept at the apartment. Hendrix used it to jam with friends and to develop new song ideas. In early 1970, he recorded 16 song demos using the Martin for an album, Black Gold. Most of the songs remained unfinished at Hendrix’s death in September 1970. 

With over 900 inlaid abalone pieces, the Martin D-45 stands out as the largest and most ornate model of the Martin guitar line. Designed in 1933 for country artist Gene Autry, it was discontinued in 1942 due to materials shortages caused by World War II. When the guitar was reissued in 1968, Hendrix was one of the earliest customers to purchase the instrument. 

Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter who gained mainstream prominence in the late 1960s with hits such as “Hey Joe,” “Purple Haze,” “All Along the Watchtower,” and “Fire,” and is now celebrated as one of the most influential electric guitarists of all time.