Jimi Hendrix's 1964 Fender Jazzmaster owned by Billy Davis of Hank Ballard And The Midnighters

The 1964 Jimi Hendrix Fender Jazzmaster

Jimi Hendrix really liked Jazzmasters, having used them on the road with Wilson Pickett, The Isley Brothers and other soul acts before he became famous, and occasionally he used them with the Experience. He had a few over the years, at least, and they are hard to track precisely. 

Except this one, that is, which belonged to Billy Davis, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee who played guitar with Hank Ballard and the Midnighters on the original version of “The Twist.” He also worked with The Isley Brothers and Jackie Wilson: Billy played that amazing riff on ”It’s Your Thing,” and he’s on “Higher And Higher” alongside a moonlighting James Jamerson. He’s still playing today at age 80.

A young Jimi Hendrix went to a Hank Ballard show in Seattle, when “The Twist” was riding high. Billy got word that a young man wanted to talk guitar, so he welcomed Jimi backstage and showed him some guitar licks. The two became friends from then on.

Around 1969, Billy was living in Harlem, and was hanging out at Jimi’s Greenwich Village apartment playing Jimi’s ’64 Jazzmaster, and when they went out to a club, Jimi said, “Don’t forget your guitar,” put it in the case and gave it to him. After the club Jimi made sure that Billy got the guitar from the trunk of Jimi’s limo. Billy had a shop convert the nut back to a right-handed setup. Otherwise the guitar is factory original and showing signs of use, check out the photos and ask to see more pictures. For security, Billy etched his insurance number on the tailpiece. He kept it ever since. That guitar is still around, currently held securely by us at Rock Stars Guitars. We have a couple of videos of Billy talking about the guitar’s Jimi connection and of him playing it. Jimi also gave Billy two more Gibsons, an ES-335 and an SG (exact models unknown), but those are long gone.

Billy Davis is an inductee of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, and is a pioneer of R&B Soul & Funk. A genuinely great player, who nurtured and influenced another genuinely great player.

Please enquire for any details about purchasing this instrument. It comes with much documentation, letters from Billy Davis himself, and video clips, etc. It is still housed in the original guitar case that was handed to him by Jimi Hendrix. A genuine Jimi Hendrix guitar. Who wouldn’t love to own it?

This is a real deal Soul/R&B guitar for a real player or collector. A true museum piece and has such a nice story to go with it.

Please note that this guitar is in the USA. To ship elsewhere, please ask us for details, as there are federal restrictions applying to export of all guitars with rosewood fingerboards. It can be done, please understand we need to process the correct paperwork for you, which can take at least 4 weeks.

DO ask us anything you need to know before making a purchase, regarding payment methods, delivery, etc.

Check out more on the amazing Billy Davis!
metrotimes.com/detroit/midnight-to-midnight/Content?oid=2197867
and jettplasticrecordings.com/pages/billy-davis