Are You Experienced?

In 2003 Rolling Stone magazine writer David Fricke proposed the idea of an issue dedicated entirely to the greatest guitarists of all time to his editors. They approved his idea, on the conditions that the list should be of 100 different guitarists and they must be ranked. After releasing his list, Fricke said “In the end, I looked at it this way: Jimi Hendrix was Number One in every way; the other 99 were all Number Two.” The issue was a hit, and in 2011 Rolling Stone decided to release an updated list of the same topic. However, this time the list wasn’t comprised of one man’s opinions. This time more than 50 legendary musicians and ten experienced writers each voted on who should be ranked where. Despite the additional aspects of more voters and nearly another decade since Jimi passed, Hendrix withstood the tests of time and others opinions as he once again took the number one spot, continuing his reign as Rolling Stone’s top guitarist of all time.

Here at Vintage 329 we are pretty big Hendrix fans ourselves, and we commemorate him with a small collection of autographed items that would look spectacular in any man cave. Our collection includes an album, a framed Hit Parader magazine, a guitar, and a framed drum head signed by Hendrix and the members of his band. The album is the first ever released by the Jimi Hendrix Experience titled Are You Experienced? Astonishingly, the relatively unknown band’s first album climbed all the way to number 2 on the UK charts, trailing only “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” of already established and well known Beatles. The Experience would go on to release two more albums, but neither one has been able to compare to Are You Experienced? over the years.

Although we don’t know when the next Rolling Stone top 100 guitarists of all time issue will be released, it is pretty safe to say that unless a new god of guitar emerges and is able to captivate this generation in the way that Hendrix has captivated the last three generations, Hendrix will be atop that list as well. For that reason (as well as it just being awesome) owning a Hendrix item can only get better and better for you. So if you are as big of Hendrix fans as we are, have a man cave with an empty spot on the wall, or just want to own something signed by the greatest guitar of all time, look through our website and check out our collection of Hendrix items that could be the next piece of your collection.