Throughout his long and continuing career, rock legend Brian May has relied upon his ‘‘Red Special’’ Guitar to create the sound that helped make Queen one of the world’s most admired and celebrated rock bands. He has also relied on Seiko. For more than 40 years, Brian has worn a Seiko diver’s watch whose enduringly popular design is the inspiration for the latest Seiko 5 Sports collection. Brian bought his Seiko watch while first on tour in Japan in the 1970’s since when his guitar and his watch have travelled the globe together, making great music and keeping great time.
The Red Special now inspires a new Seiko 5 Sports watch whose dial echoes the design of the guitar which Brian and his father built in the early 1960’s. The guitar was made by hand, with only hand tools. The neck was carved from the wood of an old fireplace, 100 years old at the time. The body was made from blockboard with an ancient oak insert, and covered with a mahogany veneer that Brian stained and polished himself.
The innovative tremolo system designed by Brian featured a hand-carved mild steel rocker plate pivoting on a knife edge, with the pull of the strings balanced by motorcycle valve springs. To complete the job, the tremolo arm was improvised from part of a bicycle saddlebag holder, capped with a piece of a sturdy knitting needle. The Red Special is a labor of love that has uniquely served Brian on stage and in the studio for over half a century.
9 thoughts on “5 Sports celebrates a legendary guitar, Brian May’s ‘‘Red Special’’”
Comments are closed.