1963 white Fender Stratocaster serial number L08573, patent number 2573254, owned and used by Jimi Hendrix

An extensively, concert played and studio used signature white Fender Stratocaster with rosewood fingerboard manufactured on 3rd September 1963, documented in many biographies showing photos of Jimi during the period of 1968 - 70 with the dark rosewood necked Strat. This guitar was given to musician Arthur Louis by Jimi Hendrix on 18th March 1970. After playing a charity show at the Speakeasy Club in London's West End, Louis' Gibson Les Paul was stolen that night from the stage. Arthur Louis was heard complaining about the loss of his guitar at a subsequent party at Mick Jagger's house, where both Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix both offered him a replacement - Jimi offering this Strat and Eric offering him a Gibson. The next day Louis met Jimi Hendrix and John Uribe, who came over with this guitar which he gave to Louis to replace the one he had lost. Some days later he received a note from Jimi saying how sorry he was that he had lost his guitar and that he hoped he was happy with this one (at the time of cataloguing this note was not available for inspection however the vendor is endeavoring to locate it to provide with this lot). It has been confirmed by the vendor that this is the white Stratocaster that was 'liberated' from Keith Richards by then girlfriend Linda Keith who in New York introduced Jimi to most of the rock aristocracy of the time including Andrew Loog Oldham and consequently Chas Chandler.

Estimate £ 100,000-150,000 [approximately $180,000 - $190,000 USD]

Arthur Louis was, and still is, a well respected composer and guitar player a familiar face at the height of the Speakeasy's hay day, jamming and supporting many of the legends that we know today. The lot is accompanied by a letter from Arthur Louis confirming the lot's history together with a letter from Ray Turley which confirms the date of the instrument and describes in detail that the guitar's pick ups had been set to accommodate Jimi's left handed style and also confirms the extensive use by a left handed player.