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.

May used this guitar for "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and first used it at the RDS Arena in Dublin on the Crazy Tour, on the 22nd of November, 1979.

Brain wasn’t satisfied with the Stratocaster/Vox AC30 combo, so he started using the Les Paul instead for the 1974-1975 tour.

This ended up being disappointment also, and Brian went back to playing his Red Special – and ordered John Birch replica as a backup. “I used to think the Stratocaster would be the thing when I got one. Always thought when I got enough money to get one of those, that will be it. Then, when I got enough, I didn’t like it. The same with the Les Paul. I thought the Les Paul would be it.”

Brian May played this guitar in Queen music video "Princes Of The Universe" in 1986.

“I used this on Long Away. Funnily enough I think I bought it because I liked the pickups, but I fell in love with the guitar once I started playing around with it and the song materialised. The guitar actually inspired the riff that powers the song."

Brian started using the flying V as a back up for his Red Special after he accidentally smashed up his John Birch replica of his original RS. He started using this in 1982

Brian used a Fender Stratocaster as a spare guitar on their 1972-1973 tour(s). However, he didn't like the Strat/AC30 combo, he later moved on to a Gibson Les Paul which was eventually abandoned for a Gibson Flying V

In a January 1983 interview with Guitar Player Magazine, responding to the question of whether he owned any unusual acoustic guitars, May was quoted as stating the following: "Yeah, I have a very old, cheap Hairfred which makes that buzzy sound that's on 'Jealousy' and 'White Queen.' I've never seen another one like it. I made it sound like a sitar by taking off the original bridge and putting a hardwood bridge on. I chiseled away at it until it was flat and stuck a little piece of fretwire material underneath. The strings just very gently lay on the fretwire, and it makes that sitar-like sound." This spawned many guitar-playing fans' search for the mysterious Hairfred brand - later, with the help of the book Brian May's Red Special, it became clear that the magazine had misquoted him; the guitar is actually a German Hallfredh, probably dating from the 1920s or 1930s.

The guitar is of a Wandergitarre type design, similar in style to that referred to as a ‘parlor guitar’ by American vintage guitar collectors. It features an angled cut at end of fingerboard, reminiscent of designs by Johann Georg Stauffer (C. F. Martin's mentor) and his son Johann Anton Stauffer.

Brian May obtained the Hallfredh from his schoolfriend Dave Dilloway, prior to the formation of their band 1984 (in which Dilloway played bass). He exchanged it for his Egmond Toledo acoustic (his first guitar, bought by his parents for his 7th, or 8th birthday).

In this photo from the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute concert, Brian May can be seen playing this semi-acoustic 12 string electric guitar.

In this Youtube video, Brian May can be seen using a Fender EOB Sustainer Stratocaster.

In this video Brian performs his heautiful song '39, using this guitar.

Photo shows may holding a Gibson SG electric guitar.

For sale on Reverb.com.

this one was played by Brian May at his daughters wedding to play with the Wedding’s Band especially to cover Johnny B Good [sic].

In this photo, taken in 2005. we can see May playing Guild F512.

Brian played this guitar during the "Back Chat" recording sessions and shooting music video of this song :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6QGP0OUaV4

“I have always loved the SG, ever since a friend of mine at school, Woolly Hammerton, traded in his Telecaster for one, looking for a ‘new sound’ (which I think he found), and which I coveted deeply! Having one of the new models is almost as exciting as getting my hands on Woolly’s!! Somehow the SG still looks perfect, feels perfect and smells perfect. Oh, and it still sounds pretty damn good! I’m just getting used to the new Min-ETune function, which is a great tool in the studio for quick alternative tunings, and opens up a whole new world of opportunities. Enjoy it!!! Rock it!!” - From the official Brian May Website

Brian May used this guitar during Queen "Magic Tour" in 1986. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoObZMMlnKY

Brian May used this guitar in Queen video "It´s A Hard Life" in 1984. In this video you can see it in 2:30.

In this Music Radar article (https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/in-pictures-brian-mays-other-guitars-384279), Brian May says of this ovation model, “It’s nice, stable and didn’t give much trouble tuning-wise." He used it one the song "Love of My Life". He continues to say, "I string it upside down, with the lighter strings on the treble side. That means that when I’m picking with my fingers rather than the thumb, I’m picking the high strings, so you can play tunes on it a bit more easily.”

Taken at Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City USA on April 19, 1974. The Les Paul was Brian's Spare Guitar (if he had problems with the RS he'd use it) This one is a black Les Paul Custom (you can see the Diamond Inlay on the headstock) with a Bigsby. It has no pickguard on it. That's the only photo of Brian playing this guitar, so probably it isn't even his own.

Brian's first copy and main backup from 1975ish till 1982, built by luthiers John Birch and John Diggins. It had flaws which created unstable tuning and a stressful show in New Jersey 1982 saw the guitar flying over the Vox stack and landing in 3 pieces. Eventually sent away to Fender's John Page and returned 20 years later, it was repaired and once again resides in Brian's private collection as a memento of the Queen days. “I suppose you know the story of its demise? Did I throw it over the amps in a fit of pique? Well, obviously I would never do that… [laughs]. But yes, I think that’s what happened. The featured link shows the guitar during it's use during the "Spread Your Wings" music video.

Brian May used this guitar during the solo tour in 1998 and tours with Kerry Ellis.

Brian acquired his first D18 in the early 70s and recorded “Funny How Love” on one.

Brian May played this guitar in Queen music video "Play The Game" in 1981. You can see it in 1:02.

In this video, May demos the BMG Arielle Signature Guitar.

In this video, Brian May can be seen with the Guyton Red Special Doubleneck at 0:52, until the end. On Guyton Guitars website, it says, "The instrument was finally finished during the summer of 2011 in time for the short Queen tour with vocalist Adam Lambert."

Brian May received his first guitar, an Egmond Toledo, when he was seven years old. A user-uploaded photo on Brian May's official site captures this early connection.

In 1975-1976, Brian May used the Baldwin 1966 Hank Marvin acoustic-electric guitar, as evidenced in the referenced image.

Brian May is playing a Burns Hank Marvin guitar in this photo.

At 7:00 in this video, Brian May's guitar tech talks about his Guyton Archtop MK2.