INTARSIA WOOD ART
Artistic wood creations, handcrafted and proudly made in Canada.
RED SPECIAL - THE SOUND OF QUEEN
The extraordinary handmade guitar that Brian May built with his father and used to create the unmistakable guitar sound of Queen.
Quick Facts
Artist:
Brian May
Built::
1963-1965
Model:
Handmade Red Special
Most Famous songs:
• Bohemian Rhapsody
• We Will Rock You
• Brighton Rock
• Keep Yourself Alive
• Somebody to Love
The Story
Unlike almost every other guitar in the Guitar Legends collection, Brian May's Red Special was never manufactured by a major guitar company. It began as a father-and-son project in 1963, when a young Brian May and his father Harold decided to build the electric guitar Brian had always wanted.
Working in their home workshop, the two spent roughly two years constructing the instrument almost entirely by hand. They used whatever materials were available, including wood from an old fireplace for the neck and oak for the body. The fingerboard inlays were made from mother-of-pearl buttons, while the unusual tremolo system was constructed from steel, motorcycle valve springs and parts of a bicycle saddlebag holder.
Brian could never have known how important that homemade instrument would become. The Red Special went on to appear on every Queen album and in virtually every major performance of Brian's career, from Live Aid to the roof of Buckingham Palace and the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.
This handcrafted shadow box celebrates both the remarkable guitar and the father-and-son partnership that created one of rock music's most recognizable instruments.
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Why This Guitar Matters
The Red Special represents something very different from the typical rock guitar. It wasn't designed in a corporate office or produced on an assembly line. It was created from imagination, necessity and ingenuity.
Brian May wanted an instrument capable of producing a wide range of tones and controlled feedback, and the unusual three-pickup configuration and switching system gave him an enormous palette of sounds. He still uses the original Burns Tri-Sonic pickups, which became a key part of his distinctive tone.
For generations of guitarists, the Red Special has become a symbol of individuality and creativity—a reminder that sometimes the most extraordinary instruments are the ones that break all the rules.
The Craft Behind the Tribute
Every Guitar Legends shadow box begins with careful research. Before selecting a single piece of wood, I study the instrument, its history, the musician who played it, and the performances that made it unforgettable.
For Brian May's Red Special, that connection is particularly meaningful. This was a guitar built by hand from wood and salvaged materials, so recreating it in intarsia required the same attention to shape, proportion and detail that makes the original so special.
The distinctive red finish, unusual body shape, three pickups, switching controls and unique tremolo system all had to be captured while preserving the handcrafted character of the instrument.
Each component is individually handcrafted, assembled and finished to create a one-of-a-kind tribute celebrating both musical history and the remarkable father-and-son story behind the guitar.
Design Philosophy
The Red Special has never looked like a conventional electric guitar. Its unusual body shape, distinctive red finish and unconventional hardware are all part of its identity.
My goal was to preserve those characteristics rather than make the instrument look too polished or manufactured. The original Red Special is a product of creativity and craftsmanship, and the intarsia interpretation is designed to reflect that same spirit.
Design Choices
Songs That Define Queen
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Bohemian Rhapsody - Perhaps the ultimate showcase for Brian May's ability to make the guitar another voice within the music. His carefully constructed solo became one of the most recognizable guitar passages in rock history.
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We Will Rock You - A deceptively simple guitar contribution that became one of the most recognizable sounds in popular music. The song's power comes from knowing exactly when the guitar needs to speak.
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Brighton Rock - A spectacular showcase for the Red Special, featuring Brian May's extended guitar work and demonstrating the enormous range of tones he could coax from the instrument.
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Keep Yourself Alive - One of Queen's earliest major songs and an excellent example of the aggressive guitar sound that would become a defining part of the band's identity.
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Somebody to Love - A powerful example of Brian's ability to blend melody, harmony and emotion, with the Red Special adding another layer to Queen's enormous sound.
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
Every Guitar Legends piece reflects the personality of the instrument and its player.
For the Red Special, the focus is on the guitar's unique construction and the details that distinguish it from anything else in the collection. The three pickups, distinctive switching arrangement, tremolo system and unmistakable body shape immediately identify the instrument as Brian May's legendary creation.
The surrounding elements reinforce the connection between Brian May, Queen and one of the most recognizable guitar sounds in rock history.
Red Special Through the Years
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1963 – Brian May and his father Harold begin constructing the guitar in their home workshop.
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1965 – After roughly two years of work, the handmade guitar is completed.
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1966 – Brian performs publicly with the Red Special for the first time with his band 1984.
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1970s – The Red Special becomes the defining guitar of Queen as the band rises from British rock newcomers to international superstars.
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1975 – Bohemian Rhapsody showcases the Red Special on one of Queen's most ambitious and influential recordings.
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1985 – Brian performs with Queen at Live Aid, once again placing the Red Special on one of the most important stages in rock history.
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2002 – Brian plays the Red Special during the Golden Jubilee concert on the roof of Buckingham Palace.
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2012 – Brian performs with the Red Special during the closing ceremony of the London Olympics.
The Red Special's tremolo arm is one of the greatest examples of musical ingenuity.
Brian and his father didn't have access to the sophisticated hardware available on commercial guitars, so they made their own. The tremolo incorporated a piece of mild steel, motorcycle valve springs and part of a bicycle saddlebag holder. The tip of the arm was made using a piece of his mother's knitting needle.
And Brian's choice of pick is just as unusual: he famously plays with an English sixpence coin, which he says gives him the particular sound and feel he wants.
Note From The Artisan
I don't build replicas—I build stories. Every wood species, engraving, photograph, and historical detail is chosen to preserve the legacy of an instrument that helped shape modern music.
The Red Special is perhaps the Guitar Legend that feels most connected to my own craft. Brian May and his father took ordinary pieces of wood and whatever materials they could find and transformed them into something extraordinary.
My hope is that this tribute captures that same spirit of creativity—the idea that with imagination, patience and a willingness to make things yourself, a handful of pieces of wood can become something truly legendary.