"By Steve Hagan"
Bought in the summer of 1994 this beautifully crafted guitar was my pride and joy for 5 years. Never seriously gigged (I am just not that good a player) its pinnacle came in 1998 when it helped me entertain the audiences of the Munich International Outcast Theatre Groups performance of ‘Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll’.
In 1993 I was fortunate enough to work for a company with an office in Munich, Germany. One of the perks of a secondment to this office was a nice hike in salary and this, together with my love of all things Queen, led to my purchase of the closest copy (at that time) of Brian’s legendary Red Special. Bought from a music shop in Preston (A1 I think) it was a dream to play and sounded fantastic, even when coupled with a Marshall Valve state combo and the obligatory tone booster pedal.
In August 1999 whilst still in Munich, I returned home from work to find my street closed off by fire trucks. So parking the car I set off walking towards the ‘incident’ to see for myself what was happening. It was only when I saw the Firemen climbing out of my 5th floor apartment window that it dawned on me that it might have been MY place that was burning.
After being informed by one of the Fire Officers that my apartment ‘Had Gone’, I made my way into the wreckage of my home. Opening the front door confirmed all too quickly that the Officer was right, my home had gone! The place was a mess; there was smoke damage everywhere, the TV had melted and the HIFI was now a silver mass of plastic and metal. It was then that I turned to the guitar and froze! Gutted! The pictures tell the story better than any words……..!
That was 6 years ago. I kept the guitar as I just couldn’t bring myself to dispose of such a wonderful instrument even in its ‘modified’ state. Now back in the UK, recently I have found the courage to open the case. Surprisingly whilst the electrics and surface are shot to hell the neck and body appear to be straight. I like a challenge so some day soon I hope to restore it to its former glory. One thing is for sure, if I do then I will definitely be investing in a fire-proof case!
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