Another body shape suggestion

[theklanch]

How many inquiries do you get about this one......

Brian May's Red Special....

Sweetest tone ever!!!!  I happen to like his tone more than old Jerry's.  I have actually thought of buying one of the Burns or the Brian May guitars left handed versions.  Too bad their tremolo is way off from the original or I would consider shelling out $800.

 

[Mor Paul]

An LPS body with a V headstock looks killer with that same vibe. I think it was WillyK who did that. Looks a bit better in my eye, actually.

 

[mayfly]

Ectually,  the three main ingredients to Dr May's tone are:

1 - the burns single coil pickups, into
2 - a simple treble booster, into
3 - the normal channel of a VOX AC30, run flat out.

The actual guitar does not matter so much.

Nice body idea though...

 

[dbw]

And those pickups are in SERIES, not parallel like a strat.

 

[theklanch]

And those pickups are in SERIES, not parallel like a strat.

Ectually,  the three main ingredients to Dr May's tone are:

1 - the burns single coil pickups, into
2 - a simple treble booster, into
3 - the normal channel of a VOX AC30, run flat out.

The actual guitar does not matter so much.

Nice body idea though...

I have been studying this guitar for about 15 years now.  Dimarzio came out with a 'Brian May signature pickup' that was in the Guild Brian May guitars.  I have these in my Carvin neck through build that I started and finished about 12 years ago and recently refinished.  I have them wired in series without the on-off switches.  Eventually I will add the on-offs as I need to replace the switches that are in it now.  It has a TRS effects loop in it, and I play with a 64 Fender Bassman.  Someday I might think about the Vox, but they are spendy...  I can get close to his sound, but it isn't Dr. May's sound because obviously I can't play near as well as him.  Sooner or later I will change the pickups out to a set of Tri-Sonic's, but for now the Dimarzio's get close enough, they are pretty hot.

The body does have a little to do with the sound primarly the chambers to add a little feedback while the amp is being driven to hell and back.  This is another example of a "plywood" guitar so to speak, it has a 'blockboard' (never heard of it is that a british term for plywood?) core and laminated mahogony on the top, back and sides. 

Don't forget about the Deacy amp too another part of Dr. May's sound.  Those guys in that band certainly are crafty.  I understand that  Vox makes a 'Brian May' version of the AC30 with a circuit that replicates the Deacy amp in it already.  I know Dr. May isn't hurting come payday, he has his name on everything!

 

[GoDrex]

He also uses out of phase settings for some solos...