Gibson has recreated two guitar models made famous by the late Jimi Hendrix including the 1969 Flying V and a 1967 SG Custom.
Introduced earlier this week, the two guitars from Gibson’s talented Custom Shop will be sold individually in packages that will also include photos of Hendrix along with a mix of anecdotes and personal images from the archives of famed rock audio engineer Eddie Kramer. The Aged Ebony Flying V will be limited to just 150 models (125 right-handed, 25 left-handed) and the Aged Polaris White SG Custom will be limited to 150. Both guitars will sell for a slightly pricey $9,999.
Though Hendrix is widely remembered for his use of a white Fender Stratocaster during well-documented performances such as Woodstock, Gibson notes that the left-handed Gibson Flying V was played during the Band of Gypsys era. The Flying V was later made even more famous thanks to Hendrix’s performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in August 1970 (which was mixed in real-time by David Gilmour). Additionally, Hendrix played his right-handed 1967 Gibson SG (strung lefty) for a medley of “Izabella” and “Machine Gun” during his appearance on The Dick Cavett Show in September 1969.
Related: Jimi Hendrix Early-Career Guitar Sells At Auction For $216,000
“I don’t know of a more perfect time than the present for the world to be inspired and electrified by the spirit of Jimi, embodied in these guitars,” Jimi’s step-sister Janie Hendrix said with the announcement. “Jimi didn’t play with just his hands, he played with his heart and really his soul, using his guitar to create positive energy. He wanted to awaken the world with it. Gibson has harnessed some of that energy, and beautifully! It’s amazing to know that fans and those who love Jimi, and his music, will be able to plug into that power and keep his legacy alive.”
Watch Hendrix play the Flying V via archive footage in the new Gibson promotional video for the guitars below.
Jimi Hendrix 1969 Flying V & 1967 SG Gibson Custom Guitars
[Video: Gibson TV]
Click here for more info on the new Jimi Hendrix collection at Gibson.
Jimi was not monogamous when it came to guitars, and he didn’t always play his SG or Flying V on stage. But in his more contemplative moments before a show, or when he really needed to channel his inner Clarksdale… he often turned to the weighty tone of his Gibsons. #Gibson pic.twitter.com/hk6bU4e0Ae
— Gibson (@gibsonguitar) November 18, 2020
[H/T Consequence of Sound]