Burning bright... Hendrix's guitar strap from his torched Monterey axe is for sale
 

The 1967 Monterey Pop Festival is well-remembered in the history of rock and roll, not least for the spectacular set that Jimi Hendrix played. His hand painted guitar got the treatment…

For the first time, Jimi Hendrix's guitar strap from the instrument he played and burned at the Monterey Pop Festival is now up for auction. This was Jimi's first US concert and unforgettable to those present.

The consignor and a friend were at the concert when during the performance of Wild Thing Jimi lit his guitar on fire and then smashed it. He then threw the pieces of the guitar into the audience.

The consignor and friend were at the right place at the right time and they caught part of the body with the guitar strap attached. This moment has been captured on film (see above) and can be seen on the Monterey Pop video which is included with this lot.

Jimi Hendrix's guitar strap from Monterey 1967
Jimi Hendrix's guitar strap from Monterey 1967

They decided that one person would keep the piece of the body and the other the strap. The consignor of the strap is the original person who caught it at the concert and it has been in his possession until this time.

The body was sold at auction in the early 1990's. There are hundreds of photographs of Jimi wearing the strap, several are included with the lot. The strap is in good condition, and has a starting bid of $50,000.

Jimi Hendrix, detail of guitar strap and backstage pass
Jimi Hendrix, detail of Woodstock guitar strap and backstage pass
available here
Collectors looking for an iconic piece of Hendrix memorabilia should be aware that the guitar strap used by Hendrix during his ground breaking Woodstock appearance is currently available in stock at Paul Fraser Collectibles.

The Gotta Have It! Rock & Roll Auction also features a guitar smashed by Nirvana lead singer Cobain in 1993, but there are many other highlights in the auction which closes this Friday, July 22. Watch this space for more details.

 

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