A BBC article states that the guitar didn't sell at auction in 2002 as it didn't reach the reserve price - I'm not sure but I think Dweezil still owns it. The article also states that the Zappa/Hendrix guitar was burned by Hendrix at the Astoria in 1967, restored, then burned in Miami in 1968. The article in dated 2002 - may have sold since then.

Torched Jimi Hendrix guitar sells for £280,000
The Fender Stratocaster goes under the hammer in London

September 5, 2008
http://www.nme.com/news/jimi-hendrix/39525



The first guitar that was ever set alight by the late Jimi Hendrix was bought at auction for £280,000 in London yesterday (September 4) by an American collector, Daniel Boucher.

The guitar was set alight by Hendrix at the Finsbury Park Astoria in 1967 and stored by Hendrix's then-press officer until its sale at the Fame Bureau's 'It's More Than Rock And Roll' auction yesterday, reports The Telegraph.

"I thought I'd have to pay a little bit more for it, actually," Boucher said. "I am going to play it, I hope some of it rubs off on me."

Hendrix estate wins trademark dispute over vodka

By GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 15 mins ago

SEATTLE – A company that promoted "Hendrix Electric" vodka is paying $3.2 million to the estate of rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix, which claimed the spirit infringed on the Hendrix trademark and was created in poor taste.

A federal judge last year sided with Experience Hendrix, the company that controls the trademark, in determining that Seattle businessman Craig Dieffenbach and his Electric Hendrix LLC didn't have permission to use the guitarist's image or name.

A trial was scheduled for this month to determine how much Dieffenbach should have to pay in damages. Instead, the sides negotiated an agreement by which Dieffenbach and Electric Hendrix would pay $3.2 million.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly entered a judgment for that amount last week and ordered Dieffenbach and his companies to stop selling and marketing the vodka or any other products branded with the Hendrix name.

"This judgment recognizes our family's long-standing commitment to preserve the Jimi Hendrix legacy and artistic vision," Jimi's stepsister, Janie Hendrix, said in a written statement.

Leon Hendrix, the younger half brother of Jimi Hendrix, was Dieffenbach's business partner in the vodka enterprise. He was written out of the $80 million Hendrix estate by his late father, Al Hendrix, and Dieffenbach, a Seattle developer and Hendrix fan, financed his unsuccessful court battle to gain a slice of the money.

A lawyer for Dieffenbach did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday.

In its complaint against Electric Hendrix, the Hendrix estate said it didn't want Jimi's name or image used to promote alcohol because he died of a sleeping pill overdose in 1970, at age 27. Experience Hendrix does market a wide variety of Hendrix-themed items, from coasters and tumbler glasses to incense and cell-phone covers.

Dieffenbach began marketing the vodka in purple-tinted bottles with a Jimi Hendrix likeness and signature above the label in late 2005. The estate sued him in 2007.

Man....that family have really made a mess of the guy's memory. From the unfinished memorial, to this.

However, the makers of Experience Heroin: A Smack O' Jimi are going full speed ahead with their marketing plans.

Experience Hendrix have not released any un-released Jimi since 2000 apart from a few minor Dagger Boot releases.

Experience Hendrix are just not innovative enough to produce what the fans want.

Yeah, it's pretty sad that everything worth buying the last few years has been from Jeffries estate.

From Yahoo/Billboard/Reuters:

Universal Music inks deal for Hendrix catalog

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Universal Music Publishing Group has become the exclusive administrator of the Jimi Hendrix catalog throughout the world outside the United States.

The five-year agreement covers all commercial opportunities, including synchronization licensing for motion pictures, TV, advertising and other media.

Universal Music Publishing replaces Sony/ATV Music Publishing, which had administered the Hendrix catalog outside the United States since 1998. The U.S. publishing rights will continue to be handled by Experience Hendrix, the Seattle company formed in 1995 by the guitarist's late father, James "Al" Hendrix, and now headed by Jimi Hendrix's sister Janie Hendrix, who is president/CEO.

"Janie has done an amazing job of keeping the music and Hendrix's legacy alive," said Universal Music Publishing chairman/CEO David Renzer. "They have a great reissue program in place and they are doing a great job of protecting his legacy."

"Overall, it was a wonderful deal they offered us," Hendrix said. "Everything has to come through me for approval." She added that she will ensure that any new opportunities "uphold the standard of the music."

The Hendrix catalog -- which includes such songs as "Purple Haze," "Crosstown Traffic" and "Voodoo Child" -- remains a perennial strong seller. In the United States, the catalog sells about a half-million copies annually, putting worldwide sales at 1.2 million, Billboard estimates. Song downloads of the artist's music grew from 800,000 in the United States in 2007 to 915,000 last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Artists gravitate to his songs," Renzer said. "He has been covered by everyone from Eric Clapton to John Mayer."

Meanwhile, the artist's recording catalog appears poised to continue expanding, with Hendrix noting that Experience Hendrix has "10 more years of Hendrix music" in the vaults.

"Currently, I am in the studio transferring tapes of Band of Gypsys performances that have never been released before," she said, referring to Hendrix's last band.

Experience Hendrix expects to release two albums later this year, including one on its Dagger "bootleg" imprint, which is sold only through its Web site. Hendrix also expects to release CDs and DVDs this fall that showcase live performances by the Jimi Hendrix Experience at London's Royal Albert Hall, as well as behind-the-scenes footage.

When Hendrix performed February 18 and February 24, 1969, at Royal Albert Hall, a camera crew followed him for a month, yielding candid footage of him at home, about town and hanging out backstage. The result, Hendrix says, will be a "reality TV" glimpse of the legendary guitarist.

(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)

Janie Hendrix is the Alan Douglas of the new millenium.

What about the 10 years of unreleased music ?

I had a feeling Janie would pass on the Hendrix masters to someone who knows something about record production.

Lets hope these new CDs/DVDs come out soon.

100% agree Herr Chris Evil

God I hope it isn't her actually doing the transfers!!!!

I say this because I just recorded new drum tracks for some unreleased Hendrix tracks. The new Jimi Hendrix archive releases will be maximized and Evilized!!

Putting aside my private and public complaints about how I wished that the pace of releases would pick up, this news now actually makes some sense of why so few things have been released over the last two or 3 years. Now that the distribution deal is in place, I'm looking forward to more material coming out to the public. Hoepfully, the Miami Pop Festival '68 DVD is also on the list as well. The news on more Band of Gypsies material is a really pleasant surprise.

The RAH show is also decent, though I didn't realize it until Charly issued the box with (finally) acceptable sound quality a couple years back.

Paul Allen, owner of Experience Music Project Seattle and a big wig @ Microsoft owned all the multitrack tapes from the Band Of Gypsys concerts which he purchased about 8 years ago at an auction.

I guess Janie finally made him an offer he could not refuse.

Hopefully they will be released in chronological order this time.

There has been multiple bootlegs of these shows for decades.

I don't remember all the details, but it's considered common knowledge in Seattle that Experience Music Project was originally going to be basically a Jimi Hendrix museum funded with Allen's money but Janie backed out at the last minute.

Don't blame Allen for unreleased material!

I would actually buy these for the 6th or 7th time each IF they would lose the god awful compression. The last batch of Hendrix cd's were some of the loudest, brightest cd's ever. As far as studio bonus material, there can't be too much left that the Jeffries estate hasn't already released...... can there??

From Yahoo/Reuters/Billboard,

"Hendrix masters align with new "Axis" in Sony deal

By Ed Christman

NEW YORK (Billboard) – The Jimi Hendrix catalog is moving over and letting another major take over.

Experience Hendrix, the family company that controls Hendrix's catalog and copyrights, has struck an eight-year, worldwide licensing deal with Sony Music Entertainment for the master recordings of the legendary guitarist.

Sony plans to launch an ambitious reissue campaign in 2010 that will include deluxe editions of the three original albums by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, posthumous releases, the official Dagger Records bootleg line and previously unreleased archival recordings and filmed concerts.

The deal also includes licensing rights outside the United States for the 1970 live set "Band of Gypsys," which EMI Music will continue to distribute stateside. Universal Music Group had held the master licenses for the rest of the Hendrix catalog since 1997. Sony's licensing deal will take effect January 1.

In March, Seattle-based Experience Hendrix moved administration of the Hendrix music publishing catalog from Sony/ATV to Universal Music Publishing Group. At the time, Experience Hendrix president/CEO Janie Hendrix, the guitarist's sister, said she was planning a late-2009 release for a Dagger bootleg title and CD and DVD releases of live performances at London's Royal Albert Hall in February 1969, which would include behind-the-scenes footage. Those releases are now planned for 2010.

Sony's reissue campaign for the core catalog -- "Are You Experienced," "Axis: Bold As Love" and "Electric Ladyland" -- will encompass deluxe editions with extra material and enhanced packaging. Because plans are being worked out, Sony and Experience Hendrix can't yet provide details on the bonus material.

"There is an obligation that we have to fans that when we reissue material, you have to offer a substantial greater value in the content ... whether it be audio, visual or packaging," said Adam Block, Sony Music Entertainment Legacy Recordings senior vice president and general manager. "That is a core fundamental strategy here. I do know that in this case there is an enormous amount of material that Hendrix fans are going to be thrilled to have."

Although the artist's catalog has been repackaged extensively through the years, Hendrix points out one notable omission.

"We have never (released) the core catalog as a boxed set," she said. "That will be one of the next projects to come out under the Sony project."

To help promote the reissue campaign, Experience Hendrix will organize a concert tour next year. The company previously has sponsored tours featuring such contemporary artists as Carlos Santana, Paul Rodgers and Robert Randolph performing Hendrix's music.

The Hendrix catalog sells about 500,000 albums annually in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Billboard estimates worldwide sales average about 1.2 million per year.

Block said Sony Legacy and Experience Hendrix will work hard to bring new Hendrix fans into the fold.

"The beauty in an artist like Hendrix is that year after year, kids come of age and Jimi is a rite of passage," he said. "It is our role and responsibility to make sure that when they wake up on that morning that they have a chance to taste and hear the genius of this guy."

(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)"

Okay, ready to pony up the big bucks again?!? 'Cause you can darn well bet that box set will include material not available on other individual reissues...

I hope the re-issues contain genuine out-takes and alternative takes that have not already been in the collectors market.

I am very keen on having a decent version of the songs Crash Landing, Cherokee Mist (1968 version) and the out-takes from late 1967/1968.

One would also hope the re-issues are available on DVD or even Blue Ray to fully realise the technology of today.

A 5.1 mix of Electric Ladyland would sound stunning. Jimi's sound painting as originally recorded and intended.

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