Fender Stratocaster Guitar Fragment Formerly Owned by Jimi Hendrix and Smashed and Burned at the Monterey International Pop Festival, 1967

On June 18, 1967, Jimi Hendrix smashed this Fender Stratocaster and lit it on fire at the end of the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s set at the Monterey International Pop Festival – an event that has become legendary and launched Hendrix as an international star.  

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. 

Hendrix’s British work visa expired in June of 1967, which forced the guitarist to return to the United States. Managers, Chas Chandler and Michael Jeffery, viewed this as an opportunity to break Hendrix into the American market, and they helped arrange the Experience a slot at Monterey Pop – an event forecasted to be the music event of the year. On the evening of June 18, Hendrix launched into a blistering set featuring his UK hits, along with adaptations of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor” and Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.” At the end of his rendition of the Troggs’ “Wild Thing,” he lit this painted Fender Stratocaster on fire and smashed it, marking his dramatic and triumphant return to America. 

Later, Jimi Hendrix described the event: “We had our beautiful rock-blues-country-funky-freaky sound and I felt like we were turning the whole world on to this new thing – the best, most lovely new thing. So I decided to destroy my guitar at the end of a song as a sacrifice. You sacrifice things you love. I love my guitar.”