One of Jimi Hendrix’s favorite guitars, which he set on fire while preforming on a London stage more than 40 years ago and thought to have been lost forever, is to be auctioned later this year.

During a one-off performance at London’s Finsbury Astoria in March 1967, the guitar genius, famously doused a 1965 Fender Stratocaster, with lighter fuel and set it afire. The legendary rock showman had to be rushed to hospital with minor burns to his hands after the stunt, and the guitar, slightly damaged along the neck and pickboard, was recovered by his staff.

The guitar reportedly eventually ended up in the hands of his press officer, Tony Garland, who stored it in his parents’ garage, where it remained until he treasure was unearthed last year by Garland’s nephew.

The Stratocaster guitar is among a range of rock memorabilia to be auctioned by the Fame Bureau in London on September 4th. A previous auction of a Hendrix guitar, known as the Woodstock Stratocaster, fetched $1.8 million. This one has an estimate of $1 million but I woudn’t be surprised if it sold for much more. Other treasures in this auction include The Doors frontman Jim Morrison’s last notebook of poems.

Hendrix, who died in 1970, actually set two guitars on fire, as he repeated the stunt at a festival later in 1967 — but the one to be auctioned is the only example that survives relatively intact.

http://www.hotmommagossip.com/2008/07/16/guitar-that-jimi-hendrix-set-on...