The following is a list of 6 of the most iconic,
beyond-legendary pieces of musical instruments, let alone guitars, in the world right now! My pick of 6 of the most instantly-recognizable and well-known axes
out there!
1. Beatles Gibson SG 1964
This legendary Gibson SG was used by the Beatles when they
were recording and touring for their infamous Revolver album as well as The
White Album, between ’66 and ’69. It was
used by both John Lennon and George Harrison, and was later given to Peter Ham
from the band Badfinger, rediscovered only upon his death in 2002. It was then
auctioned off for more than half a million dollars in 2004!
2. Fender Stratocaster ‘Reach out to Asia’
As part of the efforts to raise money through charity for
the 2004 Tsunami, guitar idols and stars including the likes of Eric Clapton, Mick
Jagger, Brian May, Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, The Malcolm and Angus Young brothers,
Ronnie Wood, Sir Paul McCartney, and Bryan Adams (who was also the coordinator
in these efforts), to name just a few, came together to raise money for the
Tsunami victims. A charity called Reach out to Asia was formed as a result, and
as part of the money-raising efforts, a Fender Stratocaster was signed by all
these heavyweights and auctioned off for a cool one million dollars, bought by
the Qatari Royal Family, and later for an even cooler $2.7 million, again for
charity!
3. Fender Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix
This beyond-legendary piece of axe was donned and used by
none other than Jimi Hendrix at the ’69 Woodstock. It has cigarette burns on
its headstock (Hendrix was a chain smoker), and trademark-Jimi Hendrix reverse
stringing. Until the 1990s, for almost 20 years, this Stratocaster was in
possession of and taken care of by Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch
Mitchell, but reemerged at the opening of Fender Artist Center in 1990. It sold
later for almost 200,000 in 1998, and rumor has it that Paul Allen, a close
friend and associate of Bill Gates, paid over a cool 2 mil for this in 1998!
4. Washburn 22-series Hawk Bob Marley
A piece of instrument that is declared to be a national
asset by the government of Jamaica (true story!), this is only one of the 7
guitars used by Marley in his life. Guitar technician Gary Carlsen, founder of
the ‘Different Journeys, One Destination’ charity has put this up as a prize
for the lottery winner, after it was given to him by Marley himself in 1971
after one of his performances in Vancouver, Canada.
5. ‘Lenny’ Fender Composite Stratocaster Stevie Ray Vaughn
‘Lenny’ was a gift given to legendary blues artist and
guitarist Stevie Ray, as a birthday gift by his wife on his 26th
Birthday, in the year 1980. He named it ‘Lenny’ after her. This Strat was his
favorite guitar, a common sight at almost all of Stevie Ray’s performances
until his death in 1990. It has Stevie Ray’s initials ‘SRV’ on its body, making
it instantly recognizable, and a Stevie Ray trademark actually, as he had SRV
on almost all his guitars – something that he picked up from his brother
Jimmie. In 2004, Lenny was released by the Stevie Ray Vaughn estate in order to
raise money for charity – specifically for the Crossroads Center in Antigua. It
was able to raise in excess of $600,000 for the purpose.
6. Blackie: Strat Hybrid
Blackie was Eric Clapton’s Stratocaster, and actually has an
interesting back-story. In the 70s, Clapton, along with a few others like
Hendrix, switched allegiances from Gibson to Fender. Clapton bought six vintage
Fender Stratocasters for hundred-a-pop from a local Texas guitar shop, he gave
away three, and collected the best parts from the remaining three, which gave
birth to Blackie, a hybrid Stratocaster named after the color of it body. Blackie
was Clapton’s favorite guitar, used extensively by him for a good 12 years
until he stopped playing it in ’85. It was auctioned off in 2004, fetching just
under a million dollars.
