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Brian May Red Special Guitar

25 ratings | read 5 reviews

Improved and refined replica of Red Special.

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7 Artists Use This
Brian May

Queen's Brian May plays a signature Brian May Red Special guitar, the same style he's been using for virtually his entire career. The Guitar sports Burns pickups and a unique switchings system that allows for a wide range of tones. In this Premier Guitar Rig Rundown video, May's tech shows off a number of Red Special variations and copies that the Queen guitarist plays onstage. Although May has a number of variations, he prefers his original Red Special guitar. "He only wants to play that," May's tech says at (9:20). "If he breaks a string, he wants [the Red Special] back as soon as possible." In this video at (13:30) Brian May talks about building his Red Special for the first time. May and his father built the guitar and took up the challenge to "make something better than anything that's ever been out there, 'cause me and my dad had that kind of attitude. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing to the max," (13:40). According to May, the guitar "was made out of all sorts of stuff just lying around." Interstingly enough, the neck of the orginal Red Special is a piece of wood "from an old fireplace, which was about 100 years old at the time" (17:30). The back of the guitar is a "very solid piece of oak," May said.
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Taylor Hawkins

Seen in the background of this video.
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Yngwie Malmsteen

i have this guitar that brian may gave me
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Jason White

At 1:16 you can see him playing the red special
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Freddie Mercury

Freddie can be seen here using Brian's Red Special (or a copy, note the scuffs(?)), during a 1977 NOTW Tour soundcheck.
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Ratatat

"I even got a Brian May Red Special guitar and a Rangemaster treble booster" - Mike Stroud
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John Shanks

This guitar was featured on the "guitars" section on his official website.
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More Solid Body Electric Guitars

Details

Description

Improved and refined replica of Red Special.

The Brian May Signature Electric Guitar features an acoustically chambered mahogany body, a dual truss rod mahogany neck, and ebony fingerboard. The pickups are Tri-Sonics that Brian sealed in Araldite adhesive to prevent microphonic feedback inherent with metal covered pickups. These are controlled by the original Brian May switching system with individual on/off and phase switches, one volume and one tone pot.

The Brian May guitar is faithful to the spirit of Brian's original 'Red Special', an instrument that has achieved iconic status and a unique place in rock history, and designed by Brian May himself. The Brian May Special is a stunning guitar, blessed with superb build quality, awesome playability and an astonishingly rich diversity of killer tones. In fact, it delivers everything you'd expect from an instrument built to the exacting standards of one of the world's greatest guitarists but, in keeping with Brian's vision of a "guitar for the people", with an amazingly affordable price-tag that belies its superior appointments and performance.

Without question one of the most eagerly anticipated instruments of the century. The original BMG replica was originally launched in winter 2001 to rapturous critical and public acclaim. UK Guitarist magazine hailed it as "Best Guitar of The Year" and theater audiences around the globe thrilled to the guitar's sound in performance in the Queen musical "We Will Rock You."

But the story certainly didn't end there. Brian, his long-standing guitar technician Pete Malandrone, and Barry Moorehouse of House Music have significantly improved upon the guitar's overall construction as well as refining the bridge assembly, electronics, finishing and color choices. Simply put, one of the finest artist-designed production guitars is now even better.

Check the drop-down menu to the right to select colors and/or other options.

Specifications

Mahogany body (with acoustic chamber), Pinstripe binding, two-piece scratchplate
Mahogany neck, 24" scale (Depth: 22mm at 1st Fret - 24mm at 12th Fret)
24 fret, Ebony fingerboard (Width: 45mm at 0 Fret - 57mm at 24th Fret)
Grover GH305 locking tuners, Dual truss rod, Graphite nut,
New bridge, brass saddles, Brian May custom tremolo arm
3 x Burns Tri-Sonic pickups (series wired)
Master volume/tone controls
Original Brian May switching system:
Individual pickup in/out phase

5 Brian May Red Special Guitar Reviews

jeffrey_chip_barnes

131

MY B Red Special

I call it my Red Rooster for it screams . I love the zero fret makes the strings so flat against the frets. I still don't know why more guitar manufactures don't do this. I would play it more but when you pull it out most people expect you to sound like Brian and I will probably never get there Ha ha

+2

over 1 year ago
- 0 Comments
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jeffsimmons1960

115

Love these

These are great guitars, and not outrageously expensive. Great playing guitars with the Brian May series switching system. I have 2, one in red and one in green. Just a tip, the Roadrunner MEG case works great for these, because of the bigger body.

+1

5 months ago
- 0 Comments
- edited 5 months ago
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jos_de_vries

131

Good price and quality ratio. You get value for money

Good price and quality ratio. You get value for money. For lovers of the sound and the possibilities of Brian May's guitar. It is not entirely a copy of BM guitar, but you can handle it well. It takes some getting used to if you are used to a Gibson or Fender.

+1

3 months ago
- 0 Comments
- edited 3 months ago
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dvasq23

115

My main girl

This is my main guitar. The wide fretboard allows for fast playing and big bends. It stays in tune incredibly well. The pickups are a little darker and have an almost "squawking" quality to them. Extremely versatile with all of the pickup choices.

+1

over 4 years ago
- 1 Comment
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miroslav_suvada

Are you sure? I'm pretty sure there's only one piece of this guitar owned by Mr. May himself ??

over 3 years ago

rexkremer

17

Good price and quality ratio. You get value for money

Good price and quality ratio. You get value for money. For lovers of the sound and the possibilities of Brian May's guitar. It is not entirely a copy of BM guitar, but you can handle it well. It takes some getting used to if you are used to a Gibson or Fender.

+1

about 1 month ago
- 0 Comments
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