INTARSIA WOOD ART
Artistic wood creations, handcrafted and proudly made in Canada.
JIMI HENDRIX - BLACK BEAUTY
The 1968 Fender Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix called “Black Beauty” was more than another guitar in his collection. It became one of his most trusted instruments and the guitar he was photographed holding in the final days of his life.
This handcrafted tribute celebrates both the instrument and the musician who forever changed the sound, technique, and possibilities of the electric guitar.
Quick Facts
Artist:
Jimi Hendrix
Built::
1968
Model:
Fender Stratocaster - Black Beauty
Most Famous songs:
• Purple Haze
• Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
• All Along the Watchtower
• Foxy Lady
• Little Wing
The Story
Unlike the white Stratocaster forever associated with Woodstock, Black Beauty was a personal guitar belonging to Jimi Hendrix himself. A 1968 Fender Stratocaster finished in black with a maple neck, it became one of the instruments Hendrix kept close during the final period of his life.
Hendrix himself gave the guitar its name. The combination of its black finish, maple neck and classic Stratocaster shape made it visually striking, but its real significance comes from its connection to Hendrix during the final days of his life.
On September 17, 1970, photographer Monika Dannemann took photographs of Hendrix at her home in London. Among the images are photographs of Hendrix holding Black Beauty and another showing him sitting in the garden with the guitar close to his chest. The photographs would become some of the final images ever taken of Hendrix.
This handcrafted shadow box celebrates not simply another famous Stratocaster, but a guitar that was personally owned, named and cherished by one of the most influential guitarists in music history.
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Why This Guitar Matters
Black Beauty represents another side of Jimi Hendrix.
The world remembers Hendrix for setting guitars on fire, playing behind his back, coaxing impossible sounds from amplifiers and redefining what an electric guitar could do.
But behind the spectacle was an extraordinary musician who understood his instrument at an almost instinctive level.
Hendrix helped transform the Fender Stratocaster from a popular electric guitar into an extension of the player. His use of feedback, distortion, vibrato, volume and unconventional playing techniques influenced generations of guitarists who followed.
Black Beauty was one of the instruments he trusted to make that musical language possible.
The Craft Behind the Tribute
For this Guitar Legends piece, I wanted the guitar itself to remain the unmistakable centerpiece. The shadow box features a hand-crafted wooden reproduction of Black Beauty, accompanied by two laser-engraved portraits of Hendrix. One captures the intensity of the performer; the other reflects the quieter, more personal side of the man behind the music.
The black finish of the guitar was particularly important. Rather than simply making a black silhouette, I wanted the body to retain the character and subtle texture of a handcrafted wooden instrument.
Every component was individually cut, shaped, assembled and finished to create a one-of-a-kind tribute to one of the most influential musicians in rock history.
Design Philosophy
Black Beauty is visually very different from many of the other guitars in the Guitar Legends collection.
Its dark body naturally creates a strong focal point, so I deliberately kept the surrounding presentation warm and understated.
The natural wood background contrasts with the black Stratocaster while the engraved portraits add historical context without competing with the guitar.
The result is intended to feel less like a display of memorabilia and more like a small piece of musical history preserved in wood.
Design Choices
Songs That Define Jimi Hendrix
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Purple Haze
One of Hendrix's signature songs, combining a powerful riff with the experimental guitar sounds that immediately distinguished him from his contemporaries. -
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
A masterclass in blues-based guitar playing, featuring Hendrix's expressive bends, aggressive tone and unmistakable control of the instrument.
Specifications
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25" by 11"
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Baltic birch backing
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Poplar frame
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Solid hardwood guitar
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Laser engraved artwork
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Hand assembled
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Ready to hang
For Black Beauty, several details were especially important:
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Black Stratocaster body with white pickguard
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Maple neck and fingerboard
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Authentic Fender-style headstock and hardware details
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Two laser-engraved portraits of Jimi Hendrix
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Handcrafted wooden shadow box
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Engraved commemorative plaque
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Jimi Hendrix nameplate above the guitar
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Individually crafted and assembled components
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Ready to hang
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All Along the Watchtower
Hendrix transformed Bob Dylan's song into a powerful psychedelic rock performance, with his guitar becoming an essential part of the song's identity.
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Foxy Lady
A perfect example of Hendrix's ability to combine a memorable riff with feedback, sustain and expressive guitar effects. -
The Star-Spangled Banner
The performance that forever linked Hendrix and the white Stratocaster with Woodstock. His interpretation turned the national anthem into an extraordinary piece of psychedelic guitar expression.
Black Beauty Through the Years
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1968 - Hendrix begins using the black maple-neck Stratocaster.
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1969 - Black Beauty becomes one of his regular Stratocasters as his career continues to evolve.
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1970 - Hendrix continues using the guitar during his final period of touring and performances.
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September 6, 1970 - Hendrix performs at the Isle of Fehmarn festival in Germany, his final concert with the Experience.
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September 17, 1970 - Hendrix is photographed holding Black Beauty in London, one day before his death. Those final photographs give Black Beauty a significance far beyond its specifications. They connect an actual physical instrument to the final chapter of one of music's most influential careers.
Even artisans make mistakes!
While building Black Beauty, I somehow managed to mount the guitar's headstock upside down. By the time I discovered my mistake, it was too late to correct it without risking damage to the piece.
So I made the decision to leave it exactly as it was.
Today, the upside-down headstock is a permanent reminder that this is a handcrafted work of art, not a factory-produced replica. And yes… once you notice it, you can't unsee it! 😄
Note From The Artisan
I don't build replicas—I build stories. Every Guitar Legends piece begins with research into the instrument, the musician and the moments that made the guitar legendary.
For Black Beauty, the story was especially powerful. The guitar wasn't simply associated with Jimi Hendrix's career; it was photographed in his hands during the final days of his life.
My goal was to preserve that connection through wood, combining the instrument, the portraits and the story into a single handcrafted tribute.
Each piece is individually made, so no two are ever exactly alike. That is part of the character of handmade art—and part of what makes every Guitar Legends shadow box unique.