Fender's Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster flips the traditional Strat on its head

Anyone with a vague interest in the electric guitar will know that Jimi Hendrix played a right-handed guitar restrung to be played left-handed - something Fender has sought to recreate with the Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster.

The model quite literally mirrors the unique tonal traits of Jimi's Strats, including the 'reverse' bridge pickup and 'reverse' headstock, which results in a longer string length for bass strings, creating a tighter playing feel with easier bending and vibrato on treble strings - the body, controls and vibrato remain the same orientation as a regular right-handed guitar.

Elsewhere, the guitar offers three American Vintage '65 single coils - with a reverse-slant bridge pickup, natch - as well as a 9.5" radius C shape maple neck.

Nods to Hendrix's legacy come courtesy of a signature on the rear of the large '70s-style headstock, while the guitar's neckplate features a silhouette of Jimi, as well as the Authentic Hendrix logo.

The Fender Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster is available from November in Olympic White and Black finishes for £689, including gigbag - see Fender for more.

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Michael Astley-Brown

Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.