Skip to the content

Menu
Skip to main content
Collections Menu
Fender Stratocaster Guitar Fragment Formerly Owned by Jimi Hendrix and Smashed and Burned at the Monterey International Pop Festival, 1967
Fender Stratocaster Guitar Fragment Formerly Owned by Jimi Hendrix and Smashed and Burned at the Monterey International Pop Festival, 1967
Fender Stratocaster Guitar Fragment Formerly Owned by Jimi Hendrix and Smashed and Burned at the Monterey International Pop Festival, 1967

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

Artist Jimi Hendrix
Performing artist Jimi Hendrix Experience
Event Monterey International Pop Festival
Manufacturer Fender Musical Instruments
Datec. 1965
Mediumwood; paint; wire
DimensionsOverall: 11 11/16 x 8 1/16 x 2 3/16 in., 1.27 lb. (29.686 x 20.479 x 5.556 cm, 0.6 kg)
Credit LineMoPOP permanent collection
Object number1992.7.2
Text Entries

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.” 

Broken fragment of a bottom, treble side bout from a Fender Stratocaster guitar. Finished in Fiesta Red, slightly overpainted in white, one strap toggle, decorated on one side with black marker and green paint swirls. All hardware missing except for the jack plate and three wires exposed through the body of the guitar fragment.
CopyrightThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. However, for this Item, either (a) no rights-holder(s) have been identified or (b) one or more rights-holder(s) have been identified but none have been located. For more information, see http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/
On View
On view
Fender Stratocaster fragments: smashed by Jimi Hendrix at the Saville Theatre, 1967
Saville Theatre
Date: c. 1965
Medium: rosewood; paint
Object number: 1991.2.31.A,.B
Octavia Prototype Effects Pedal  Formerly Owned by Jimi Hendrix
Roger Mayer
Date: c. 1968
Medium: metal; paint; wire
Object number: 1995.375.1
Fender Electric Jazz Bass Guitar Formerly Owned by Noel Redding
Noel Redding
Date: 1966
Medium: wood; wire; metal; paint; plastic
Object number: 1998.118.9
Fender Stratocaster, 1968: formerly owned by Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
Date: 1968
Medium: wood; metal; plastic; paint
Object number: 1992.8.1
Set List from Big Girls Are Go!!: The International Pop Underground Convention, at the Capitol Theater, Olympia, WA, August 20, 1991
Margaret Doherty
Date: 1991
Medium: paper (fiber product), ink; duct tape
Object number: 1999.366.3
Martin & Schatz Cittern-shaped Guitar, c. 1836
C.F. Martin Sr.
Date: c. 1836
Medium: ivory
Object number: 1997.593.1
Washburn Type 9 Acoustic Guitar Formerly Owned by Jimi Hendrix
Washburn Instruments
Date: c. 1895
Medium: wood; metal; plastic; wire
Object number: 1998.542.1
Marshall Super Lead Amplifier Formerly Owned by Jimi Hendrix
Marshall Amplifiers
Date: 1969
Medium: wire; wood; cloth; metal; plastic
Object number: 2001.311.4
TICKETS