The table below compares the specifications of Brian May’s original Red Special guitar with the two official commercial replicas: the high end BMG and KZ Super and the budget range BMG Special. Read on for some facts and insights into the original guitar and two YouTube videos in which Brian talks about building the guitar and its unique design and features. The information presented on this page is accurate to the best of my knowledge or indicative where original data is not known or specifications vary (e.g. pickup electromagnetic characteristics). It was compiled primarily from official sources such as the Brian May Guitars website and the Red Special book and cross-checked against guitars I currently own (2004 Burns Special, serial no. BHM 4787, Guyton RS Transporter), or previously owned (2009 BMG Special, serial no. BHM 09644, RSCG 64 Supreme) and information I gleaned or elucidated while conducting background research to support my Red Special build project.
| Original Red Special | BMG Super & KZ Super | BMG Special | |
| Body design | Two bout, acoustic chambered | Two bout, acoustic chambered | Two bout, acoustic chambered |
| Body construction | Pine core 3/4″ thick blockboard; upper and lower sections reinforced with reclaimed oak inserts, glued and screwed, veneered with 3/128” (0.6 mm) mahogany marquetry veneer | Mahogany main section with 5 mm thick ‘lid’, glued only, veneered with book-matched quarter sawn veneer | Mahogany main section with 5 mm thick ‘lid’, glued only |
| Body depth | 1 9/16″ (40 mm) veneered | 1 9/16″ (40 mm) veneered | 1 9/16″ (40 mm) |
| Body finish | Furniglas Red Mahogany wood stain Rustins Plastic Coating brush-on, two part clear gloss lacquer | Gloss polyurethane clear lacquer | Vintage cherry tinted polyurethane lacquer |
| Manufacturer, Country of Origin | Brian and Harold May, Feltham, Middlesex, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | KZ Guitarworks, Japan (KZ Super) New Bohemia Electric Corp., Czech Republic (BMG Super) | World Musical Instruments Co. Ltd, South Korea |
| Neck style | Dovetail mortise and tenon joint secured with one 5/16” x 1 1/2” bolt and two large (#12 x 1 1/4”) slotted wood screws | Set (glued) mortise and tenon joint | Set (glued) mortise and tenon joint |
| Neck material | Mahogany timber reclaimed from a Victorian fireplace surround (likely Swietenia mahogani) | Quarter sawn mahogany tonewood (Swietenia macrophylla) | Swietenia, Khaya or Sapele timber |
| Neck pitch | 2.0° | 2.0° | 0.0° |
| Truss rod type | Steel compression type, 18 1/4” long, 3/16″ diameter steel rod, hand made | Dual action, length not available | Dual action, 17 5/16” (440 mm) |
| Headstock style | Lozenge shape, 3” (76 mm) wide, no inlays, 1993 “Back to the Light” sixpence adornment, rear volute | Lozenge shape, 3” (76 mm) wide, mother-of-pearl “MayStar” & Super signature inlays, rear volute | Lozenge shape, 3” (76 mm) wide with Brian May signature decal, no rear volute |
| Headstock angle | 5° | 5° | 7° |
| Neck width at the nut | 1 13/16″ (46 mm) | 1 13/16″ (46 mm) | 1 13/16″ (46 mm) |
| Neck width 12th fret | 2″ (51 mm) | 2″ (51 mm) | 2 3/32″ (53 mm) |
| Neck width 24th fret | 2 1/16″ (52.4 mm) | 2 1/16″ (52.4 mm) | 2 1/4″ (57 mm) |
| Neck thickness 2nd fret | 1 3/64″ (26.5 mm) | 1 3/64″ (26.5 mm) | 7/8″ (22 mm) |
| Neck thickness 14th fret | 1 11/64″ (29.8 mm) | 1 11/64″ (29.8 mm) | 15/16″ (24 mm) |
| Fretboard radius | 7 1/4″ (184 mm) | 7 1/4″ (184 mm) | 9″ (229 mm) |
| Scale length | 24″ (610 mm) | 24″ (610 mm) | 24″ (610 mm) |
| Number of frets | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Fretwire gauge | Gibson style medium standard: 3/32” (2.4 mm) crown width x 3/64” (1.2 mm) crown height | Jim Dunlop 6130 18% Nickel/Silver: 0.106” (2.7 mm) crown width x 0.036” (0.914 mm) crown height | Medium jumbo 18% nickel/silver 0.106” (2.7 mm) crown width x 0.036” (0.914 mm) crown height |
| Fretboard material and finish | Reclaimed oak, black painted, lacquered | Diospyros genus (ebony), unlacquered | Macassar ebony, unlacquered |
| Fretboard inlays | 1/4” diameter discs hand made from mother-of-pearl buttons at 3rd, 5th, 9th, 15th, 17th and 21st frets (single central dot), 7th and 19th frets (two dots), 12th and 24th frets (three dots) | Mother-of-pearl discs at 3rd, 5th, 9th, 15th, 17th and 21st frets (single central dot), 7th and 19th frets (two dots), 12th and 24th frets (three dots) | 6 mm mother-of-pearl discs at 3rd, 5th, 9th, 15th, 17th and 21st frets (single central dot), 7th and 19th frets (two dots), 12th and 24th frets (three dots) |
| Nut arrangement | Zero fret with Bakelite string guide | Zero fret with Graph Tech Black TUSQ-XL string guide | Zero fret with graphite string guide |
| Strings | Optima Gold Brian May 2028BM (0.009, 0.011, 0.016, 0.024, 0.032, 0.042) | D’Addario EXL120 Nickel Wound Super Light plain steel (0.009, 0.011, 0.016, 0.024, 0.032, 0.042) | D’Addario EXL120 Nickel Wound Super Light plain steel (0.009, 0.011, 0.016, 0.024, 0.032, 0.042) |
| String spacing at nut | 1 9/16” (39.7 mm) | 1 9/16” (39.7 mm) | 1 15/32” (37.5 mm) |
| String spacing at bridge | 2″ (51 mm) | 2″ (51 mm) | 2 1/8″ (54 mm) |
| Tuning machines | Originally Teisco banjo tuners Now Schaller M6 locking, chrome 3L3R | Gotoh Magnum Lock 3L3R | Grover 406 Mini Locking Rotomatic 3L3R |
| Tuner buttons | Gotoh small pearloid ‘butter bean’ style | Gotoh small pearloid ‘butter bean’ style | Chromed brass ‘half moon’ style |
| Neck pickup | Burns Tri-Sonic, 7.0 kΩ DCR, inductance 1.6 H, magnet north polarity, baseplate removed and coil potted with two part epoxy resin | Armstrong Pickups made replica vintage spec. Burns Tri-Sonic, 7.0 kΩ DCR, inductance 1.6 H, magnet north polarity, baseplate removed and coil potted with two part epoxy resin | BHK made Tri-Sonic, 6.5-7.0 kΩ DCR, inductance 2.0 H, magnet north polarity |
| Middle pickup | Burns Tri-Sonic 7.4 kΩ DCR, inductance 2.3 H, magnet south polarity | Armstrong Pickups made replica vintage spec. Burns Tri-Sonic 7.4 kΩ DCR, inductance 2.3 H, magnet south polarity | BHK made Tri-Sonic, 6.5-7.0 kΩ DCR, inductance 2.0 H, magnet south polarity |
| Bridge pickup | Burns Tri-Sonic 7.1 kΩ DCR, inductance 2.2 H, magnet north polarity | Armstrong Pickups made replica vintage spec. Burns Tri-Sonic 7.1 kΩ DCR, inductance 2.2 H, magnet north polarity | BHK made Tri-Sonic, BHK made Tri-Sonic, 6.5-7.0 kΩ DCR, inductance 2.0 H, magnet north polarity |
| Bridge hardware | Hand made aluminium saddles and grooved rollers | Wilkinson roller bridge | Fender style adjustable chromed bridge saddles |
| Tremolo (vibrato) system hardware | Custom made mild steel floating tailpiece, steel fulcrum plate, carbon steel valve springs, slotted hex head mild steel set screws (1/4” thread, 2 3/4” long), custom made brass spring cups | Mild steel floating tailpiece, steel fulcrum plate, carbon steel springs, slotted hex head mild steel set screws (M6 thread) | Wilkinson WVP knife edge tremolo bridge, three springs/claw plate anchor |
| Tremolo (vibrato) arm | Custom made from a bicycle saddlebag holder (3/16” diameter chromed steel bar), brazed to a brass mounting bushing, tip turned from a grey plastic knitting needle | Custom authentic style arm 5 mm stainless steel bar brazed to a brass mounting bushing, Fender style plastic tip | Custom style short arm, 5 mm chromed steel bar, Fender style plastic tip |
| Strap buttons | Burns vintage style, chromed brass | Burns vintage style, chromed brass | Chromed brass standard style |
| Volume control | Originally 220 kΩ nominal value, (actual value 237 kΩ) log taper Omeg rotary potentiometer, replaced by an equivalent modern Bourns rotary potentiometer in 2013 then a dual gang KAT ‘Superpot’ in 2018 Lathe-turned, aluminium ‘top hat’ style control knob with straight knurl pattern | 250 kΩ log taper rotary potentiometer. Lathe-turned, billet stock aluminium ‘top hat’ style control knob with straight knurl pattern | 250 kΩ log taper rotary potentiometer. Lathe-turned, billet stock aluminium ‘top hat’ style control knob with straight knurl pattern |
| Tone control | Simple treble cut circuit, originally a 220 kΩ log taper Omeg pot, replaced by an equivalent modern Bourns potentiometer in 2013 and then deleted from circuit in 2018 when the KAT ‘Superpot’ was fitted | Simple treble cut circuit, 250 kΩ log taper potentiometer | Simple treble cut circuit, 250 kΩ log taper potentiometer |
| Tone capacitor | TCC Metalmite PIO (paper-in-oil), nominal value 22 nF, (actual value 31 nF) | ‘Orange drop’ 22 nF polyester film | 22 nF polyester film |
| Selector switches | On/off switch and phase reversal switch for each pickup Double pole, double throw (DPDT) Jeanrenaud parallel slide type, white actuators mounted on a custom made folded aluminium frame | On/off switch and phase reversal switch for each pickup Double pole, double throw (DPDT) Switchcraft 46200 LRX series parallel slide type, white actuators, mounted on an aluminium control plate | On/off switch and phase reversal switch for each pickup Double pole, double throw (DPDT) Switchcraft style generic parallel slide type, white actuators, mounted directly on the underside of the pickguard |
| Pickguard set | 1/8” thick gloss black acrylic (Perspex) pickguard and semi-circular tremolo cavity cover with a semi-bevelled outer edge 1.75 mm thick pickup surrounds and truss rod adjuster bolt cover | 1/8” thick gloss black acrylic (Perspex) pickguard and semi-circular tremolo cavity cover, 45° fully bevelled outer edge 2.0 mm thick pickup surrounds and truss rod adjuster bolt cover | 3.0 mm thick black ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) plastic pickguard and semi-circular faux tremolo cavity cover, truss rod adjuster bolt cover, no pickup surrounds |
| Case | Originally a plywood rectangular flight case with foam inserts, now a carbon fibre contoured case so the guitar can be personally conveyed by Pete Malandrone | BMG branded fitted Hiscox Liteflite hard case (BMG Super) Leather covered rectangular flight case (KZ Super) | BMG branded gig bag standard, optional BMG branded fitted Hiscox Liteflite hard case |
| Mass | 8 lbs (3.6 kg) | 8.7 lbs (3.9 kg) | 7 lbs (3.2 kg) |
| Cost when new | £17.45 in 1963 (“Queen and I: The Brian May Story”, Laura Jackson, 2007) Equivalent to £374 in 2020 (average 5.5% inflation) | £2,950 inc. 20% U.K. sales tax, 2021 price (BMG Super) £2,495 inc. 17.5% U.K. sales tax at launch in January 2008, ¥550,000 or ¥577,500 in Japan (KZ Super) | £745 inc. 20% U.K. sales tax, 2021 price |
| Body width | Approximately 13 7/8” (352.4 mm) | 14” (355.6 mm) | 14” (355.6 mm) |
| Body length | 16” (406 mm) | 16” (406 mm) | 16” (406 mm) |
These two interviews for Premier Guitar and Absolute Radio respectively, in which Brian talks about building the Red Special and discusses its design and features are the most insightful and show the guitar in the best detail in my opinion:
Red Special Trivia
- The original Red Special has been refurbished twice having been given a significant overhaul and repair for the first time in 1998 by Greg Fryer and then again in April 2016 by Andrew Guyton. Along with other enthusiasts attending the 2017 meet-up at Theale Village Hall, I was fortunate to see a video detailing the repairs Andy carried out. I hope one day that he has time to edit a final version and release the video.
- The case was originally a plywood rectangular flight case but is now a bespoke carbon fibre contoured case so Brian’s tech, Pete Malandrone can carry it around (it gets its own seat on flights!)
- The Red Special has never been refretted, although the zero fret was replaced by Andrew Guyton in 2005 (see discussion at Haze Guitars regarding the zero fret)
- The mother-of-pearl ‘MayStar’ inlay on the main pickguard was made by Greg Fryer in 1998 to cover up the hole for the red plastic switch actuator of the Vox distortion unit which Brian originally fitted to the guitar. Prior to this adornment, Brian simply covered the hole with a red paper disc and then a square of black reinforced ‘gaffer’ tape.
- The Red Special isn’t red… it’s an orangey brown. It used to be redder but the redder chromophores in the Furniglas Red Mahogany wood stain have broken down/faded over the years. The chatoyancy (‘cat’s eye’) effect of the mahogany veneer causes incident light to reflect off the surface at different angles which accentuates redder or browner hues.
- The body construction method is reminiscent of cabinet making techniques: two sections of 3/4″ (19 mm) thick are blockboard glued and screwed together then veneered over with 3/128″ (0.6 mm) marquetry veneer. The neck/body fit is a dovetailed mortise and tenon joint.
- It is well known that the main part of the neck was carved from a section of mahogany fire surround. If you examine the close up shots around 4m 33s in the Premier Guitar video, you can clearly see that an additional piece of wood has been glued on to the heel where it meets the body. This feature and the thicker piece of plastic there were used to make up for the mahogany being thinner than required (compare the same region on a Gibson Les Paul).
Return to the FAQs section home page:
https://dsgb.net/faqs/
dsgb 