JIMI HENDRIX A 1963 Fender Stratocaster guitar , serial number L09784, finished in white, doublecutaway body, 21 fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, three pickups, selector, combination bridge/tailpiece, tortoiseshell pickguard (neck replaced); with hardshell case - the guitar owned by Gary Boyle of the Brian Auger Trinity and played by Hendrix whilst participating in the London club scene on a number of occasions between 1966-1967; accompanied by various letters and faxes concerning the provenance including:

Details

JIMI HENDRIX A 1963 Fender Stratocaster guitar , serial number L09784, finished in white, doublecutaway body, 21 fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, three pickups, selector, combination bridge/tailpiece, tortoiseshell pickguard (neck replaced); with hardshell case - the guitar owned by Gary Boyle of the Brian Auger Trinity and played by Hendrix whilst participating in the London club scene on a number of occasions between 1966-1967; accompanied by various letters and faxes concerning the provenance including:
- a two-page fax from Brian Auger stating that he was introduced to Jimi Hendrix by Chas Chandler in November 1966. Chandler suggested that Hendrix should front Auger's band, and although Auger didn't wish to pursue this idea he was keen to hear Jimi play and suggested Chandler brought him to sit in on one of their London club dates ...Although it states in one Hendrix biography that he sat in with me the first time at 'Blaises' Club, I have a very clear picture of our first jam...we were playing at the Cromwellian club...in late November 1966. Jimi came down and having borrowed Gary's white strat. asked me if I could play over a sequence of chords which he showed me on the spot. Later I was to realise that Jimi had showed me the chords to "Hey Joe"...Later, Jimi appeared at Blaises, The Scotch of St James and The Bag O' Nails Clubs, borrowing Gary's guitar to jam with us... he also borrowed the guitar and played with The Trinity at the Speakeasy... 2pp.
- a typescript letter from Gary Boyle stating that he first met Hendrix in late 1966 when he was a member of The Brian Auger Trinity ...For a short period in November/December 1966 our paths crossed frequently, one gig I particularly remember was at the 'Bag O'Nails where Jimi played my Strat... in early 1967 they met up again during a Monday night residency that Brian [Auger] and Julie Driscoll did at the Speakeasy ...During this time Jimi dropped in several times and usually ended up borrowing my Strat for a sit in... 1p
- a typescript letter, signed, from Andy Summers, stating that he ...witnessed Jimi Hendrix playing the white stratocaster that has been in Gary Boyle's possession.. 1p.
- an autograph letter, signed, from Julie Driscoll, singer with The Brian Auger Trinity, stating that this guitar had been ...played frequently by Jimi Hendrix. These were memorable occasions, causing great excitement in the audiences of the Speakeasy Club in particular; though I now cannot imagine how Gary could have allowed this, as Jimi always used his gimic of playing with his teeth, & Gary was most meticulous in the care and condition of his instruments....
- a fax from Roger Sutton, bass player with The Brian Auger Trinity stating that ...On Christmas day of 1966 Brian Auger organized a gig at the 'Bag 'o' Nails in Kingley St. W.I....The audience consisted mainly of musicians and friends. Jimi Hendrix was there, minus his guitar, and during the course of the gig played several numbers with the band including 'Hey Joe'. He used Gary's guitar... 1p.

Literature

GLEBBEEK, Caesar & SHAPIRO, Harry Jimi Hendrix, Electric Gypsy, London: Heinemann, 1991, pp.655-676.

Lot Essay

Biographies of Hendrix do not document every occasion that Hendrix jammed with The Brian Auger Trinity in the various clubs around London. Although Caesar Glebbeek mentions one occasion when Jimi jammed with the Brian Auger Trinity at Blaises in London in September 1966, according to him, Hendrix was only in London for two of the Monday's between May 1967-July 1967 when The Brian Auger Trinity held their Monday night residency spot at the Speakeasy. It would appear however from the eye witness accounts documented in the accompanying letters, that Hendrix played this guitar on several occasions in several London clubs including The Speakeasy, Blaises, The Scotch Of St. James and the Bag O'Nails.

Photograph courtesy of Caesar Glebbeek editor of UniVibes International. This depicts Hendrix playing a similar Fender not Gary Boyle's instrument, at a concert in Gothenburg, Sweden, September 3rd, 1967. (printed later).

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