Fender Jimi Hendrix Strat in Ultra Violet

Jimi Hendrix, the most legendary name in the guitar world. 50 years since his passing, Fender has paid homage to the iconic Seattle-born rocker with a signature Stratocaster that keeps the idiosyncratic features of his reversed Strats intact while fundamentally suiting right-handed players. This includes a reversed headstock and an angled bridge pickup - giving the guitar a completely different feel and tone!

The Changes

When Hendrix flipped his guitar, it did three things. It put more tension on the lower strings and lowered the tension on the high strings, making vibrato and bending easier to achieve. That's because the tunings pegs on the higher strings are closer to the nut, shortening the string length. This also affected how the tremolo moved and the spring resistance. The other big change came in the fact that the pickups were flipped, with the lower strings now being picked up closer to the bridge - producing a brighter tone with more attack.

While these not may sound like huge differences when you actually sit down and play this guitar, you will definitely get a feel for what exactly made Hendrix's sound so special and unique. The extra movement on the higher strings and the tight response on the lows really helped him craft his signature "slinky" style.

Pure Vintage '65 Pickups

When making a guitar with Hendrix's name on the headstock, you need to make sure that it sounds the part. While Fender could have easily thrown any pickups in this guitar, they instead developed a trio of American Vintage '65 single-coils that deliver the authentic late 60's Strat sound which helped Hendrix on his way super-stardom.

'70s Design

The guitars that Jimi Hendrix played towards the end of his career boasted many of the features synonymous with '70s Fenders. This includes the large headstock design and the smooth "C"-shaped neck with a 9.5" fingerboard radius. This instrument has all of those features, plus modern medium-jumbo frets which offer great playability for both rhythm and lead playing.

Specifications

Body

• Body Material: Alder
• Body Finish: Gloss Polyester
• Body Shape: Stratocaster

Neck

• Neck Material: Maple
• Neck Finish: Gloss Polyester
• Neck Shape: "C" Shape
• Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
• Fingerboard Material: Maple
• Fingerboard Radius: 9.5" (241 mm)
• Number of Frets: 21
• Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
• Nut Material: Synthetic Bone
• Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)
• Position Inlays: Black Dot
• Truss Rod: Standard

Electronics

• Bridge Pickup: Pure Vintage '65 Gray-Bottom Single-Coil Strat
• Middle Pickup: Pure Vintage '65 Gray-Bottom Single-Coil Strat
• Neck Pickup: Pure Vintage '65 Gray-Bottom Single-Coil Strat
• Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
• Switching: 5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup, Position 3. Middle Pickup, Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup, Position 5. Neck Pickup
• Configuration: SSS

Hardware

• Bridge: 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo
• Hardware Finish: Chrome
• Tuning Machines: Vintage-Style
• Pickguard: 3-Ply White
• Control Knobs: Aged White Plastic
• Switch Tip: Aged White
• Neck Plate: 4-Bolt

Miscellaneous

• Strings: Fender USA 250R Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046 Gauges)
• Other Features: Reverse Headstock, Reverse Angled Bridge Pickup, Jimi Hendrix Signature on Back of Headstock, Engraved Neck Plate with Jimi Hendrix Likeness, Aged White Pickup Covers, Control Knobs and Switch Tip, Single "Wing" String Tree
• Case/Gig Bag: Deluxe Gig Bag