From Madonnas daily planner to autographed AC/DC albums, the guys on “Pawn Stars” have had the chance to look at it, and in some cases, even purchase some of the coolest memorabilia in music history. Some of the initial asking prices for these types of items have gone anywhere from a few hundred bucks to hundreds of thousands of dollars. In “Purple Haze,” Season 9s 18th episode, one owner was able to bring a piece of music memorabilia worth even more than the original Beatles record contract with Brian Epstein, which went for $500,000! This piece of music history was none other than Jimi Hendrixs 1963 Fender Stratocaster guitar, which was valued at an initial price of $750,000.
Rick Harrison of the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas knows a valuable item when he sees one, and being a Jimi Hendrix fan himself, it seemed there would be no way hed let such an important piece of history slip through his hands — because then hed actually have to pay for it. So, he handed it off to music expert Jesse Amoroso, who was able to evaluate the legendary piece of equipment.
From Madonnas daily planner to autographed AC/DC albums, the guys on “Pawn Stars” have had the chance to look at it, and in some cases, even purchase some of the coolest memorabilia in music history. Some of the initial asking prices for these types of items have gone anywhere from a few hundred bucks to hundreds of thousands of dollars. In “Purple Haze,” Season 9s 18th episode, one owner was able to bring a piece of music memorabilia worth even more than the original Beatles record contract with Brian Epstein, which went for $500,000! This piece of music history was none other than Jimi Hendrixs 1963 Fender Stratocaster guitar, which was valued at an initial price of $750,000.
After checking the serial number and comparing the guitar with photos from years ago, the expert was able to verify that the 1963 Fender Stratocaster guitar did indeed belong to Jimi Hendrix. Then, Amoroso told Rick Harrison that the price of the guitar could be anywhere from $750,000 to $1 million. Fans of Hendrix know that such a rise in price for the guitar is definitely accurate given the history behind it. Hendrix had the ability to basically make the guitar an extension of his body, even bending it while playing certain notes. When the Voodoo Child owned the guitar, he would mainly play it in the studio. It ended up being used on several records before it was given to the chief engineer of Juggy Sound Studio. When Hendrix passed, the owner and his associate received the ax.
Rick Harrison of the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas knows a valuable item when he sees one, and being a Jimi Hendrix fan himself, it seemed there would be no way hed let such an important piece of history slip through his hands — because then hed actually have to pay for it. So, he handed it off to music expert Jesse Amoroso, who was able to evaluate the legendary piece of equipment.
Harrison would initially offer the owner $450,000, to which the owner would turn down. Disappointed but not out, Harrison would make one more offer of $550,000. Knowing the value of the item, the owner easily turned down the second offer. The crew at “Pawn Stars” would lose out on one of the greatest pieces of music memorabilia while the owner would take his chances somewhere else.
Rick Harrison and his team have seen plenty of valuable items over the years and havent been afraid to spend quite a bit of money when they thought the deal was right. When a 1932 Lincoln Roadster came cruising past, the crew spent $95,000 to get their hands on it. However, some items are just too rich even for the Harrisons blood.
Despite only recording albums for a few years while he was alive, Jimi Hendrix changed rock music forever. The guitar was more than just an instrument for him: It was an extension of his body, and he found unique ways to incorporate it into his performances, from playing it upside down to lighting it on fire. Suffice to say, a guitar that was actually played by Hendrix at one point would be worth a pretty penny, as Rick discovered on the season 9 episode “Purple Haze.”
A customer comes in with a 1963 Fender Stratocaster he claims was played by Hendrix and asks for $750,000 for it. Rick gets music expert Jesse Amoroso to take a look, and he confirms that the guitar is indeed one of Hendrixs by comparing it to photos previously taken of the ax as well as identifying the serial number. Its without a doubt legitimate, and he goes on to say that the guitar could fetch anywhere between $750,000 and $1 million.
If you go to your local pawn shop in your town, theres a good chance youll just come across some jewelry and maybe an out-of-date laptop. However, anyone who ventures over to the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, known as the home of Historys Pawn Stars, then youll find treasures youll be amazed anyone would willingly give up.
The gang had to say “No” when the Ford Bronco O.J. Simpson used to make his infamous escape from authorities showed up at the shop, but there was one item that was particularly difficult for Rick to let walk through the doors. Anyone who watches the show knows what a huge fan of Jimi Hendrix Rick Harrison is, and in a season 9 episode, the crew just couldnt land a deal on an important part of the rockers legacy.
Band : The Jimi Hendrix Experience Main guitar : Fender Stratocaster Compulsory listening : Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) The emperor. The big bad boss. It seems like the Stratocaster was invented especially for Jimi Hendrix since he could muster sounds from it that remain a mystery half a century later. In three years only, Hendrix has reinvented the electric guitar and made every guitar hero that came before him work much harder to keep their job. To this day, Hendrix is still a looming shadow over any aspiring guitarist. Jimi started his career by playing with several bands and singers as a hired gun, including Little Richard and the Isley Brothers. Then in 1967 Chas Chandler, back then the bass player with The Animals, started managing the young musician’s career in London with a rhythm section that became The Experience. Together, the three of them recorded Are You Experienced, the album that made Hendrix an overnight sensation with singles Hey Joe, Purple Haze and Foxy Lady. In spite of the pop format of those songs, Hendrix displayed a certain taste for avant-garde sounds. He was very fond of effect pedals which he always used in a very creative way, from the Octavia on Purple Haze to the Uni-Vibe on Little Wing. Axis: Bold As Love came out the following year and pushed the trio in a more complex direction. But the true Hendrix back then was the wild animal he would become once he would step on stage, unleashing streams of larsen controlled with the vibrato on his Strats. Then came double album Electric Ladyland in 1968, which represents the culminating point for the Experience, a cosmic journey through Hendrix’s passion for studio work and hours spent manipulating sound waves to get what he wanted. Finally, after a few months spent looking for his next band, he released the live album Band Of Gypsys with a funkier, groovier trio. Tragically, this album is the last one that came out during Hendrix’s lifetime, but Jimi left so many studio outtakes that it is quite easy to imagine which directions he wanted to explore. A recording session with Miles Davis was in the works, one more reason for grieving Jimi’s early death.
No guitar player has done as much for the Strat as Jimi Hendrix. The voodoo child was the only one who could do everything he did with Leo Fenders famous invention, creating mysterious sounds that no one would have envisioned when the Strat was born in 1954, and that still seem forward-thinking to this day. That association has such a historic weight that any Strat that belonged to Hendrix automatically becomes an important relic. But this 1963 Strat is even more precious since it was one of the masters favorites. He owned many new Strats from the late sixties that he would lend, give or mistreat on stage, but the small headstock Strats were rarer in his collection, and that one is one of the very first he got. Back then, he was still known as James Marshall Hendrix, doing studio session work. He had just left Little Richards band and bought this Strat in 1965. It remained one of his favorites for studio work, a perfect workhorse on which he would experiment to reach the greatest level of comfort, and that he didnt dare to play on stage for fear of losing one of his most precious tools. This explains why he didnt add a strap button to the upper cutaway, which would have made it simpler to play standing as a leftie. Hendrix would sit in the studio. The white finish is probably not original, and a shade of sunburst can be seen through some dings in the paint. The vibratos arm has been burnt to be bent for a better angle when using it heavily. Theres an Olympic White stain in the back which shows that the vibrato springs were usually kept accessible to set them up faster. There is also a black stain in that cavity that allowed Leon Hendrix, Jimis brother, to identity the guitar for sure. It remains to this day the only Hendrix guitar authenticated by his brother. This Strat alors comes with a certificate signed by the owner of the studio who was gifted that guitar back then as a thank you from Hendrix for giving him studio work. Seymour Duncan himself has worked on that Strat and got to identify it in 2013, almost fifty years after helping the maestro find his sound by modifying his instruments. Each guitar has its stories, this one is a full blown book.
FAQ
How much did a Strat cost in the 60s?
The guitar in question was purchased by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who purchased it for a cool $2 million.
Is the Jimi Hendrix Strat worth it?
