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Bristol student pays ultimate homage to his guitar hero
He may be too young to be a Queen fan, but a student from Bristol has paid the ultimate tribute to his music idol, Brian May, by handcrafting a guitar inspired by May’s iconic Red Special.
Meet Sam Golder, a student from Stoke Gifford who was inspired by the Queen guitarist.
May famously handcrafted his signature Red Special while still in his teens with his father, using DIY tools and domestically sourced materials, such as a table top, a fireplace, and buttons from his mother’s sewing box.
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Much like his hero, Sam decided to craft a solid-bodied guitar using everyday materials, without the aid of power tools or expensive spare parts.
At 18 years old, Sam spent around 18 months creating his version of the classic Flying V model, using only a wood stock from his grandfather’s workshop.
His passion for Queen’s music has been a natural progression, sparked by his father’s love for the band, who are behind some of the biggest anthems of the past century, including Bohemian Rhapsody and We Are the Champions.
Sam, a Year 13 pupil at Collegiate School in Stapleton, also took part in his school’s production of the jukebox musical We Will Rock You, which features numerous Queen classics, where he played lead keyboard.
Sam shared: “Brian May was a huge inspiration for this project. I grew up listening to Queen, thanks to my dad, Robert.
“Last year, I played lead piano in the band that provided the live soundtrack for our school production of We Will Rock You, which, of course, is based around Queen’s music and May’s iconic guitar sounds.
“I found the wood just lying around at my grandfather Ray’s house in Essex, and we got to work, starting by dividing it into three pieces to form the V shape.
“The electric components were bought online, but we ended up dismantling them and completely rebuilding them. My school friend, Miles, also helped by 3D-printing a tool that aided the manufacturing process.”
Sam Golder handcrafted a guitar using everyday material as a homage to his music idol Brian May
Sam Golder joined Collegiate School in Year 7, but just a year later, his cohort faced lockdown during the pandemic. To pass the time, he taught himself to play piano.
“I had a few guitar lessons on a classical Spanish guitar but didn’t enjoy it, so I decided to look up how to play piano on YouTube. I found lots of tutorials and basically taught myself to play.”
Sam is now about to sit his Grade 8 piano exams. During his time at school, he has won the Collegiate’s Got Talent contest, travelled to Normandy in France for an inter-school concert, and played with the school band, The Collegiate Collective, at the Clifton Observatory. He has also starred in the school’s regular Live Lounge events.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without the band, my friends, and our head of music, Mrs Williams. One day, it’s my dream to share my music on stage with millions of people, whether that’s on guitar, piano, or even both,” said Sam.
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As one might expect, Sam’s music taste is rooted in the old masters of rock. Aside from Queen, he listens to bands like Metallica, Linkin Park, Aerosmith, and Pink Floyd, with other influences including Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, Slash of Guns N’ Roses, and the late Randy Rhoads of Quiet Riot – who also played a Flying V guitar.
All photos: Sam Golder
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