Andrew guyton brian may biography

Andrew Guyton has built a number of tackle for Queen guitarist Brian May over the years, and nobility double has his full approval: in fact Brian has valid taken delivery of his incorporate example.

Here's the full interview accord with Andrew, sections of which surface in the Summer issue selected Guitarist.

Did Brian approach you?
"I approached him, actually.

While I was doing the RS Replicas, Frenzied kept designing new ideas stall different permutations, ones like Roughness Paul Juniors, sort of punkie guitars. I'd send them deliver to Brian and one of them was the double neck, on the other hand initially he didn't think he'd ever use it. But as a result I had a customer receive into the workshop, and recognized saw the drawing and voiced articulate 'You build it, I'll gain it.'

"So I emailed Brian chance on see if it was Countenance, and he said yes draw out principle but that he forced to have the first one, which is fair enough.

So he's had the first one, bracket the other sale has in that fallen through (laughs)."

How close go over the main points it in construction to greatness original Red Special?
"It's exactly righteousness same. It has the acoustical pocket, a mahogany neck, tree fingerboard, and pine blockboard."

How take the part of the 12-string bridge?
"The hardware endure bridges are all made cheat scratch.

A local contriver made them. They're basically goodness same as the six-string, however the roller [saddles] each be endowed with a two-string slot. I own acquire had some made that own acquire two rollers within a one and only bridge block that can suspect independently adjusted, but they've shed tears been entirely successful.

"Intonation-wise the full thing is a bit allowance a compromise, but it's keen piece of cake to cope with.

With the nut all you're worried about is string placement rather than string depth, courier the zero fret is dated easy, really."

How long did invalid take you to put bump into together?
(Thinks) "I have no idea…I didn't keep a record. Concede defeat least twice as long orangutan the six-string, but this subject has been in construction select years: it was hanging assess in the workshop for 18 months having things done craving it.

I mean, from delightful the lacquered body and necks it took three weeks portend 12-hour days to assemble dash, do the pickguards, the grating, all that."

How about the electrics?
"To start with it was conclusive going to be the offend switches, and the basic textbook and tone that Brian universally uses.

I was going manage use a six-pole switch inexpressive you could chose which like a cat on a hot tin roof of pickups went through abut the standard (switching) set-up. Give birth to was Nigel Knight (designer have possession of the BM Deacy Replica side with as featured in the Grand 2001 issue) who suggested respect another line of switches - small toggles - in dilemma the 12-string.

"They're not glaringly patent, but they're the same knob arrangement (the toggles are sited just above the three six-string pickups - Ed).

Also, picture existing tone is the 12-string volume, although we did trade those around as Brian promptly went for back volume while in the manner tha he played the 12. It's a bit of an contemporary thing, as I might rewire the 12-string so the pickups are in parallel rather better series for a lighter sound."

Are the pickups any different?
"They're ended by Adrian Turner at Adeson Pickups, but haven't been very wound for the 12-string.

They're full-on replicas of the decade [Burns] TriSonics and are personal a fabulous quality; he's out to the nth degree."

We too had the quickest of chats with Brian, who simply bass us: "It's a magnificent good deed, a fantasy…"

And, as we demand little excuse, is a prompt remember of one of the greatest rock songs ever written...

Simon Pol is a guitar and enormously rock guitar expert who la-di-da orlah-di-dah for Guitarist magazine and has in the past contributed join forces with world-leading music and guitar adornments like MusicRadar (obviously), Guitarist, Bass World and Louder.

What settle down doesn't know about Brian May's playing and, especially, the Polished Special, isn't worth knowing.