‘Izabella’ Strat Jimi Hendrix played at 1969’s Woodstock joins the Experience Hendrix tour
After a five-year hiatus, the 2024 Experience Hendrix tour made its highly anticipated return last week, featuring performances from an all-star lineup that included rock royalty like Zakk Wylde, Eric Johnson, Taj Mahal, and more.
This year, the tour brings something extra special: ‘Izabella’, the iconic Fender Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix famously wielded during his legendary 1969 Woodstock set.
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Brought out on stage by Hendrix’s sister Janie during the show’s opening, the guitar was played by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Aryon Jones and Eric Johnson among others throughout the evening.
“Having Izabella with us on stage for this tour is an amazing feeling,” said Janie Hendrix, who is also the President and CEO of Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. and Authentic Hendrix, LLC.
“This instrument was such an incredibly special guitar to Jimi. So special, in fact, he wrote a song about her. I think the lyrics ring true even now. They still have relevance and meaning. Jimi talked about winning the fight for the sake of love. And that’s the message we want to convey all across the country.”
The Strat, originally purchased by Hendrix at Manny’s Music in New York City, features an alder body, two-piece maple neck, and standard 1968 hardware.
Hendrix played the guitar at several shows between October 1968 through September 1970, and a close inspection reveals signs of its extensive use, including small indentations along the body and a cigarette burn on the headstock.
While the artist owned many Stratocasters in his lifetime, his incendiary performance at Woodstock solidified Izabella’s iconic status.
According to the Museum of Pop Culture, “The 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair was one of the decade’s defining cultural events, and Jimi Hendrix’s extraordinary, unprecedented rendering of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ was a defining moment of the festival.”
“With this guitar, Hendrix evoked the majesty of America while also summoning the howling undercurrents of dissonance and violence echoing the Vietnam War and the nation’s deep racial struggles.”
Check out the performances at the 2024 Experience Hendrix Tour below.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
