Because they were not adequately provided for, the estate of Jimi Hendrix is suing the owner of a music store for a guitar that was once owned by the late artist. The guitar is currently held by Harvey Moltz, the owner of Rainbow Guitars. As The Guardian reports, the estate allege that Moltz is not the rightful owner of the Acoustic Black Widow, and are seeking a court order that the it be returned.
“The guitar is priceless to our family” said Janie Hendrix, Jimi’s adopted sister. It’s also literally priceless, valued between $750K and $1 million. As CEO of Experience Hendrix, the company that runs Jimi’s estate, Janie is pretty keen to get the sentimental object back into the estates control. “It is one of the few guitars that came home after Jimi passed away” she said “we just our guitar returned safely and back where it belongs.” And where it can continue to accrue value.
Harvey bought the guitar from a middleman, who bought the guitar from Sheldon Reynolds, the ex-husband of Janie. Renyolds is said to have stolen the guitar. Reynolds was likely painfully aware of the value of the Black Widow, given that he strummed similarly valuable axes as lead guitarist for Earth, Wind & Fire.
It seems that the Hendrix estate have a pick-sized chance of success. “My client purchased the guitar in good faith from a private seller, without knowledge of competing claims of ownership” said Moltz’s lawyer. So unless the dude from Earth, Wind and Fire showed up wearing a ski mask and pawned the axe for cold hard cash – they don’t have much of a case.