I am a volunteer for the NHS, helping Service Users to to build their own Electric Guitars. We make them from kits that we buy flat packed & we personalise & customise them to the requirements of each individual. Recently I was helping a young chap who is a fan of the late great Jimmi Hendrix. We had a right hand Strat Kit - although left handed Hendrix was famous for playing right hand Strats upside down. We did some research on the Guitars of Jimmi Hendrix & decided make a copy of his Legendary "Monterey Strat".
Let me set the scene of what made the Monterey Strat such an iconic symbol for Rock Guitar fans.
It was 1967, in the Dressing Room, before Jimmi Hendrix went on to perform at the Monterey Pop Festival, he sprayed part of his 1965 Fiesta Red coloured Stratocaster Guitar white & then using black, turquoise & red Nail Varnish, he painted a series swirls & patterns on the body & pickguard of the guitar. He then went on to perform & announced that he was going to do something during his performance. After playing he placed the guitar on the floor, poured lighter fuel over it & then set fire to the guitar. He then broke up the charred remains & threw the pieces into the crowd. Although the actual guitar no longer exists, it is known as the “Monterey Strat.”
We sprayed the body red & then added the white over spray. The young lad & his mate then reproduced Jimmi Hendrix’s “Monterey Strat.” faithfully hand painting the graphics with Nail Varnish. On the original guitar the image on the larger white bout was made from a back stage pass for that night. I made our image by enlarging a cigarette card with the same image & then laminating it, before sticking it into place. It was then sprayed with clear glaze to protect the hand painted graphics. We added a vinyl decal of Hendrixe's signature to the headstock, & fitted a retro 60's Hendrixesque woven strap. As Hendrix fans will know, he was famous for not having the tremolo cover plate fitted over the rear cavity. So as a finishing touch we had a tremolo cover plate made from clear perspex & engraved on it "Jimmi Hendrix 1967 Monterey Strat" along with the lads name & fitted it on.
The finished result is an impressive reproduction of Jimmi Hendrix's legendary Rock Axe, known as the "1967 Monterey Strat".
Rock On, Mddwoody.
