A beautifully crafted modern reimagining of one of rock and roll's most storied instruments, the development of the BMG Super, a collaboration between Sir Brian May, Pete Malandrone and House Music MD Barry Moorhouse, has also been advanced by input from an all-star, globe spanning team of 'Red Specialists', including Australian RS guru Greg Fryer, East Anglian luthier Andrew Guyton, Japanese master craftsman Kazutaka Ijuin, British electronics wizard Aaron Armstrong and, representing the United States, celebrated engineer and designer Ron Smith, proprietor of the Cyber Shop, and expert technician Woody Thomas of RS Conversions.
Taking over from the initial 2008 - 2010 production by Japan's Kz GuitarWorks, the Super has been constructed in the Czech Republic by the New Bohemia Electric Corp. since 2015. World renowned for exceptional build quality and innovation, NBE's output also includes guitars, basses and electric concert string instruments for Manson, Warwick, Stuart Spector and Ned Steinberger's pioneering NS Design marque.
This officially sanctioned, custom shop guitar bridges the gap between the more competitively priced BMG Special model and Andrew Guyton's forensically accurate "Timewarp" reproductions and, as a contemporary update to Brian May's and his father Harold's unique, 60-year old innovations, stands proudly on its own merits as an astonishingly versatile, exquisitely engineered, professional grade instrument.
With the minimum of compromise, considerable effort has gone into reimagining the Red Special for modern musicians, hence the Super conforms to the original's dimensions and technical appointments in almost every regard. The distinctive body shape, headstock, scale length, fingerboard radius, binding, pickguards, pickup surrounds, roller bridge, knife edge vibrato, control knobs and electronics have all been all faithfully rendered... as well as the famous, magnificently broad neck profile.
Of course, 60 years on, there are inevitably some differences in materials — instead of oak and blockboard, the body is constructed from quartersawn mahogany with a book-matched, antique-cherry stained mahogany top — resulting in some minor modifications to the internal acoustic chambering and control cavity. In addition, the Super benefits from a much stronger, glued-in neck join, rather than single bolt-on construction and, in favour of black painted oak, features a wonderfully smooth 24 fret ebony fingerboard. Courtesy of the research carried out by Greg Fryer on the Red Special, and from additional knowledge acquired by Andrew Guyton during his restoration work, all of the Super's alternative appointments and modifications are assuredly true to the spirit and character of the original, as well as to the exacting demands of its creator.
Developed and produced in the UK exclusively for this project by electronics specialist Aaron Armstrong, these new pickups are recreations of the Adeson-spec Tri-Sonic pickups installed on the 'Old Lady' herself and are wax-dipped, wired/reverse wired, baseplated, and hand-wound with the same gauge wire, and to the same tolerances, as the originals.
Although Aaron has employed bobbins (rather than air coils) and a single ceramic magnet (instead of two squeezed together), both of these alterations have clearly added rather than detracted from the pickups’ performance as they come with the maestro's seal of approval, and his blind-test praise for delivering "more bite, growl and volume”.
The Super's wiring scheme, switches, potentiometer and capacitor values are exactly the same as the original's with the switching system correctly secured to an aluminium mounting plate. Additional Greg Fryer-approved enhancements include shielding under the entire scratch plate surface area to reduce finger static noise and to assist in insulation from electrical and RF interference as well as a reinforcing plate inlaid into the guitar's body at the output jack to prevent accidental damage.
New for 2022, we are very pleased to announce that ongoing production of the Super will feature Ron Smith's supremely authentic 'enhanced' roller bridge. This assembly, utilizing a unique 2-piece roller and anvil design, dramatically reduces the risk of losing a roller during a string break. The rollers slip over a 1mm Ø x 9mm anvil with only 0.05mm clearance per side, ensuring that the roller rotates with as little friction as possible. The anvil presses into precision machined, intonation grooves on the bridge blocks, locking the roller in place whilst allowing it to spin freely, providing the smoothest and most stable string movement possible.
Developed by Kazutaka Ijuin in 2008 for the Mk.1 Super, the knife-edge tremolo tailpiece is a modern reproduction of Brian's bespoke design, with an appropriately curved, threaded arm. In conjunction with the roller bridge and custom Graph Tech Black TUSQ-XL nut, the tremolo system performs, as you would expect, with astonishing comfort, control, dexterity, and perfect return to pitch, aided by the inclusion of Gotoh's fantastic Magnum Lock® machineheads, augmented with pearl buttons.
Volume/tone knobs and strap buttons are also now provided by expert machinist Ron Smith. The 6061 aluminum alloy control knobs — exactly the same as the one now fitted to the Red Special itself, after the original knob was lost at a Q+AL show in Dallas in 2019 — are precision made replicas with modern, red painted locator dimple, whilst the traditional buttons are made from nickel-plated brass, with red fibre washers and BM-style "bottle-top" rubber strap locks.
The BMG Super is set-up in the House Music/BMG workshop with Optima 24K Gold Brian May strings, a special signature formulation developed for the maestro himself. Optima's unique combination of steel alloy and 24 carat gold plating guarantees full protection against corrosion, with an enhanced core material that significantly improves longevity and tuning stability, providing brilliant tone and superb performance for considerably longer than conventional strings.
From September 2024, the Super is supplied complete with an exclusive, quality, custom BMG branded fitted hard case by industry leaders Hiscox, a 2024 BMG/RS commemorative sixpence, a 100% vegan BMG custom strap, and an accompanying certificate of authentication, numbered and personally signed by Dr. Brian May.
The guitar arrived on Friday after very positive discussions with Dave Good regarding its purchase.The instrument is exceptional quality, and I really couldn’t be happier with it. Many thanks to all at Brain May Guitars for bringing this first class axe into the world!
This is a truly exceptional guitar in every possible way.New Bohemia Electric Corp. did an awesome job with building. There is not even a single scratch in the guitar, not any shortcuts were taken with finishing. It looks absolutely perfect.The color of the Super is also beautiful. True to original Red Special, this one also changes color depending from the angle between more red and almost brown. Every part used in guitar also are top notch.Pickups are really authentic, nothing missing in the sound really.Balance of the guitar in amazing also. It is actually more light and compact than you would think at first glance. Weight is really well balanced and the body is extremely light. Guitar is resonating perfectly and the sustance is another level compared to even BMG special.It really feels that everything is planned to summon every sounds as best way as can be from the guiitar. It really sounds huge, acoustically also sounds beautiful.Just as eveyone mentioning here already on reviews, get one if you can. There is a reason why you can't find it anywhere. It is piece of rock 'n' roll history, and made really the best way possible.
I can remember sitting in my bedroom as a kid waiting to record Guitar Greats on Radio 1 and first hearing details about this guitar and how it was built. I was already a massive Queen fan and even built my own version which was an approximation but shared some of the design principles (blockwood chambers - mine still weighed a ton). I tried the mid '80s Guild version but it didn’t do it for me and have tried the more available (BMG Special) copy, but wanted the original trem and replication of my childhood dream.My BMG Super arrived yesterday and I had watched the reviews and was expecting it to be close. It is. Playing famous Brian May riffs makes complete sense - you can see/feel how the guitar has shaped the songs. The unique neck works perfectly for me and balances so well and when you hit the chords, e.g for the Hammer to Fall opening, there are no obstacles for the perfect strike. It just works. The pickup switches are the most logical layout and the phasing switches recreate “the sounds”. Quite simply a unique design that I feel privileged to own. There’s a reason there are virtually no Supers for sale on the used market. Many thanks to Dave and Barry at BMG for getting this to me and to the brilliant craftsmen who made it. And of course thanks to Brian and his Dad for the lifelong inspiration.
Not just a guitar and so worth waiting for!I'm generaly not fond of signature models but for as long i can remember I always longed for a close copy of the Brian May Red Special.In my opinion the people at BMG really nailed it!They deliver a great looking guitar with a wonderful antique cherry finish. Mine was adjusted perfectly before shipping and stayed in tune all the way from London to the Netherlands.I played it for 3 days now and I still didn't have to tune the guitar yet. It sounds amazing, and with a treble booster — it sounds just as it should be.The purcase went flawlessly and the support was real good. I want to thank Dave for the great support all the way for 2 years long.Some people may think it's an expensive guitar but i think it's worth every cent. You'll get an exclusive and great looking guitar of sublime quallity with lots of sound options. And, not entirely unimportant, you'll get a guitar according the likeness of the guitar of one of the most defining guitarist of all time. I think Brain May and his dad where their ahead of their time while building the 'Old Lady'.I'm so proud of owning a BMG Super now, it's a really magnificent guitar!
My guitar arrived today, and I could not be happier with the entire experience.From the moment I communicated my interest, you went above and beyond to ensure that everything went smoothly. Your customer support is truly impressive, and it made the purchase process a breeze and the waiting much more tolerable. I can honestly say that this has been a dream come true for me. Thank you again.What a great unique guitar, it will stay in my collection for ever.
I received this jewel of an instrument three weeks ago and have now been able to test it extensively.One thing first - I am completely thrilled! I play through a Line 6 Spider V head into a Fender cabinet. It includes tons of guitar amp models, speakers, and effects. I also found a lot of Brian May sounds via the Spider V Remote mobile app and downloaded the ones I liked most. I've now played the guitar through my favorite settings and there isn't a single one where it doesn't sound outstanding. Whether it's Scorpions, AC/DC, Chuck Berry, country, etc., the sound is simply phenomenal. It is full, dynamic, the sustain unrivaled. The tone is also convincing in the clean range, I have never heard it like this on any other guitar. I would also like to say a big thank you to Dave Good (Sales, Marketing, Design). Throughout the whole process, from being put on the waiting list to the final purchase, and also for any specific questions, he was a great contact, friendly, professional, helpful and very accommodating.
Really had a great expérience with BMG, from registration to the waiting list for a BMG Super through the followup until the delivery after purchase phase went complete.You can really trust them. I am now the happy owner of a BMG Super. One of the guitars I really wanted.
After being on the waiting list for quite a while, I just took delivery of my BMG Super. Throughout the process, BMG's rep answered questions promptly and was able to give me a feel for where I was in the list for delivery. When it arrived, I opened it and was immediately impressed with the craftsmanship and attention to detail.Then I plugged it in...WOW! I've had it for several days and every time I really dive in I start laughing. This is probably the best tone I've ever had from a guitar (and I have over 2 dozen, more if you consider those I've sold). I have played it through an AC15, AC30, '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb re-issue, PRS HDRX 20, vintage '65 Bandmaster,and a few others. Everything from a chimey Chuck Berry to a metal growl, to Zeppelin and, of course, some Brian May magic. Pedals? Who needs pedals? Fine, maybe some echo/delay, but this guitar stands on its own... and like the builder of the original, head and shoulders above all others!
I recently had the pleasure of acquiring a BMG Super and, I must say, the experience from start to finish was nothing short of spectacular. From the moment I got in touch with the store, the level of customer service I received was top-notch. Dave was not only very responsive but also exceptionally friendly, making the entire process seamless and enjoyable. A real exceptional and highly recommendable service. The guitar itself is a masterpiece. It is evident that meticulous attention to detail was a priority in its creation. The build quality is superb, with every component feeling sturdy and well-crafted. Playing this guitar is a dream come true - the sound it produces is rich, clear, and vibrant, truly worthy of the rock icon it pays homage to. It's not just an instrument; it's an extension of my musical expression, perfectly balanced and comfortable to play for hours on end.Owning a BMG Super is not just about having a great guitar; it's about holding a piece of musical history in your hands. The dedication to quality and the nod to Brian May's genius make this instrument special. It feels incredibly rewarding to play a guitar that resonates with the spirit of such a masterful musician.In conclusion, my experience with the BMG Super and the customer service I received has been phenomenal. I wholeheartedly recommend this guitar and the shop to anyone who values exceptional craftsmanship and the legacy of one of rock's greatest guitarists. Whether you're a die-hard fan of Brian May, or a musician in search of a top-quality electric guitar, the BMG Super will not disappoint.It's not just an instrument; it's an inspiration.
This truly is a work of art as many others have stated. Not only does it look amazing, but the build quality is superb along with its sound and ability to retain notes. The extra added bonuses contribute greatly to the overall impression of the purchase - It comes with a certificate personally signed by Sir Brian May. Looking forward to playing this for many years - It is perfect for personal recording or playing live, and that is an understatement.
This is my second Brian May Guitars purchase. My first was a Black and Gold LE that I love very much. That said, the BMG Super is a beast! Though of course between the two guitars there is similarity in tone, however the Super seems to have more bite. Quite a bit more actually, and I've noticed when doing the out of phase thing I can really dial in (as close as possible without being Brian) the tones for things like Boh Rhap, Princes Of etc. I can't express enough how unbelievable the tonal quality of this guitar is. I have several (meaning very many) guitars and this is in a league all its own. The one thing I will tell you is the neck is exceptionally fat. Way larger than anything I have ever played before but though that will take some getting used to I believe it lends to the sustain of the instrument. Notes go on forever. I am a five star very happy owner of a Brian May Super. I'd also like to mention my contact representative through the process of both guitars. His name is Dave Good. Straight through the process of both guitars, the communication level was superb. I never, ever had to wait a day for a return email or a followup. Responses came right away and were clear and friendly. He never expressed any frustration with someone that could be overly excited about a purchase like this and if being honest probably emailed him more than I should have lol. I emailed him one day with a small packaging/delivery request and he not only was cool with it, but gave me the great news that my guitar was ready sooner than expected. He made this a great experience. I am a very happy person right now and for anyone considering the purchase of a Super, I would tell you it's worth every penny and more. The team knocked it out of the park.Thank you so much!
The Brian May Super is a beautiful guitar. From the moment it arrived I was in love. This is a high spec and detailed instrument that is as gorgeous to look at as it is to play. It's also the only official instrument that comes close to the original. I've owned my Super for a number of months now but even on the days I don't play it, I still open the case just to admire it.There are a few discrepancies from the original without a doubt. I've already changed the trem tip and a brass screw over the spring cover, which for me makes a real difference. For the purists out there, the fret board isn't lacquered but honestly, this doesn't bother me.The neck is thick and chunky as per Brian and Harold's original, though amazingly it's so easy to play. The sounds the guitar produces are also authentic. Additionally, I feel the Red Special itself is flexible by design to get a wide range of tones from across the rock-board. Whether it's playing Queen songs, shredding like Nuno Bettencourt or soloing like Slash, The Red Special Super is a versatile and rich guitar.I also want to give a shout out to Dave at BMG and to say thanks. Throughout the process, including after-sales, Dave has given his time generously to answer all my questions and support my Red Special journey. I also spoke to BMG's guitar tech Chris during one of his surgeries and he was lovely, knowledgeable and extremely informative. Beyond the guitars, BMG are a great company too.I highly recommend both the Brian May Super as thing of beauty and Brian May Guitars as a company of excellence. Owning this guitar really is a dream come true.
Well, what can I say...I ordered my Super approximately 18 months ago and was delighted when I heard mine was due sometime in January 2024. This guitar partners my other 3 RS guitars (one is signed). I opened the case and was immediately struck by the amazing colour. I pulled it from its case and was also surprised by its light weight. 7 pounds and 4 ounces. Acoustically it is very loud and resonant and that neck... just WOW!!!! It's enormous but it very quickly felt at home. I've got quite big hands and like a chunky neck but this is amazing. I gigged the guitar within a few days of receiving it and didn't have any problems with it.Pickups sound great, they are hotter than the pickups I have in 2 of my other RS guitars and the volume control cleans up beautifully as you back it off.String bending is an absolute delight, the radius of the fingerboard makes it super lovely to bend strings. A superb setup out of the box (which is good really, the very authentic bridge makes adjusting the action a little more time consuming) and it was ready to gig with. I may put 10's on this but I'll see how it goes at the next few gigs.Overall, as you can see, I am delighted with this take on Brian's famous 'Old Lady'Thank you everyone at BM Guitars.
I want to say thank you for all the support and help regarding my order for the Super.The guitar arrived well and the only thing I can say is "WOW“, what a beauty and what a finish. Best of all is the neck. I knew that this would be a chunky one but this one is outstanding of every neck I played before. I am lucky to have longer fingers than others LOL It sounds great and a dream comes true. And, yes, I had some tears in my eyes as I opened the case and saw her for the first time in real. Of course I took my "History of the Red Special" book to compare some details and it's so amazing to hold it in my hands.My Queen history is back from the early '80s, but I never saw Fred live. I had the chance in 1986, but my parents didn't allow me to go for it. So the very first Queen gig I saw was in 2015 with Adam. I don't know what was the most I did - crying or singing - but I will never forget.And now I have my own real Red Special. Again, thanks to all of you and, if possible, a big hug and greets to Brian when you see him.
I ordered the BMG Super a couple of years ago, and then almost forgot about it. So now I received it.An outstanding instrument. Very well built and as close to the original, as you may expect. The neck is glued in and the fretboard is ebony, which I would prefer anyway. Bridge and tremolo however are an upgrade to the first run of the BMG Super and, as I understand it, correct to the original. The thick neck is a pleasure to play. Together with the small VOX MV50 Nutube Brian May amp the guitar is incredible fun to play. It has a dry rhythm and singing lead tone that no other guitar has. I am very happy, I am a lucky owner of a guitar of its own class.
I've been a fan of Brian May since the age of 10. He's the reason I even picked up the guitar, 30 years ago! I received the new BMG Super last week and am completely blown away. Opening the case was an emotional moment for me. I admired this guitar almost my entire life. Not only is it a beautiful crafted piece, it sounds and feels absolutely amazing. Holding this guitar, and playing through the Brian May/Queen catalog of music, is a completely different experience. I'm truly honored to own this guitar! If you're on the fence about purchasing, do it. It's more than just an instrument!
The Red Special Super is sought after by many guitarists from all walks of life, and for good reason. It looks and sounds like the original “Old Lady”, made by the master himself. I’ve waited a long time for this beautiful, and beautiful sounding, machine and I must say, it was worth every second. Thank you Brian May Guitars for making this man’s dream come true. Truly remarkable.
It took me nearly 3 years to wait until I had my "Super", due to lockdown and other circumstances. Now, at the day before my 60th birthday, I received it. The time until then I have found Dave Good (nomen est omen) the most helpful person, keeping in touch, always answering requests in a nice and cheerful manner. This kind of customer support isn`t standard these days! Even though it was not sure if she will be ever delivered... it had now come true.The guitar itself is a masterpiece (I use to built my own guitars)... the neck a bit narrower than a Les Paul, but the shape of the neck I would describe a bit more than a full C-Shape. Everything at this guitar says "quality first". The finish is absolutely top! The bindings are made perfectly, the headstock, the tuners, the layout of the picks, bridge... everything is in a straight line.The sound is something "unusual" and will definately take a while to reach a point where you will sound a bit "May-alike". To catch up her true colours it is best to try her out at a clean amp. No effects... so you can say which switch-selection gives the basis. Then you can go for the sound we all love.The hardcase is also a very fine sample of craftmanship, including the certificate of origin, a rag, cushion, tools, sticker, manual, keys.All in all: The excellence of Sir Brian Mays music found its way in this guitar, the customer service, and therefore the three years of waiting was definitely worth it.Thank you from Germany.
After waiting 4 years I received the guitar. When I opened it it was just beautiful. I have been learning to play for a couple of years but the BMG Super is so light and so easy to play. The payment process was extremely easy. I received an email sayer the guitar was ready so I paid through the link and it arrived a couple of days later.I have purchased various items including a Special and each time the process from ordering to receiving the items was so easy and timely.
I recently collected my BMG Super from Barry Moorhouse and the guys at House Music, so here’s my Red Special journey and a review/comparison with my old Burns BM Signature model.I’ve always been a dedicated Queen fan. As a teenager I saw them three times with Freddie and more recently with Paul Rodgers, and then Adam Lambert on vocals. I play the guitar for a living so when I heard, back in 2002, that there would be a musical theatre show based on Queen songs called “We Will Rock You”, I auditioned to see if I could get one of the two guitar chairs up for grabs. I ended up having three auditions, all in front of Brian, the last one being 90 minutes long. The two chairs were deservedly awarded to Laurie Wisefield and Alan Darby, but Brian asked me to be first dep for both players, so I was sitting in on rehearsals learning all the parts and began covering for them even before opening night. During this period I was privileged enough to hold THE Red Special when Brian was present at one of the rehearsals and Pete Malandrone plopped it onto my lap, knowing what a huge fan I was! I was so stunned I couldn’t think of anything to play (I’m not worthy!) but I swear I could hear angels singing!The guitars used on the show at the beginning were the Burns branded BM Signature Red Specials supplied by House Music. There were about half a dozen available for deps to use but I bought my own so I could have it set up to my liking and most importantly have the volume pot replaced and numbered covers put on. The position of the volume control is vital to control the level of distortion available from the thundering AC30s! I wrote the position of the volume control for each song on my copy of the music: 1.5 for clean, 3 for crunch, 4 for main rhythm sound (Hammer To Fall etc.), 7 for main lead sound, 10 for lead when using the out of phase settings (eg. Bo Rap solo).The Burns BM Signature has served me very well for the last 20 years on hundreds of performances of WWRY, gigs with Queen tribute bands, and countless orchestral Queen concerts with the BBC Concert Orchestra and “Symphonic Queen” (Ex-WWRY singers and band deps) all over the world. But I always desired a more accurate, higher quality replica. I’d heard about the Guilds and others, but never really knew if they were worth the high secondhand prices being asked on auction sites, so I never took the plunge for fear of being ripped off. So I got very excited when I heard about the BMG Super, an accurate replica made in collaboration between Dr. Brian May, Pete Malandrone and House Music MD Barry Moorhouse. Within the first few seconds of casting my eyes on the Super, three things struck me: 1. The neck is HUGE! I have a Gibson custom shop 1958 Les Paul reissue which has the chunkiest neck I’d ever played, but the neck on the Super is even chunkier and much fatter than the neck on my old Burns and the current BMG Special models. Apparently this wasn’t a design choice. It was just that Brian got bored of sanding down the hard wood growing impatient to get the guitar finished, so he could start playing it.2. The gold strings. These are Optima 24K Gold Brian May Signature Strings — Plain .009 - .011 - .016 / Wound .024 - .032 - .0423. The attention to detail, the pearloid tuners, the pickup surrounds, volume and tone pots and the tremolo. These details have been much more accurately produced on this instrument than on my Burns and on the current BMG Special. Impressions after a few hours playing:This is a quality instrument; well balanced, resonant, well set up and inspiring to play. It's pleasingly lighter than I expected thanks to the chambered body. That chunky neck is actually very comfortable and really not a problem for someone like me, more used to slim Strat necks.The pickups are more detailed and refined than those on my old Burns. Turn the volume right down, gently glide the edge of a sixpence across the strings and those sweet, glassy chord tones just sing. I spent a while thoroughly engrossed in exploring the clean tones and pickup combinations (going through a treble booster and my Cornell Legacy head). Crank up the guitar volume and its all there; this guitar roars! The tremolo feels smooth and spongey, reminiscent of a Bigsby and stays in tune better than the Strat-style trem on my Burns.In Conclusion: Most of my pro-guitarist friends and I have a few, shall we say, “more affordable” instruments in our arsenals. The kind of instruments that will do the job but we don't mind leaving in an orchestra pit, tour truck or putting in an aircraft hold — Tools of the trade that we are not emotionally attached to. My Burns falls into this category. The Super most certainly doesn’t! This is rapidly becoming a cherished instrument that I’m definitely becoming emotionally attached to! I love how accurately all the details of the original have been reproduced in this stunning replica. This is the Red Special I’ve always wanted.I will need to get used to the numberless volume control though! I certainly wont change those unique covers but maybe need to design some kind of way to accurately preset the volume control or just get a better feel for it.Another fun challenge will be to see how else I can use this versatile instrument beyond attempting to sound like Brian. It provides many sounds that no other guitar I own can produce, making it a very useful addition to my guitar arsenal.Many thanks to Pete Malnadrone, the guys at House Music, and of course to Brian!
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