Queen's Brian May Rig Rundown Guitar Gear Tour

If there was a Mount Rushmore of British guitar heroes, undoubtedly, @Queen's Brian May would grace that mountain. We caught up with May and his longtime guitar tech Pete Malandrone on Queen's summer tour with Adam Lambert to talk about his minimal effects, Vox amps, and of course, the Red Special.

Brian May's entire career has been almost exclusively spent with the guitar that he and his father built in 1964. "Red Special" is a three-pickup, double-cutaway guitar with Burns pickups and a very unique (at the time) switching system that allows May to cover a huge range of tones. According to May, everything on the guitar is still original from when it was built except for the tuning pegs and the rollers on the bridge.

During a typical show, May switches guitars during two songs. "Fat Bottomed Girls," which is in dropped-D tuning, is played with a Red Special replica that's green and was built by British luthier Andrew Guyton.

For "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," he uses another Guyton Red Special replica with the addition of an f-hole—which was featured on May's original designs for the guitar— a non-trem bridge, and an internal piezo pickup that is utilized during the opening parts of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." All his guitars are strung with Optima 24 Carat Gold .009--.042 strings.

#guitar #rigrundown #queen #brianmay #guitarist #guitarplayer

[gerryjamesedwards]

The Red Special is the equivalent of someone dreaming of being a racing driver, building a car at home with their Dad, and then going on to win the F1 world championship in it.

[JayQuek]

Couldn't afford a guitar, therefore built one and became a legend

[sitbone]

Dr. May gave the most genuine, friendly, sincere interview I’ve ever seen from a rocker. He didn’t simply give one word answers with a “ god, when will this guy go away” attitude. He responded to all of the questions with an in depth, articulate and charming demeanor. Good on you Dr. May. Queen Works.

[hotman]

He built his own guitar because he couldn't afford one. And he still plays the same guitar. That's mind blowing to me. He's really loyal to his guitar.

[leokimvideo]

Possibly the most valuable electric guitar in the world. It has a history and pedigree no other could match. It's may even be priceless.

[konstantingeorgiev]

When an engineer is also a guitarist, this is what you get. He doesnt just understand music. He understands how pick-ups work, how electronics work, how they combine with the physics of the wood, strings and how it all works together. And the result is legendary!

[robjgolde]

I feel like Brian May has all the room/right in the world to be a total prick if he wanted to be, but he’s not. Any interview I’ve ever seen, he just comes across as a genuinely nice person who’s still grateful for everything he’s earned after all this time.

[danielfisch]

Steve Vai once stated: "I can emulate every other guitar player, except Brian May". That says enough

[khurmiful]

Dad helped build his son a guitar so that the lad would burn off extra energy and concentrate on his Astrophysics degree, but the lad took the guitar and disappeared with a group called Queen. The rest is glorious history

[itaysevenfoldhamri]

Brian May (as well as some other players) are the perfect example of just how much the individual holding the instrument matters to the sound it makes

[thomasfleig]

Brian is the jedi of guitarists. The jedi had to build their own light saber.

[SG]

18:12 Love that Brian smiles when he remembers playing his first gig with the guitar.

[craigusselman]

greatest father son project ever-RED special.

[seanb.]

I love Brian’s moment of realization when trying to describe the pickup configuration, he says “It gives you that Bohemian Rhapsody solo sound.” Yeah Brian, we know what you mean.

[Beckster]

He's also a astrophysicist so technically it's Dr. Brian May! AND an animal rights activist, which he has stated he would most like to be remembered for. A Renaissance man of our time.

[jaibhimadevi]

Of course Brian May has a down-to-earth, affable and polite guitar tech.

[Allagi]

That is INSANE that the Red Special has never been re-fretted. I have a '93 strat that's never been used by a professional musician, some gigs sure but nothing extensive standard wear and tear but the thing is coming up on 30 years, and could really benefit from a re-fretting which I will probably do this year or the next. The Red Special has been on countless world tours, probably logged close to 400, 000 hours of playing time, been through all the mishaps, drops, spills, scratches, dents, dings, and still keeps on trucking with the original frets. That's honestly amazing.

[hutchbt]

Geez, I feel like I should have paid money to see this.

[karmpuscookie]

The only scientist that's ever seen a wormhole

[ikigai]

9:00 *Don't touch it*
_I wasn't gonna touch it, I was just pointing at it_
_well don't point even, it can't be played, never_
_well can I look at it?_
_no, you've seen enough of that one_


Shame the interviewer wasn't witty enough to play along