Although an astrophysicist, Brian May will always be remembered for his time with the hit band Queen. Helping form the band alongside Roger Taylor and Freddie Mercury, the band gained icon status when releasing hit songs like “We Will Rock You”, “Fat Bottomed Girls” and “The Show Must Go On.” While Mercury passed away back in 1991, May continues to perform and share his love for the guitar. And speaking of guitars, the musician recently teamed up with Gibson to produce a limited-edition 12-string acoustic guitar.
Called the Brian May SJ-200 12-String acoustic guitar, the creation came with a great deal of influence from the musician. Discussing the collaboration, May said, “The idea for this guitar came when I needed a 12-String on tour, and the one I was accustomed to wasn’t performing right on stage. The guys at Gibson very kindly said, ‘We’ll make you something special that you can use on the tours.’ One of the things I asked for was for the octaves to be placed around the other way from where it is normally done.”
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Brian May Wished His Father Could See Special Guitar
While May liked to hear the top notes when performing on stage, he gushed over the new guitar and the style and beauty within the instrument. “If you look at this guitar, the beauty of it, and the beauty of the sound, and look at the science in this guitar, look how much technology and craftsmanship has gone into this guitar. Gibson was able to put the universe on it in a figurative way and the planet Mercury is here, and that is a little nod to a friend of mine that is always with me.”
Proud of what he and Gibson produced, May admitted to wishing his father was around to see the creation. “I wish my dad was around to see it because this was the kind of thing which he dreamed of as well as I did.”
While fans are sure to love the guitar, getting their hands on the instrument might be almost impossible. According to Gibson, the company made only 100 of the guitars and they will be available worldwide for a limited time. With a limited amount, May’s 12-String guitar is sure to turn heads.
(Photo by Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images)