After announcing their unexpected partnership early last year, Gibson and Brian May have unveiled their first collaborative signature guitar creation – and it’s not a Murphy Lab Red Special.
Instead, the legendary Queen guitarist has been honored with a 12-string SJ-200 acoustic guitar.
When May and Gibson first confirmed they would be working together, many speculated that the partnership would lead to Custom Shop (and maybe even Epiphone) recreations of the iconic Red Special.
Hype was further fanned when May himself revealed to Guitar World that reissues of the DIY guitar he made with his father were indeed on the cards, but it seems we’ll have to wait a little longer for a Gibson Red Special.
For their first drop, the pair have instead prioritized a 12-string SJ-200, which was designed specifically for May after he required one for tour. However, it’s quite unlike your standard 12-string – not only are 12-string SJ-200s exceptionally uncommon, this particular example has also been altered to suit May’s personal strumming style.
As May explains in a press release, his signature SJ-200 flips the 12-string script on its head by reversing the order of the octave and regular acoustic guitar strings.
“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,” May explains. “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, because I like to pick upwards and hear the top notes when I’m playing. I like to hear the high octave coming through as then I can play tunes on it.”
A bevy of top-notch tonewoods form the foundation of May’s first Gibson, with AAA rosewood back and sides lining up alongside an AAA Sitka spruce top that boasts an elegant Vintage Sunburst finish.
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Elsewhere, there’s a rosewood fingerboard with agoya shell eight-point star inlays, a planetary themed pickguard designed by May, and gold Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners, as well as a solid rosewood moustache bridge, walnut stringer and Fishman Matrix electronics.
All in all, it’s a very pretty SJ-200 indeed, but as May is quick to point out, it’s also a display of refined acoustic guitar engineering. The decision to reverse-mount the strings – so the thicker-gauge strings are on top of the thinner octaves – is a small but influential decision that will have a huge impact on its tone and playability.
As Gibson puts it, it lends itself to “a distinctive sound that’s unlike other Gibson 12-String acoustic models”.
May, unsurprisingly, is impressed: “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.”
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“As a trailblazing sound pioneer, trendsetter, and one of the most influential musicians of all time, it’s an absolute privilege to be collaborating with Sir Brian May,” says Cesar Gueikian, CEO of Gibson, of the new release.
“Brian’s impact on music and culture is second to none and was a transformational influence on my personal music journey. We are deeply honored that Brian has trusted Gibson with this SJ-200 12-string guitar, and we are excited to finally bring it to music lovers around the world.”
Only 100 of these 12-string SJ-200s will be made, and they’ll be available for $7,999 via the Gibson Garages in Nashville and London, and on the Gibson website.
Head over to Gibson to find out more.
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