Sir Brian May and Arielle perform with the Gibson Custom Brian May SJ-200 12-String Acoustic Guitar at the Gibson Garage, London. (All Images Courtesy of Gibson)
Guitar legend Sir Brian May of Queen took center stage at the Gibson Garage London on February 18th to launch his brand-new signature model: the Gibson Custom Brian May SJ-200 12-String acoustic guitar. This marks his first collaboration with the iconic instrument brand, and what better way to unveil it than with a surprise performance? The event also kicked off Gibson Garage Fest, a week-long celebration marking the one-year anniversary of the London flagship (located at 61-62 Eastcastle St).
Fans and special guests were treated to an unforgettable live set as Brian debuted the stunning 12-string acoustic with Queen’s “Love of My Life” and a heartfelt cover of The Everly Brothers’ classic “So Sad (to Watch Good Love Go Bad).” He kept the energy going with “Love Token” from his 1992 solo album Back to the Light. Joining him on stage was singer-songwriter Arielle, who performed her own songs before teaming up with Brian for duets on “So Sad” and “Love Token.”
The event also featured an in-depth interview with Brian, hosted by Absolute Radio’s Leona Graham. He shared stories about the creation of his signature guitar, how it ties into his love of astronomy, and reminisced about his early days writing Queen classics on acoustic instruments.
As for the guitar itself, Brian couldn’t be more thrilled. “It’s a dream come true,” he said. “As soon as I held the guitar, I thought, this is what I need. It has such presence and such a beautiful breadth of sound. Gibson has done an incredible job, and I take fantastic pride in it. From the days when I used to sit with my dad, gazing enviously at guitar catalogues, I wish he was here to see this.”
The SJ-200 12-String isn’t just a stunning instrument —it’s built with traditional craftsmanship. “It’s very old-school,” Brian explained. “Not made with AI or mechanized in any way. Gibson has done the most beautiful job, it has the lovely solar system on it, including Mercury, but the most important thing is it sounds massive.
Reflecting on the significance of the Gibson Garage London, Brian shared how important spaces like these are for musicians: “When Queen was starting out, there wasn’t a place like this. You couldn’t get a record deal unless you were already playing, and you couldn’t play anywhere unless you had a deal — it was a complete catch-22. It’s still hard, but a place like this can really help.”
Brian and Wife Anita Dobson
The launch attracted a star-studded crowd, including actor Jason Momoa, former Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray, and Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell of Bad Company fame. Read more about the event at This Link.
The Brian May SJ-200 12-String Acoustic is now available at the Gibson Garage London, Gibson Garage Nashville, and online at Gibson.com. If you’re a Queen fan, a guitar aficionado, or just someone who loves a great instrument, this is one worth checking out.