A 1962 Fender Jazzmaster, played by Jimi Hendrix during his early days as a session player, and a Marshall Super Lead 100 guitar amplifier he played at Woodstock in 1969 has gone up for sale on Reverb.
While we might associate Hendrix with the Fender Stratocaster, if you caught him during one of his sets with the Isley Brothers or Little Richard circa-1964, you may well have seen him playing this 3-Color Sunburst offset.
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The Jazzmaster made its debut in 1958, but like all of Leo Fender's creations it would be subtly refined in the years that followed. Early prototypes featured Telecaster-style metal control knobs, and by '62 the gold anodized aluminum pickguard had been swapped out for a 3-layer tortoiseshell celluloid 'guard, and Strat-style control knobs were used.
1962 was a transitional year for the model, with the thicker slab-style fingerboards giving way for a thinner veneer. The clay dot inlays as found on Hendrix's model would soon be replaced by pearl dots in '64, with block inlays coming two years later.
Some reports say Hendrix never used a case for his Jazzmaster, and this could certainly be borne out by the amount of wear on this Jazzer. But given that this was at the hands of Hendrix, it can be filed under appreciable wear and tear.
The guitar comes with a COA from "two very prominent and extremely respected members from the musical/guitar world". The Reverb seller, Neil's Gear Bazaar, Los Angeles, is open to offers but lists the Jazzmaster at a cool $750,000 / £564,765.62 plus shipping.
The Marshall, meanwhile, has to go down as the Holy Grail of Hendrix amplifiers. You might say this non-master volume model – a veritable system of public address as much as it is a guitar amplifier – is wholly unsuitable for the 21st century, but that is part of its charm.
This was the amp from which Hendrix summoned the magic, its ear-ablating volume controlled by Hendrix rolling back and forth on his guitar's volume controls.
The listing has been certified by Marshall's archivist and technical specialist, Phil Wells. Bearing the serial number Sl/100XX, it was built in March 1969, with Hendrix using it from around April 1969 and through a summer festival schedule etched into music history.
That means the amp was part of the backline for Hendrix's sets at Rainbow Bridge Vibratory Color Sound Experiment, Woodstock, Isle Of Wight and Hendrix's final show on 6 September 1970 at the Open Air Love & Peace Festival, Fehmarn, Germany. Hendrix also used the Super Lead 100 in rehearsals with Band Of Gypsys.
"J.H. EXP" and "HANDLE WITH CARE" is stencilled on the black Tolex covering, and you'll definitely want to observe the last instruction. The price for a Hendrix-owned Super Lead 100 in 2021? £263,557 / $350,000. Again, this is being sold via Reverb by Neil's Gear Bazaar. Included are no less than three certificates of authenticity.
See Reverb for the listing.
