Q1. Can I download a copy of your Red Special plans and/or CAD files?
A1. Although I will make plans for some of my guitar modification projects available, I will not do this for my Brian May Red Special build project. I have provided a detailed explanation at the link below. I am only able to upload common file formats such as Adobe PDF, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and Microsoft Word documents on my WordPress plan so this restricts me from uploading CAD format binary files such as AutoCAD DWG, DXF, STL, etc.
https://dsgb.net/faqs/plans/
Q2. Do you make guitar parts to sell?
A2. I do not make any guitar parts to sell on a commercial basis, I do not sell any branded guitar parts or equipment and I do not trade or sell my own equipment. I have a full time job, I am married with two children and make and modify guitars only as a hobby. It generally takes me a great deal longer to execute work than a professional luthier since I do not spend my available time carrying out guitar project work. I try to plan and execute every project to a high quality standard which is itself very time consuming. As you can see in the “Collaborate” section of this website, I have worked on a limited basis with other Brian May enthusiasts who I trusted to complete a collaborative project to a quality both parties could be proud of.
Q3. What are the differences between Tri-Sonic pickup variants and which ones are better?
A3. It would be possible to write a short book on the development history, physical characteristics, sonic nuances and deployment in guitars of Burns Tri-Sonic pickups but I have condensed the salient points into a sub-1,500 word general interest article illustrated with my original photographs and CAD renders at the link below. Although it has a deliberate Brian May bias, it is presently more comprehensive than the Wikipedia entry on the topic.
https://dsgb.net/faqs/trisonics/
Q4. What type of pickups were originally fitted to Brian’s Red Special before he fitted the three Burns Tri-Sonics?
A4. Brian originally made his own pickups from Eclipse button magnets, paxolin, melamine and plasticard. Their DC resistance and inductance was much lower than vintage Tri-Sonics. I have written a brief article and recorded a video on these pickups:
https://dsgb.net/faqs/BHMOHM
Q5. Which treble boosters are most appropriate for achieving Brian May tones?
A5. Although many treble booster effects pedals are available to buy because the basic circuit is relatively straightforward to produce by both professional/commercial and amateur pedal builders, Brian May has only ever used a small selection of treble boosters during his time with Queen and in his solo work. I have written an illustrated article about these with some background information, embedded demonstration videos and further reading links here:
https://dsgb.net/gear/trebleboosters/
Q6. Where can I get some professional tips on how to play like Brian May?
A6. The page below links to the Lick Library “Learn to Play Queen” instructional videos by Michael Casswell and an article by Simon Bradley for Total Guitar in which Bohemian Rhapsody film coach Dave Colquhoun describes twelve of Brian May’s playing techniques:
https://dsgb.net/faqs/playlikemay/
Q7. What are the differences in specification between the original Red Special guitar and the BMG Super, KZ Super and BMG Special replicas?
A7. I have compiled a table comparing 45 pieces of information and presented some trivia and two YouTube videos in which Brian talks about the Red Special and its unique design, construction and features at the page below:
https://dsgb.net/faqs/rsspecs/
Q8. How much is Brian May’s Red Special worth?
A8. In the article below, I address this provocative question from several angles by contrasting quantified estimates with some subjective thoughts:
https://dsgb.net/faqs/redspecialvalue/
Q9. Where can I find a list of global and user settings for Brian May’s TC Electronic G-Major 2 programmable effects units?
A9. I have compiled a list of G-Major 2 settings onto a single A3 landscape format PDF document which can be downloaded on my Brian May Stage Rig page. They are derived from the settings on my own unit(s) which were originally programmed by Pete Malandrone in Brian’s equipment storage facility when the rig was commissioned by Andy Barnett. They have subsequently been cross-checked against other users’ settings including Luke Timmins, Iain Angell, Peter Michalowski and Mark Reynolds.
https://dsgb.net/gear/brian-may-live-rig/
Q10. What other guitars does Brian May own and use?
A10. Check out the YouTube video at the link below in which I look at ten of Brian May’s other guitars, two made by Greg Fryer and eight by Andrew Guyton of Guyton Guitars:
https://dsgb.net/faqs/brian-may-guitars
Q11. Where can I find out more about the mother of pearl inlays on Brian May’s Red Special and arch top semi-acoustic “Badger” guitars?
A11. I made a brief (7m 20s) YouTube video covering this topic in March 2023 and a FAQ accompanies it here:
https://dsgb.net/faqs/pickguard-inlays/
Q12. How does the tremolo system on Brian May’s Red Special work?
A12. I made two YouTube videos in July and August 2025 about the Red Special’s tremolo system. The first covered the design and fabrication and the second covered the function, set-up and demonstration. Please read the accompanying article on this topic here:
https://dsgb.net/faqs/rstremolo/
Q13. Why does zero fret wear occur on Brian May Red Special guitars and what can be done to alleviate the problem?
A13. Please read the article below which covers this topic:
https://dsgb.net/faqs/zerofretwear/
Q14. Do you use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to make any of your video content?
A14. I do not use any artificial intelligence (AI) tools in my video content. I film all video footage at 1080p and 60 fps and take still photographs on an iPhone. Until October 2025 this was an iPhone 13 Pro Max and since then an iPhone 18 Pro Max. I use iMovie on a 2012 Apple MacBook A1398 for straightforward video editing and DaVinci Resolve if I require more complex effects such as stacking three 9:16 aspect videos horizontally.
I spend a considerable amount of time writing my own scripts prior to beginning the editing process. I aim to have these approximately 90% complete before I begin; I finalise the script as I progress through the edit depending on where it takes me. I try to use neutral and grammatically correct British English syntax and avoid British regional idioms to ensure that I can be easily understood by non-native English speakers and give YouTube’s automatic translation algorithms the best chance at rendering accurate subtitles.
I record my voiceover using my normal voice through a Shure MV88+ USB microphone directly into iMovie. I apply the bass EQ setting then manually edit out breaths and hesitations. I understand that precise grammar and syntax, my relatively neutral British accent and editing out pauses to maintain a momentum in my narrative can give my voiceover an unnatural quality which resembles AI generated content. This is unfortunate because I generally do not like AI generated video content.
Q15. Why do you not appear in any of your YouTube videos?
A15. Since 2019, most of the audiovisual content I watch apart from live sporting events has been on YouTube. I experimented with producing some basic Brian May Red Special related YouTube videos in May 2021 to augment the text and photographs on this website and then committed to making regular, structured videos on specific topics in early 2022. My personal preference, developed by consuming a lot of YouTube content is that creators of factual content do not appear in their videos because this detracts from the subject matter being presented. There are obvious exceptions to this such as podcast interviews and guitar playing demonstrations.
The last five years have seen the rise of the professional YouTuber, i.e. individual content creators with ambitions to earn all or part of their income from YouTube advertising and sponsorship revenue but also to achieve a degree of celebrity status. I do not have and never have had such ambitions. If I ever make a different style of video which I judge that me appearing in it adds value, I will do so, but having tried to record a few brief pieces to camera, I can vouch that it is harder than it looks to talk fluently, avoiding hesitation and repetition while still appearing natural and engaging.
Further FAQs and answers will appear here in due course and will cover perennial discussion topics of interest to Brian May enthusiasts such as:
Q. What are the different ways of achieving the Brian May tone at home?
The tone is in the signal chain
So you need fast fingers, a musical brain and a suitable signal chain. I hope we cleared up the irritating cliché that “it’s all in the fingers”
The playing style is in the fingers and involves at least three elementary motor control functions: timing, sequencing and spatial organisation of motor responses and auditory-motor interactions
Musical ability is in the primary and secondary auditory cortexes except rhythm processing which involves the belt and parabelt regions of the right hemisphere
