Every legendary guitarist has a story about their first instrument, and for **Jake E. Lee**, the fiery shredder best known for his work with **Ozzy Osbourne** and **Badlands**, that story begins with a borrowed acoustic guitar and culminates with a customized Fender Stratocaster that would earn its own place in rock history.
The Very First Guitar
Lee’s journey into music began at **age 13**, when he picked up a **cheap acoustic guitar** belonging to his sister. With no formal lessons available, he leaned on his earlier piano training and the well-known **Mel Bay guitar books** to start piecing together chords and scales.
But the turning point came when he heard **Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”** blasting from his sister’s radio. The raw power and innovation of Hendrix’s sound lit a spark in him. From that moment, the guitar was no longer just another instrument — it was a calling. Lee later admitted that hearing Hendrix was the reason he decided to pursue guitar seriously, trading the structure of piano for the freedom of six strings.
The Birth of “Old Whitey”
While the acoustic sparked his journey, Lee’s first truly **iconic guitar** was a **1974 hardtail Fender Stratocaster**, later nicknamed **“Old Whitey.”** Initially, it wasn’t the flashy custom axe of a rock star but rather a workhorse that evolved into a legend through ingenuity and modification.
A close friend of Lee’s, who worked at the **Charvel factory**, transformed the Strat into something unique:
* It was **repainted white**, giving it the striking appearance that earned its nickname.
* A **humbucker pickup** was installed in the bridge position, adding power and punch perfect for Lee’s hard rock and metal style.
* The **headstock** was reshaped to a smaller, traditional style, further personalizing the guitar.
The modifications turned a stock Strat into a versatile, high-powered machine that became Lee’s primary weapon during his early career with **Ozzy Osbourne**. With “Old Whitey,” he laid down unforgettable riffs on classics like **“Bark at the Moon”** and **“Shot in the Dark.”**
A Guitarist’s First Love
Looking back, Lee has often emphasized the emotional connection guitarists share with their earliest instruments. “There’s always a special bond between you and your first guitar,” he once reflected. That bond wasn’t just about wood and strings — it was about discovery, creativity, and the first steps into a career that would inspire generations of guitarists.
Even though “Old Whitey” wasn’t technically his very first guitar, it became the **symbol of his rise to stardom**. It carried the weight of his formative years, his hunger to prove himself, and his refusal to conform to trends.
The Legacy of “Old Whitey”
Today, “Old Whitey” is remembered not just as a piece of gear but as an extension of Jake E. Lee himself. Its modifications mirrored his own style: unconventional, fearless, and uniquely powerful. For fans, the guitar is inseparable from the image of Lee stalking the stage alongside Ozzy, cranking out riffs that remain staples of 1980s metal.
Jake E. Lee’s story is a reminder that greatness often begins humbly — with a borrowed acoustic, a spark of inspiration from a song on the radio, and eventually, a guitar modified into legend. Whether it was strumming his sister’s acoustic or unleashing thunder through “Old Whitey,” Lee’s bond with his guitars tells the story of an artist who found his voice one note at a time.
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