# The Brian May Signature Guitar



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

The Brian May Signature Guitar ...


> inspired by Brian May's legendary 'Red Special', an instrument that has achieved iconic status a unique place in rock history, and designed in conjunction with Brian May himself. The result ... 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.
> 
> ...


Specifications:

> Mahogany body (with acoustic chamber) with Pinstripe binding
> New two-piece scratch plate
> 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
> BM Custom tremolo arm
> 3 x Burns Tri-Sonic pickups (series wired)
> Master Volume & Tone controls
> Original BM switching system
> Individual pickup IN/OUT phase plus Individual pickup ON/OFF


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## Alex Csank (Jul 22, 2010)

Your post sounds like the 'Ad-Copy'. I am sorry, but I just don't find anything really interesting about this axe. I'll gladly go and try one out and I am always open to being impressed, but although I respect Brian May and like some of his work...his guitar never did appeal to me aesthetically or sonically. But hey, that's just me.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Alex Csank said:


> Your post sounds like the 'Ad-Copy'. I am sorry, but I just don't find anything really interesting about this axe. I'll gladly go and try one out and I am always open to being impressed, but although I respect Brian May and like some of his work...his guitar never did appeal to me aesthetically or sonically. But hey, that's just me.


Actually, I agree with you on the guitar itself. I never really liked it but thought some people might. The ad copy is actual right, as I copied it from the website I found. I do however like the color of this one above.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

it's one of the worst looking guitar i ever saw realy. Everytime i saw may play that thing i was wondering if Queen was so broke he could'nt afford a freaking decent guitar..LOL..i mean Tone wise Queen is not exaclty out there also. I like some of Queen's stuff don't get me wrong, but Brian May never actually comes to mind when Great guitar players are discussed.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

I actually find the history of the original and how he built practically every part on it himeself is pretty interesting: Red Special - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . But it's definitely not one of my favourite guitar designs.

I personally am a huge fan of his playing. The stuff on albums like SHeer Heart Attack is amazing. Not a huge fan of the later poppier hits though. I am sure a lot of people will be happy about the guitar being available.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

that was really interesting, about the red special. i didn't know any of that stuff before this. very cool! 
otoh, although brian is an awesome guitarist, i think. the nerdy astrophysicist side of him is peeking out of the design of that guitar. cool post


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## Jimmypaz (Sep 15, 2009)

I like those pickups a lot! I have a Burns Cobra with Tri-sonics that are sweet sounding units. BUT that's about the only thing I like on that instrument personally.
All respect to Brian May for building his own guitar, but it's not something I'd play.


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## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

i owned one of the Burns limited edition Brian May signature red guitars about 4 or 5 years ago, for a while. 
it was an interesting guitar. not my favorite by a long shot, but it was very playable and had some cool sounds.
i gave it to a friend of mine who was a Queen fan.
this is one of those guitar like the Van Halen guitars, that has various incarnations made by several different guitar companies over the years. if i'm not mistaken, Burns, Guild, Fender have all made these over the years. i guess, like EVH, Brian May likes to shop around for endorsement deals.


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## Bobby (May 27, 2010)

good god that friggin thing is ugly,and it takes alot for me to say that about a guitar.

the glitter,the shape of the pickguard,the other bit of glitter guard behind the bridge,for some reason....

what are those things above the tone/volume knobs,anyway?

it probably sounds pretty sweet. and May was always a tasty and very good guitarist with a flair for the dramatic,big fan of his. but it just aint really my kind of guitar.

thanks for posting it though,it makes a cool conversation piece 

Bobby


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## soldierscry (Jan 20, 2008)

I guess I'm the odd ball here cause I like the looks of them (but not in the color pictured) I perfer the white or green ones. I see that Musicians friend has a good price on them so I my jsut pick one up.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

soldierscry said:


> I guess I'm the odd ball here cause I like the looks of them (but not in the color pictured) I perfer the white or green ones. I see that Musicians friend has a good price on them so I my jsut pick one up.


I wonder if they are the same ones from that UK website I posted. They seem to be a good price but not sure if they are the same guitars

Buy Brian May Guitars Brian May Signature Electric Guitar | Solid Body Electric Guitars | Musician's Friend


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## soldierscry (Jan 20, 2008)

me too, the specs are the same so i'm thinking they are. No green thou


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## Brennan (Apr 9, 2008)

I was completely turned off by the first picture, but I actually really like that green one.


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## Spikezone (Feb 2, 2006)

Well, I've been a big fan of Queen and especially Brian May (his tone AND his playing) for a very long time, probably started listening to them about, I dunno, 1976 (about the time of Queen II anyway). I have seen them numerous times in concert and so I find that I am quite used to the look of the guitar. It's not my favourite-looking guitar, but I don't find it particularly offensive either. As for the comment about 'Couldn't he afford a decent-looking guitar', just accept the fact that he designed and built a guitar for himself that has worked for him all these years. No other guitarists come to mind immediately that you could say the same of. I also find it quite amazing that any guitarist who knows anything about Queen and Brian May would NOT know what the Red Special looks like-it's a close to a signature guitar as you could ever get. I like the green and white models, but the red is more of the real deal.
-Mikey


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Not a huge fan of that headstock but then again I've owned guitars with far more brutal headstocks. And that green one is really fantastic.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

Spikezone said:


> Well, I've been a big fan of Queen and especially Brian May (his tone AND his playing) for a very long time, probably started listening to them about, I dunno, 1976 (about the time of Queen II anyway). I have seen them numerous times in concert and so I find that I am quite used to the look of the guitar. It's not my favourite-looking guitar, but I don't find it particularly offensive either. As for the comment about 'Couldn't he afford a decent-looking guitar', just accept the fact that he designed and built a guitar for himself that has worked for him all these years. No other guitarists come to mind immediately that you could say the same of. I also find it quite amazing that any guitarist who knows anything about Queen and Brian May would NOT know what the Red Special looks like-it's a close to a signature guitar as you could ever get. I like the green and white models, but the red is more of the real deal.
> -Mikey


Is that red even the correct red though? I thought his was a darker red.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

Maxer said:


> Not a huge fan of that headstock but then again I've owned guitars with far more brutal headstocks. And that green one is really fantastic.


As ugly as pointed head stocks usually are, they have one overwhelming redeeming quality: the string pull across the nut is straight, or almost straight, which is a good thing.


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