The History Of Jimi Hendrix's Stratocaster "Izabella"

We can all agree that Jimi Hendrix was one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, and his Stratocaster “Izabella” is arguably one of the most famous guitars ever made. He carried around his famous white Stratocaster, until his final performance in the 1970s. However, not many people are aware of the history behind his iconic guitar, Izabella.

According to sources at Fender, the white Stratocaster Izabella was originally purchased by Jimi Hendrix at Manny’s Music on West 48th Street in New York City. And, following his outstanding performance at Woodstock on August 18, 1969, the guitar rose to fame.

There is a profound connection between Jimi Hendrix and Izabella. It served as the inspiration for a song of the same name, which remains popular to this day. That being said, there is a lot of history surrounding the famous white Stratocaster. And among many circulating stories about this famous guitar, read on to find out the real story behind it.

The Story Behind Jimi Hendrix’s Stratocaster Izabella

The story of Jimi Hendrix’s Stratocaster Izabella is so prolific because of its timeless impact. Jimi Hendrix played this guitar until his last performance in 1969. His passionate performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was the reason why this guitar gained such popularity.

As many fans say, Izabella and Jimi Hendrix are a rock and roll love story. This guitar first made its appearance in 1969 and was the last guitar that Hendrix played until his final concert in 1970. Izabella was a 1968 Olympic White Strat that inspired the last single from Hendrix, also named after the Stratocaster.

Jimi Hendrix was an avid admirer of Fender Stratocasters. So, he had many examples of the Stratocaster pass through his hands as an enthusiast of the instrument. From the source of Fender, we can get a better look at the story behind Izabella. This guitar was at Manny’s Music in New York City in 1968. As soon as Jimi Hendrix saw the guitar, it caught his attention.

He eventually got the guitar and named it Izabella. The impact of the guitar was deep for Jimi Hendrix, so much so that it served as the basis for his final song, also by the name of Izabella. Undoubtedly, Izabella is one of the most iconic guitars of all time. But what makes it so deeply celebrated is the unparalleled performance of “Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock.

Going back to the story of Izabella, Jimi still needed a few modifications to perfect the guitar. So, before it was bought in 1968, it was slightly altered to suit Hendrix’s needs as a left-handed player. Additionally, it came with a strap button drilled on the lower horn. Soon after that, the iconic performance at Woodstock made this guitar one of the most celebrated instruments.

Features Of Jimi Hendrix’s Izabella

The Fender white Stratocaster Izabella had a vintage design. It came with a two-piece maple neck and had no skunk stripe. Additionally, it had a truss rod adjustment at the heel. The guitar was a 1968 Olympic White Strat. The “F style” neck plate, along with the pickups and hardware, all bore the standard 1968 stamp, with the production serial number 240981.

The features of the reissued Stratocaster Izabella include:

• Relic Lacquer Finish with Closet Classic Hardware
• 2-Piece Select Alder Body
• Tinted Maple Neck with ‘60s Style Oval “C” Back-Shape
• 7.25" Radius
• 21 Vintage Frets
• Hand-Wound ‘69 Strat® Pickups
• 3-Way Switch; Vintage Wiring
• 3-Ply Parchment Pickguard
• American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo
• Vintage Style “F” Tuning Machines
• Bone Nut
• Wing String Tree with Nylon Spacer
• Deluxe Hardshell Case
• Strap; Certificate of Authenticity
• 7 lbs 13 oz.
• .830" Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
• .940" Neck Thickness at 12th Fret

What Made Jimi Hendrix’s Stratocaster Izabella So Iconic

Izabella, the Stratocaster, became famous due to its electrifying performance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. It was also the last guitar that Jimi Hendrix ever played, making it impactful for his fans worldwide.

The story of Jimi Hendrix and Izabella can not be completed without going over the electrifying performance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. This performance marks a significant artistic moment in Hendrix’s career as well as making the guitar one of the most celebrated musical instruments of all time.

Almost 53 years ago, Izabella made its first appearance as Jimi Hendrix famously performed on stage to end the Woodstock Festival on August 18, 1969. He was one of the biggest names on the bill, which is saying a lot given the all-star lineup. Due to this factor, Hendrix was given the privilege of performing the weekend’s final set.

Hendrix tore through a number of his fiery favorites, including “Hear My Train a Comin’,” “Foxy Lady,” and “Fire,” on that fateful day before starting an improvised piece. Izabella, his 1968 Olympic White Stratocaster, was expertly played by Hendrix in a free-form style for a short period before entering into a distorted, heartbreaking rendition of the national anthem.

“The Star-Spangled Banner”, the national anthem of the U.S.A, had never been played in a similar approach before. Jimi Hendrix’s performance with such a passionate expression made a timeless impact on the history of music. The roar of Jimi Hendrix’s Stratocaster brought the anthem to life in a brand-new way.

In the words of Mike Lewis, the said Fender Custom Shop Vice President of Product Development, it was a cultural moment that was heard all around the world. Indeed, that was a cultural reset, as many people consider his performance to be the most significant and memorable of the festival.

Jimi Hendrix and the white Stratocaster Izabella became so closely linked over time that it eventually became one of his signature looks. And what made Izabella so special was the fact that Hendrix wrote his final single, also known as “Izabella,” and it was the last guitar he was seen playing in his final concert in 1970.

Whereabouts Of The Stratocaster Izabella After 1970

Izabella is now part of the Experience Music Project Museum in Seattle, Washington. It was initially passed down to Hendrix’s experienced drummer, Mitch Mitchell. The Stratocaster had several other changes in ownership before coming to the rebranded MoPOP museum.

Jimi Hendrix performed his final concert on September 6th, 1970, at the nearly unsuccessful Love and Peace Festival in Isle of Fehmarn, Germany, just 12 days before his overdose death (on September 18th, 1970) at the age of 27. With that, the story of Izabella and Jimi Hendrix came to an unfortunate end.

The guitar was in Mitch Mitchell’s possession at first after Jimi Hendrix passed away. Izabella, the famous Stratocaster, stayed with him until the early 1990s. After that, it was sold at auction for £198,000 to Italian TV host and music critic Gabriele Ansaloni. This was the highest price ever paid for a guitar at the time.

The passion for famous guitars was just getting started and growing bigger with time during that era. About two years later, in 1993, Ansaloni sold the guitar to Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. The unconfirmed but widely rumored price for the guitar was approximately $2 million. Needless to say, this sum of money shows the deep impact of Izabella.

Paul Allen established the Experience Music Project Museum in Hendrix’s hometown of Seattle in 2000. Since then, the guitar has been safely kept there. Later on, the museum was rebranded as the Museum of Pop Culture, or MoPOP. So, at present, Jimi Hendrix’s iconic white Stratocaster is on display at MoPOP.

Izabella was last played in public by Kenny Wayne Shepherd in November of 2010 during his appearance on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”. Following that, he played the guitar later that evening for the Hendrix Experience Tour at NYC’s Beacon Theatre. To this day, the Stratocaster remains in its original configuration.

Impact Of Izabella On Jimi Hendrix’s Music

Izabella was a significant part of Jimi Hendrix’s music-making journey. It was the inspiration for Izabella, the B-side track from his album Stepping Stone. This Stratocaster was a major influence on the final studio album of the Jimi Hendrix Experience named Electric Ladyland.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s third and final studio album, Electric Ladyland, was released right before Hendrix passed away in 1970. This was a double album and the only record from the Experience that Hendrix had produced. Electric Ladyland was the band’s most commercially successful album. And what sets the music apart is the electrifying use of Izabella.

Electric Ladyland was the band’s only number-one album. It was released by Reprise Records in the US on October 16, 1968, and by Track Records in the UK nine days later. The album peaked at number six after spending 12 weeks on the UK charts. The album also spent two weeks at the top of the US charts by mid-November.

Jimi Hendrix was already a revolutionary figure in guitar-playing history. His Stratocaster, Izabella, amplified his performance significantly. He used many previously unheard-of techniques, including playing the electric guitar with his teeth and behind his back, to broaden people’s perceptions of what it was capable of.

Izabella was influential in revolutionizing the history of guitar playing. Its unique sound, performance, and playing set it apart as well as made it so popular even to this day. This Stratocaster commemorates a wonderful period and sheds light on one of the greatest musical events in human history.

Izabella perfectly captures the iconic image of Jimi playing his Strat on the Woodstock Festival stage. With each resounding note he played during his performance at the festival, he altered the course of music history. As a result, Jimi Hendrix’s Stratocaster Izabella is still considered one of his most iconic guitars today.

Fender’s Recreation Of Izabella After 50 Years

The Fender guitar company made a recreation of Jimi Hendrix’s Stratocaster Izabella after the 50th anniversary of his performance at the Woodstock Festival. The guitar was built according to the original specifications. It was a limited edition released in 2019.

Undoubtedly, Izabella, the white Stratocaster, was deeply impactful for its musical influence. Both for Jimi Hendrix, his fans worldwide, and guitar enthusiasts, this white Stratocaster serves as a timeless piece of musical history. The original creators of the guitar, the Fender Guitar Company, took advantage of this opportunity and recreated the iconic musical instrument.

Jimi Hendrix defined the voice of a generation with an electrifying performance at the Woodstock Festival almost fifty years ago. In 2019, the Fender Custom Shop has announced the release of the limited edition of “Izabella”, the Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster in recognition of that once-in-a-lifetime performance.

With only 250 pieces produced, this replica Stratocaster commemorates a significant moment in the history of rock and the electric guitar. This Fender White Stratocaster recreation was skillfully crafted by the Fender Custom Shop team. This recreation is fully licensed by Authentic Hendrix. So, this recreation of Izabella is as real as it gets.

The 2019 recreation of Izabella illustrates the iconic Woodstock electric guitar in all its glory. It comes with Olympic White Alder and a 3-ply parchment pickguard to make up the body. The C-shaped neck of the flatsawn 60 has 21 vintage-style frets on a maple fingerboard. All these features make it historically accurate to match the great influences of Izabella.

Conclusion

Together, Jimi Hendrix and his iconic Stratocaster Izabella have made history when it comes to guitar playing. Since the early 1970s to this day, Izabella remains one of the most iconic guitars in the history of music.

Owing to its great history and musical significance, fans around the world are still avid admirers of this great white Stratocaster.