Fender introduced the Stratocaster in 1954, but it was Jimi Hendrix who put the sleek Strat on the map
When the legendary Jimi Hendrix slung his Stratocaster Guitar, he turned into a fiery performer that could light up the world with his abilities.
His music defied traditions of the time as he melded genres from rock to blues to R&B and pop.
For many, he is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time who drastically changed the face of guitar and rock music taking common blues and folk songs and electrifying them.
When it comes to guitars, Hendrix favoured the Fender Stratocaster casting the world’s eyes on the Strat as one of the most iconic guitars of all time.
It was in 1967 when Hendrix took the world by storm with his incredible performance at the Monterey Pop taking him and his Strat from a relative unknown into the personification of rock.
Hendrix hand-painted a flowery design – with nail polish - on his legendary 1965 Fender Stratocaster the night before he was to close out the inaugural event and brought it out for his final song, “Wild Thing.”
After telling the crowd, “This is for everyone,” Hendrix bent down to kiss the instrument and then tossed a lit match to the Strat.
Not only did this act catapult Hendrix to the world, but it gave Strat the reputation it has today.
Hendrix changed music forever and he inspired many of the greats of today. He is also arguably one of the main reasons why the Strat is so popular and remains so today.
Fender continues to craft hundreds of Stratocasters a day in its factory at Corona, California. Its ‘signature’ models named after famous rockers – are highly sought after.
Fender has also painstakingly recreated Jimi’s Monterey Strat to celebrate the anniversary of the fiery milestone, right down to the nail-polish artwork Hendrix had originally created.
The limited edition has been welcomed with rave reviews and you can easily see why Hendrix blazed his way onto the charts —and into the hearts of musicians everywhere.
