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When it's an 'Authentic Hendrix' Gibson
Michael Leonard, Tue 22 Sep 2009, 8:06 pm UTC
Authentic Hendrix... by Gibson. Yes, that does appear to be a picture of Jimi playing a Fender on the box
Gibson is a great guitar company. Jimi Hendrix is an icon. How the brains behind each legacy has come so-unstuck on this 'authentic' instrument, only time will tell.
Me? I'm not buying.
"If the world's greatest guitarist was still alive today, what guitar would he want to play"? asks the Hendrix estate. Big question, but I'd say if Jimi were alive and played a guitar that LOOKED like this, it would have two important words on the headstock.
Not "Jimi Hendrix". But "Fender Stratocaster".
One can imagine the conversations among players coming soon..
Player #1: "Check out my new Hendrix guitar!"
Player #2:: "Cool, is that a Hendrix Strat?"
#1: "Well, err, no - it's an 'Authentic Hendrix' guitar. But it's a Gibson."
#2: "But wait, it looks pretty much like a Fender Stratocaster. Like Jimi played, yeah?"
#1: "Yeah, kind of. But it's made by Gibson."
#2: "Jimi played Flying Vs, sure. But this is a Fender, right?"
#1: "No. It's an official Hendrix model. It's just made by Gibson."
#2: (walks off, utterly confused.)
The world of 'signature' guitars is a rum one, but is this a low? "Authentic Hendrix"? I personally don't think so.
What say you?