As the name would indicate, this guitar was originally inspired by the beautiful Mehndi designs used in henna art originating in the Middle East. Mehndi art is used to adorn the hands and arms of brides on their wedding day. The Henna guitar doesn't adhere strictly to Mehndi designs, but I chose to use them as a running theme and incorporate them into my vision of nature and the beauty I see in its shapes and patterns. Rather than paint the designs, I chose to wood-burn them into the wood to create texture in the final product that could not only be seen but felt when you ran your hand across it.

I was so pleased with this guitar that I asked our friends at MESA/Boogie to send me a raw wood amp head and speaker cabinet so I could continue the idea and create a one-of-a-kind guitar/amp/cabinet set. I am extremely pleased with the results.

Rickie H.

Rickie grew up in a small town in Nebraska and was the kid in school who was always drawing. After moving to Nashville, he started working at Gibson, first as a binder, then in white wood and setup. One day there was a need to carve paisley on a guitar, and Rickie knew he could pull it off. So he took the guitar home, bought three chisels, and got to work. He soon discovered that if he could draw it, he could carve it. After completing that first guitar, Rickie started on another, and before long, he was offered a position as the Custom Shop’s in-house artist. As Rickie says, “They just let me run wild, and the ideas are still coming.”

While these are museum-grade works of art, Rickie is also quick to point out that they’re fully functional musical instruments. “These guitars are all playable,” he says. “Whether they’ll get played or not, I don’t know, but there is good mojo in them from start to finish. There is nothing in these guitars that isn’t made from pure joy. I hope they’ll bring joy to their new owners, too.”

Join Gibson Gear Guide host Dinesh Lekhraj as he visits the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville, Tennessee, and talks with Gibson Custom’s in-house Master Artisan, Rickie Hinrichsen. Together, they discuss the guitar and amp models in Rickie’s latest Master Artisan Collection. Rickie and Dinesh also talk about the inspiration behind these stunning creations, the amount of time it takes to craft each one-of-a-kind instrument, and what goes into creating these masterful works of playable art.

When MESA/Boogie joined the Gibson family, some of the guys toured the Gibson Custom Shop. They stopped at my workbench, and one of the guys said, “Oh man! You should carve on an amp!” I thought it was a great idea. While the MESA team built me a raw California Tweed combo box out of beautiful flame maple, I worked on drawing the design.

Carved Sunflowers in a western floral design spill over the oval frame on the amp top and tumble slightly over the front and rear of the cabinet.

The sides show the same oval frame and woven wood pattern, with the Gibson logo and the MESA/Boogie logo carved into either side. I worked for 3 1/2 months to complete these carvings, which were then finished with a Bourbon Burst and a color-matched custom-made leather handle.

To create a visually stunning combination, I continued the oval picture frame motif with the woven wood center, surrounded by sunflower western floral design, on the curves of a Les Paul Custom body. It took an additional 1 1/2 months to complete this portion of the project. The finish is Bourbon Burst to match the amplifier.

I named them “Joyful Country Wildflowers.”

Rickie H.