I have a hard time calling people heroes. David Bowie once sang ‘we could be heroes, just for one day’ and he was totally right. But that doesn’t mean I can’t respect them. Sometimes my respect grows so much it becomes admiration. One step further, it’s nearing adoration and at that point I can’t stop it anymore: that person becomes a hero to me. Brian May, CBE, is one of those few people who hit my ‘Hero’ list years and years ago! I doubt he needs further introduction but for those who lived in a place without radio, TV, Internet or even a record player for the last 40 years I’ll give a small intro anyway!
Brian May, born in 1947, started making music at a very young age and picked up the guitar at age 7. After a few years of tinkering, with the unwavering aid of this dad Harold, he decided he needed an electric guitar. As it has been the case time in time again over the course of human history, necessity is the mother of invention: his family wasn’t wealthy; thus, buying an electric guitar was simply out of the question! Undeterred by this setback, fully loaded with sheer determination, a background in electrical engineering and a huge problem-solving ability, Harold and Brian decided to build their own electric guitar. It’s amazing how willpower seemed to be enough to make a guitar. The resolve Brian showed in designing and testing his guitar, he poured into his education. I believe Brian May is the only rock guitarist who has a wall lined with platinum albums as well as a university degree in Astrophysics as well as a PhD: A true genius and a Renaissance Man in the true sense of the word.
Unhindered by convention, Harold and Brian were able to design a guitar way, way ahead of its time. A completely unique, one-of-a-kind tremolo system, rolling saddles to have a frictionless bridge, a unique wiring to allow for an almost unlimited tonal palette and construction that would allow the guitar to easily yet controllably feed back are just a few features of the guitar that Brian May would take with him when he was hurled into stardom, eternal fame and unwavering love and commitment from fans all over the world for decades in a band called Queen.
I doubt there’s a guitarist in this world who doesn’t owe Brian May a debt of gratitude in one form of another. His music is here and here to stay. Yet, as amazing as he is, he didn’t settle for just stories, some vague pictures and his huge catalogue of music. He chose to disassemble his prized, vintage guitar, lovingly dubbed the Red Special, in order for hi-res pictures to be made of her, in all her guts and glory! Even some x-ray photo’s were made. These photo’s were taken in the course of 2013 and 2014. In an unprecedented move he allowed a researcher access to his personal archive, so a book could be made out of his story, his life, his guitar and perhaps most importantly: his love for his father. I am willing to bet that without Harold, I wouldn’t be listening right now to this nearly perfect album, A Night At The Opera.
So… If you know someone who can’t live a single day without listening to a song of Queen or Brian May’s solo ventures, you might want to consider buying him (or her) this book.
That being said, I am far from being the only admirer of Brian May. A young artist, Arielle, is a major fan of him as well. In fact, she is so much a fan, she designed a guitar by herself, based on the looks she loves but with technical appointments taken from ‘The Old Lady’, like the wiring schematic, the 24 frets and the trio of Trisonic pickups. Take a close look at her playing and see how the rips it up with her unique guitar. This young artist is clearly influenced by Brian May. Just listen at her song California: many small phrasings and tonal hommages go back to Brian May, beyond the shadow of a doubt.

Seymour Duncan Customshop Tri-Sonics with rhinestones.

If there’s the need to infuse your (or your loved ones) playing with some of Brian May’s mojo, you could, of course, up the ante a bit and drop a line to [email protected] and ask MJ or Derek Duncan to wind you a set of three Tri-Sonics! The Custom Shop makes a great, vintage period correct Tri-Sonic and even allows you to customize the appearance and tone of the pickup if so desired! Arielle clearly did that: she added rhinestones to the pickups to visually set them apart.