Monterey Hendrix

The famous Monterey Straocastert, Jimi played and set fire to this at the Monterey music festival in 1967. I loved the individaual style of the guitar and the modern “child like” graphics painted on it. I’m a big fan of graffiti art and this guitar to me was in the same style. I’m not a fan of tribute or copy guitars, nor am I a fan of paying between £8000 – £14000 for one of the limited Fender Custom shop versions of this guitar. I am however a proud player of the Fender strat…..a plan was formed. Without £8000 to flush on a guitar for me, Laura was stuck, however she is a very skilled artist ( see her website http://www.orangemagpie.co.uk)  so she sat down with me and decided to design me an interperatation of the famous Monterey Strat.  a few weeks of talking, drawing and playing around with ideas and the concept was finished. Taking colours I liked, shapes and forms I like, Laura came up with my own Monterey Strat design. I had Fender USA 1962 re-issue guitar that I liked but was in a tacky graffiti yellow colour, and had pickups that where just too hot for 62 Strat. I took this as an oppertunity to fix that. I sent the guitar away with Laura’s design to have it stripped and re-sealed. I then had the new design applied to the unfinished body, had the neck taken back to a no-finish wood , just how I like it and had Tim at Bare Knuckle Pickups (www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk) send me a set of my custom wound pickups. A quick setup from my guitar tech Andy Manners and it’s ready.