An Absolutely Mint, As New, Fender "Voodoo" Maple-Cap Stratocaster

1997 Fender Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix "Voodoo"

This absolutely mint, December 1997 Jimi Hendrix "Voodoo" Stratocaster weighs 7.90 lbs and has a 12 3/4 inch wide, 1 3/4 inch deep solid alder body, contoured on the back and lower bass bout. One-piece maple neck with a nice fat nut width of just under 1 11/16 inches, a scale length of 25 1/2 inches and a wonderful medium-to-thick neck profile. Maple-cap fretboard with 21 original medium-jumbo frets and black dot position markers. Large 'reverse' headstock with Fender logo in gold with black trim, "Stratocaster" in black beside it, and "With Synchronized Tremolo" in black beneath. "Original Contour Body Patented" on the ball end of the headstock. Single 'butterfly' string tree with metal spacer. Fender "F" closed-back tuners with octagonal metal buttons. Four-bolt neckplate with engraved image of Jimi Hendrix. Serial number "TN705412" and "Made in USA" on back of headstock. Three black-bottom single-coil pickups with staggered polepieces and balanced outputs of 5.67k, 5.68k, and 5.66k, respectively (the bridge pickup reverse angled). Three-layer white over black plastic pickguard with eleven screws. Three controls (one volume, two tone) plus five-way pickup selector switch, all on treble side of pickguard. White plastic Stratocaster knobs lettered in gold. Fender "Synchronized Tremolo" six-pivot combined bridge/tailpiece. The potentiometers are all stamped "134 9751" (Centralab, December 1997). Complete with the original white plastic tipped tremolo arm. Housed in the original Fender three-latch, rectangular black hardshell case with black leather ends and burnt orange plush lining (9.50). This guitar has been 'under the bed' for the past twenty-five years and is in as new, unplayed condition, complete with the original tremolo arm, guitar strap, guitar cord and all the original case candy. A great opportunity to buy a 'brand new' twenty-five year old 'Maple-Cap' "Voodoo" Stratocaster. A faithful reissue of Jimi's 1968 'maple-cap, black Strat - specially designed with a right handed body, reverse angle on bridge pickup and reverse headstock.

"As the close of the sixties loomed, Strats took a much bigger boost when an inspired musician by the name of Jimi Hendrix applied the model's sensuous curves and glorious tones to his live cavorting and studio experiments… Hendrix got his first Strat in 1966 - he'd already tried a couple of Duo-Sonics and a Jazzmaster or two - and almost instantly made it his own. He may have been influenced in the choice by one of his heroes, Curtis Mayfield, who played a Strat. In the first few years of his career, Hendrix generally played new rosewood-board models, mainly in Sunburst, Black, or Olympic White finish. In the final period of his life, between 1968 and 1970, he played two Strats, both new '68 maple-board models, one in Black and the other Olympic White… All Hendrix's Stratocasters were regular guitars that he would flip over and re-string to accommodate his left-handedness." (Tony Bacon, The Stratocaster Guitar Book, pp. 56-57).

"Contrary to popular belief, the famous white maple neck Stratocaster was not Jimi's favourite guitar, his favourite was this black one. Photographic evidence of Jimi's last European tour shows that this guitar was chosen by him in preference to others available to him (including the famous 'white’). According to Monika, Jimi told her that this 'black' was his favourite, and that when he went to jam with other musicians (or collected a guitar for playing in his hotel), this one was always his first choice.