SAN DIEGO -- A local music collector who tried unsuccessfully to sell a guitar once owned by Jimi Hendrix blames the rock legend's family for scuttling the sale. Now, after a two-year legal battle, he says he will finally be compensated.

Hendrix is, arguably, one of the greatest guitarists in the history of rock. Since his death 32 years ago, some of the rock legend's guitars have sold fpr hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Del Cerro resident Greg Dorsett (pictured, left) says he owns one of the valuable insruments. He says he bought the 1967 Fender Stratocaster from someone in Hendrix's management team for about $60,000. But when Dorsett tried to auction the guitar on eBay, he says the Hendrix family stepped in, claiming the guitar was stolen.

An attorney for the Hendrix estate told NBC 7/39 that family members asked eBay to suspend the auction until they could verify where the guitar came from. Then, the family consulted its expert and decided the guitar had never belonged to the rock star.

Dorsett fought back, providing eBay with evidence that he says proves the guitar had belonged to Hendrix. The Web site put the guitar auction back online, but Dorsett says the damage had been done. Questions about the authenticity of the instrument persisted, and potential buyers were scared away, he says.

"When you throw a rock at a flock of birds, do you apologize and tell them to come back? It just doesn't happen," Dorsett said.

When his attempt to sell the guitar failed, Dorsett sued the Hendrix estate for defamation and won. His lawyer says that the jury was convinced that the guitar had belonged to the famous guitarist. As a result, last month they awarded him $131,000 in damages.

Dorsett says that satisfaction has been a long time coming.

"It's a good feeling. It was a long 2 years, definitely," he said.

A lawyer for the Hendrix family says they will appeal. Meanwhile, Dorsett still has the guitar. He says he's trying to decide when to put it on the market again.