Former Earth, Wind & Fire and The Commodores star Sheldon Reynolds is facing a lawsuit over the ownership of a Jimi Hendrix guitar he obtained following his marriage split from the late rocker's stepsister.

Officials at Experience Hendrix, the company in charge of the guitar great's intellectual property and assets, allege they had no idea Reynolds was in possession of the Black Widow acoustic guitar until he and an acquaintance tried to sell it off at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, California earlier this year (14).

The singer and musician claims he received the instrument as part of his previous divorce settlement with Hendrix's stepsister, Janie Hendrix, but the plaintiffs, who were alerted to the planned sale by Julien's auctioneers, insist the guitar was never her property and maintain Reynolds stole the item.

Janie is Ceo of Experience Hendrix, but she is not named in the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles Federal Court on Monday (10Nov14).

Experience Hendrix bosses are seeking the return of the guitar, in addition to punitive damages for conversion, slander of title and order enjoining Reynolds and his business partner Brian Patterson from selling the guitar.