Does Fender's Hendrix range of Strats annoy anyone else?

[Cosmic Cowboy]

To each their own. For me, sig guitars are the equivalent of kids buying Jordan shoes thinking they will play basketball better.

I never have, and never will buy a signature guitar...especially a strat. Something like a Brent Mason has some cool unique features, but almost all sig guitars are silly imo.

 

[Chicago Matt]

Doesn't annoy me a bit. Fender sees a market and builds it, same as it ever was. I won't be buying one though.

 

[fenderchamp]

I only get annoyed if a pedal, or guitar is referenced by the manufacturer as a Hendrix 'signature' model. It's especially annoying when they actually print a replica of his signature on the product. I'm pretty sure Jimi didn't sign-off, or endorse your pedal, or guitar. Maybe they were channeling Jimi in the factory...

the \ Hendrix estate and said registered products is one big can or worms, is that where this thread needs to go?

 

[zcostilla]

Think of it from Fender’s perspective for product management and marketing.

1 - Jimi Hendrix is an influential guitar hero and let’s be honest, a big part of why YOU even want a Strat.

So it makes full sense to replicate the appearance of his instruments.

2 - Actually flipping a righty electric guitar upside down and stringing it backwards is uncomfortable and awkward to play and nose divey.

So the question for you, “how would you design a Jimi Hendrix Strat if your salary was linked to how well it sells”?

I’d use a standard righty body, but use a lefty bridge AND reverse the slant on the bridge pickup

 

[FenderGyrl]

Upside down headstock does feel different as far as string tension. IMO

Check out Jake E Lee's guitars. He always had the neck pickup reversed angle wise. Great tone on all of the Bad Lands recordings.

As far as tuning with the Strat headstock upside down... Jimi's live recordings are all tempered tuned guitars to my ears. Noel must have chased his tuning to stay with Jimi ad nauseam.

And I really dig Jimi. Just sayin...
I don't know how he beat the hell outta those stock Fenders. LOL

 

[ChicknPickn]

Hendrix, and especially his gear, have always been underwhelming to me.

 

[Fiesta Red]

The backwards headstocks and upside down guitars don’t bother me in the least.
Of course, I won’t be buying one, but that’s beside the point.

I do have one piece of JH Signature gear:

But I bought it because of the sound, not because of his name on it…it’s a Fuzz Face in an MXR enclosure.

I also have my own Signature wah, an MWA-95 Crybaby:

(Note: this may or MAY NOT be an actual Dunlop signature model)

There is one other piece of Hendrix gear that I would buy: a Dunlop JHW2 Mini-Fuzz + Octave…in fact, I’m actively looking for one right now; I’ll probably have to go the Reverb route.

 

[bobio]

Does Fender's Hendrix range of Strats annoy anyone else?​

Nope

 

[Toast]

Sorry for a little random rant but I was looking on the Fender Website this morning and saw this Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster® | Electric Guitars (fender.com)

I really don't understand why Fender sticks a left handed neck on their Hendrix strats, for some reason this really annoys me .

I get it that Jimi used right handed strats, turned upside down and restrung. So why does't fender just sell Lefty strats, strung as right handed? Even a right-handed version with right handed neck would be more accurate, it just doesn't make sense to me.

Does it make sense to anyone, let me know?

OK, rant over and back to playing my Tele

If a player will go for a relic guitar, then they'll go for any kind of gimmick.

 

[Skydog1010]

I've got a few sets of Alexander Pribora Stratocaster VooDoo pickups with white covers I'm willing to sell delivered USPS priority $100 per set. I think I have three sets. New! Contact me via PM. USPS money order. Ships anywhere USA.

Answer to OP - not much of anything annoys me anymore, especially anything related to music gear.

Wish Fender had given us an option for getting what they call the tremelo arm on the upper side of the bridge.

 

[BrazHog]

Sorry for a little random rant but I was looking on the Fender Website this morning and saw this Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster® | Electric Guitars (fender.com)

I really don't understand why Fender sticks a left handed neck on their Hendrix strats, for some reason this really annoys me .

I get it that Jimi used right handed strats, turned upside down and restrung. So why does't fender just sell Lefty strats, strung as right handed? Even a right-handed version with right handed neck would be more accurate, it just doesn't make sense to me.

Does it make sense to anyone, let me know?

OK, rant over and back to playing my Tele

Looks like the "logical" way to reproduce whatever advantages playing an upside-down Strat has over a right-side-up one: 1) bridge pickup slanted in the opposite direction; 2) the length of the strings behind the nut. And you don't have the knobs and the tremolo arm in the way of your picking hand.

Although who knows! Maybe Jimi operated the volume and tremolo with his wrist while playing?

(Disclaimer: I don't play Strats myself.)

 

[TheCheapGuitarist]

They did sell a lefty strung right Jimi Hendrix Tribute strat, back in 1997.

View attachment 1065254

In all honesty, that looks like a pain in the arse to play.

 

[Leonardocoate]

If Jimi liked it so much why did he catch it on fire? I prefer to play my own signature model

 

[jrblue]

Can't help with the OP's questions other than to agree. Fender just takes Jimi's monumental individualism and trivializes it into whatever someone might buy. I think it's awful. Ditto, the Dunlop pedals. I saw Hendrix live with the Experience and love his music. I'd be embarrassed, and would feel disrespecful, to rock out on a Jimi wannabe musical playset.

 

[Danb541]

I bought a loaded pickguard from a Hendrix strat. Dropped
It in a partscaster. Pickups sound great but I didn’t like the bridge pickup slanted backwards, just looked odd so I put the pickups in a regular pick guard. Whatever the pickups are, they sound excellent.
I’m not a fan of the Hendrix sig. strats either. But I’m not into signature strats at all.

 

[Blackmore Fan]

Upside down headstock does feel different as far as string tension. IMO

Check out Jake E Lee's guitars. He always had the neck pickup reversed angle wise. Great tone on all of the Bad Lands recordings.

I'm so tempted to pick up one of Jake's signature Charvels! Such an amazing player!

 

[Blackmore Fan]

I never have, and never will buy a signature guitar...especially a strat. Something like a Brent Mason has some cool unique features, but almost all sig guitars are silly imo.

I'd buy a Robin Trower or Mark Knopfler signature...if the price is right. The Blackmore signatures don't move me.

 

[teleplayr]

It's just another Janie Hendrix money grab.

It's crazy that she keeps saying that Jimi was her brother (only by marriage). She had met him only a couple of times when she was a little kid.

Jimi's dad signed over the rights to her before his passing and she's milked the Hendrix name ever since.

 

[Maguchi]

Sorry for a little random rant but I was looking on the Fender Website this morning and saw this Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster® | Electric Guitars (fender.com)

I really don't understand why Fender sticks a left handed neck on their Hendrix strats, for some reason this really annoys me .

I get it that Jimi used right handed strats, turned upside down and restrung. So why does't fender just sell Lefty strats, strung as right handed? Even a right-handed version with right handed neck would be more accurate, it just doesn't make sense to me.

Does it make sense to anyone, let me know?

OK, rant over and back to playing my Tele

No way Ray! I dig 'em. Just wish they had 22 frets instead of 21.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

It's just another Janie Hendrix money grab.

It's crazy that she keeps saying that Jimi was her brother (only by marriage). She had met him only a couple of times when she was a little kid.

Jimi's dad signed over the rights to her before his passing and she's milked the Hendrix name ever since.

Jimis estate now belongs to a person who has absolutely no blood ties to him whilst his biological family was completely frozen out.