Jimi's Guitars - The White Strat (first night)

This is the main guitar used by Jimi during his two days visit in Switzerland, the very same guitar he used during his tour in Italy the week before. As a matter of fact you can see the Roses someone gave to him in Bologna, still sticking to the headstock. (For more information on Jimi’s italian experience you should get a copy of the excellent publication Jimi Hendrix In Italia 1968 by Caesar Glebbeek and Roberto Crema).

Although the blue Strat and the black Les Paul can be seen lying on the floor on the left of his Marshall stacks in some photos, it doesn’t seem that he used them. Of the almost 300 photos of the Jimi Hendrix Experience in my archive from the first night, there is not a single shot of Jimi playing another guitar than his white Strat.

Tuning up at the beginning of his set (JB1-14A)

Jimi's Guitars - The White Strat (first night)

Jimi in full flight (EB6-19A)

Jimi's Guitars - The White Strat (second night)

for the second night Jimi uses the white Strat only for the first three songs of the set. Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Stone Free and I Don't Live Today. Here's a very rare colour shot from that second night. (HUS-14)

Jimi's Guitars - The White Strat (second night)

a little more familiar shot (SKRC-7)

Jimi's Guitars - The Black Les Paul (second night)

Jimi's black 1956 Les Paul Custom was only used for Red House on the second night (MF16-17)

Jimi's Guitars - The Black Les Paul (second night)

Tony Stratton-Smith and Mick Taylor (with sunglasses) watching... (MF16-18)

Jimi's Guitars - The Black Les Paul (second night)

during the solo part of Red House (MF16-30)

Jimi's Guitars - The Black Les Paul (second night)

a rare colour shot (SKRC-8)

Jimi's Guitars - The Blue Strat (first night)

I believe that Jimi bought this guitar during his short stay in New York after coming back from Italy and before leaving for Switzerland. This rare backstage pic shows Jimi and Eric Barrett adjusting the guitar for lefthand playing. Jimi is working on the guitar himself with a screw driver and this could be very fatal only a few hours before a gig. Although the guitar was ready to be played for the first night, there's no pic showing him doing so (EB5-19)

Jimi's Guitars - The Blue Strat (second night)

Here you can see the blue Strat at the beginning of Jimi's set of the second night on the left of his Marshall stacks. It's a pitty that so far no colour pics of Jimi playing the guitar have surfaced (HUS-3)

Jimi's Guitars - The Blue Strat (second night)

after Red House, Jimi changes to his brand new blue Stratocaster for the rest of the Show. That is: Hey Joe, Foxy Lady, Manic Depression, Fire and Purple Haze (HK8-9A)

Jimi's Guitars - The Blue Strat (second night)

another shot with the blue Strat (HK8-14A)

Jimi's Guitars - The TV Les Paul (Jam)

This pre-1959 Les Paul Special in TV-finish was used by Jimi during the afternoon Jam Session at the Hallenstadion on 31.05.1968. It is still unclear if this guitar belonged to Jimi or not (SKR5-9)

Jimi's Guitars - The TV Les Paul (Jam)

Jimi with "his" pre-1959 Les Paul Special in TV-finish during the afternoon Jam Session at the Hallenstadion with Vic Briggs, Trevor Burton, Steve Winwood, Carl Wayne + Chris Wood (SKR5-11)

Jimi's Guitars - The TV Les Paul (Jam)

It can be clearly seen that the Special is strung for left-handed use, so maybe it was actually Jimi's guitar ? (SKR6-2)

Jimi's Guitars - The TV Les Paul (Jam)

a rare colour shot from the jam, that was used on the cover of Record Mirror (GB) in November 1968 (SKRC-6)