Brian May's Red Special 1992 Interview

[yngwie308]

A recently discovered interview with Brian May around the time of his "Into The Light" album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... PD7_hQk7hk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYabmM-uxdE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
My favorite astrophysicist professor guitarist. Look at that vintage radius on the Red Special, who says one needs a 12" to 16" for bends, not me!
yngwie308

[Ted B]

One of my 'keepers':
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh28 ... x/BHM1.jpg

The radius is the correct 7.25", but it doesn't feel unusual.

I've since upgraded with the Adeson 'BM' pickups and machined aluminum 'BM' control knobs.

[yngwie308]

My point exactly Ted my fav is 7.25". Works for me!!
yngwie308

[NY Chief]

Great stuff!!! Here's a guy who REALLY built his own guitar from the ground up and not just hacked together a bolt on body and neck (and who didn't even know how to wire it..... just sayin.....

[NY Chief]

One of my 'keepers':
http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh28 ... x/BHM1.jpg

The radius is the correct 7.25", but it doesn't feel unusual.

I've since upgraded with the Adeson 'BM' pickups and machined aluminum 'BM' control knobs.

Ted, I have had (3) Red Specials...the Guild, Burns and now the BM version. Shouild NEVER have sold the Guild....

PLease tell me more about the Adeson 'BM' pickups ???

[Ted B]

I love my Guild BM Pro, but I wanted to get the electronics exactly into spec. To do this, I upgraded the cheapie parts with audio taper CTS 250k pots (that actually measure 250k), an NOS 0.22uF paper in oil cap (Ebay), and Adeson's BM spec pickups, which are exacting repros of the original pickups Brian used. It was a little bit of a project, as for the Guild, I had to make spacers to compensate for the shorter height of the true Burns spec items as compared to the Duncan repros. See this discussion for more info on that: http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php ... 76#p376376 Adeson's pickups can be had in two different heights, so one may be perfect for your application.

All things considered, I'm happy. This is as close as it gets.

Adeson's website: http://www.adeson.co.uk/

You have to email Adrian at: wetgilbert(at)hotmail(dot)com to get his BM spec Burns pickups (not listed on the site). He takes awhile to respond, but always does sooner or later and is super reliable.

I hope that helps.

[Smokin Tone]

[
Ted, I have had (3) Red Specials...the Guild, Burns and now the BM version. Shouild NEVER have sold the Guild....

Hey Chief,

How did those guitars compare to each other? I briefly got to play a burns years ago but I haven't seen the others. I've been wanting for years.

[NY Chief]

[
Ted, I have had (3) Red Specials...the Guild, Burns and now the BM version. Shouild NEVER have sold the Guild....

Hey Chief,

How did those guitars compare to each other? I briefly got to play a burns years ago but I haven't seen the others. I've been wanting for years.

Thanks, Ted. I sent him an email and he repsonded pretty quickly. Pups on order! Thanks!

Smokin, the Guild was by far the best and the Duncan pups that Ted mentioned sounded pretty damn close. For the record the second version of the Guild was great. The first one had I think a Kahler trem which was way too loosey goosey. The Burns was nice but of a considerable lesser quality than the Guild. The major parts were there though. Wide fingerboard and Burns single coils, sounded pretty good. May was displeased with the Burns so he took over the factory in Korea and made some improvements. Plays real nice ans definitely has the Queen sound in it! I'd like to get the BM Super or Pro or whatever they are calling it. It's supposed to be as close to the real thing as can be. Like the Guytons and RS Guitar versions I guess. The production BM will get you ion the ballpark. It's a trip to play with the wide fingerboard. The string spacing makes it very easy to finger pick.

[NY Chief]

May is THE classiest guy in the game. This quote sums it up "I don't try to hide anything"....just like ASSHOLE EVH who is so paranoid someone is going to rip him off that he intentionally changes things to keep people guessing and chasing? Sounds like someone has a BIG inferiority complex....

[Ted B]

Smokin, the Guild was by far the best and the Duncan pups that Ted mentioned sounded pretty damn close.

The Adeson pickups sound similar to the Duncans, but are little warmer and meatier. And of course, they are dead nuts on the originals with respect to construction and appearance.

May is THE classiest guy in the game. This quote sums it up "I don't try to hide anything"...

May's never been secretive about his sound, but then again, it takes some real effort to duplicate it - more so than copping EVH.

[NY Chief]

[, it takes some real effort to duplicate it - more so than copping EVH.

Got THAT right, Ted!!!!

Like "Seaside Rendevous"?

[NY Chief]

A review of the "Super"!

http://www.brianmayguitars.co.uk/newsitems/view/68" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[philmanatee]

Wow! That looks like a pretty nice version. I hated the bridge on the early Burns one that I used to have. Phil

[NY Chief]

Wow! That looks like a pretty nice version. I hated the bridge on the early Burns one that I used to have. Phil

Agreed, phil. May said he had to use some readliy available hardware to keep the costs down. It's a different bridge on the Brian May Guitars version.

I don't ave access now but there is a guy on ebay selling clones of the original entire bridge and trem system (with the motorcycle valve springs and brass acorn nut) but he wants stupid money for them.