A guitar played by Jimi Hendrix in the early 1960s – when the guitar god was an R&B sideman and spotted rocker based in New York City – sold at auction on Saturday for $ 216,000, almost four times his estimate for the pre-auction.
According to GWS Auctions, Hendrix began playing the Japanese sunburst electric guitar after being discharged from the U.S. Army in 1962. ‘After leaving Fort Campbell, Jimi moved to Clarksville, Tennessee for a short time, where he played with the likes on the Chitlin’ Circuit of Wilson Pickett, Slim Harpo, Sam Cooke, Ike and Tina Turner and Jackie Wilson before moving to Harlem, New York in early 1964, where he continued to play at locations such as Cafe Wha and the Cheetah Club until the end of 1966, ”the auction house explained.
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Hendrix remained in possession of the guitar through his short stint with the Isley Brothers and his own Jimmy James and the Blue Flames. However, when Hendrix went to the United Kingdom to begin his Experience, the guitar was left in New York in the apartment of his friend Mike Quashie, who provided the instrument with a notarized letter of ownership for the instrument.
‘This particular guitar sheds light on some of Jimi Hendrix’s first plays and is unusual in that it relates to its historical value. We have never purchased a guitar of this size with a special set-up and value, ”said Dame Brigitte Kruse of GWS Auctions in a statement.
The guitar had an estimate of $ 50,000, and reached a high bid of $ 180,000; when paying fees, the total winning bid was $ 216,000.
Other notable music-related items from GWS Auctions’ Artifacts of Hollywood & Music event on Saturday included a 14K gold ring owned by Elvis Presley ($ 22,500), a pair of Prince’s custom purple boots ($ 13,000) and one of Michael Jackson’s pursued black jackets ($ 20,000).
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