Added: 3 years ago
From: neilmurraybass
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  • "It's not a competition, that's the nice thing about guitar players I don't feel anybody is really competitive really we mostly enjoy the sound and we enjoy each others playing." God if only...

  • for what ever reason people have been chaseing his tone for years and its not that complicated with a Harmonizer and a Les Paul you can come close....and wire your amps in series....the rest is a bit of delay...i KNOW i was obessed with him for years but as i have grown older not so much......

  • @TheXXXDB

    It's the Tri-Sonic pick-ups that Brian and his dad got from an old Burns guitar that are wired in series, with the middle being reverse wound because Brian wanted the pick-ups to feedback into each other to give a fuller and stronger sound and tone, that's why the body of the guitar is hollowed out in the same was as a Gibson 335 Semi-acoustic, but without the soundholes in the oak top.

    On top of that, Brian still uses the same original VOX AC30 amps that he used in Queen.

  • @WillieDines1 yes i am aware of the history with Brian...i know all about the guitar (i tied back in the early 80s too build one with the guiter tech i had at the time.....so yes i know about Brian and his sound ect...thanks...

  • @TheXXXDB

    Cool, no worries man, it would be awesome to build a guitar and be able to have the same effect as Brian & his dad achieved with the 'Red Special'.

    One thing's for sure and that is of all the guitarists that I enjoy hearing when they play, My favourite guitar tones and sounds is still and probably always will be Brian May's, even though I have a beautiful big beast of a 7 String with EMG pick-ups that I really enjoy playing.

    What make/model guitar do you use atm man?...

  • @WillieDines1 i have mostly Gibson...i have 28 guitars in the house in all......L4..L5...175s...335..­.2-355....9 Les Pauls and 3 Byrdlands... i blow out of Fender Supersonics i have 5 of them wired in series(gee i wounder where i got that idea :))) )..i have been playing since i was 6 and i am 48 now....studied seriously as a child...was very serious about it all...i Knew Les Paul personally(read my tube page)...yeah its been fun....have a great day..i am sending you an invite,KEEP CRANKING!!!!!

  • @TheXXXDB

    Awesome, I used to have a cheapie Westfield LP copy in black w/ white binding and scratch plate, it had a nice sound though :)

    The only guitars I got atm are my Accousitc and my Agile 7 String with EMG's, thruneck body and LFR double locking trem.

    I had a Gibson 335 copy, but I sold it due to lack of living space and I would like to get a lefty 'Red Special', but I suspect it won't even have 1/2 of the sound/tone quality as the original made by Brian.

    ROCK ON!!! :D

  • "Ive got nothing too hind...thats not really true i am a big fan and i recall back in the 80s Guitar Player maganize did a huge cover story on him and that guitar and he was VERY COY about how he and his father made it i have the issue still and he mentioned that it was a hollowbody..which it is not and a set neck again which it is not its a bolt on you can see the screww when he turns the guitar and shows the back and he was COy again about the electronics so i am sorry he is BSing....

  • The guy with the hat and white eyes at around 0:30 is like "Give me your soul!".

  • 1:07

    what song is that?!? :o

  • @thegraetstuff It's Too Much Love Will Kill You, That video in which he's playingthat small guitar (sorry, I don't know the name of that instrument) was recorded after Freddi's death, I guess. Somebody, please, correct me if I am worng about the video clip date.

  • It used to be trash, now that thing is a fucking treasure. Brain May, you don't get much cooler than this guy.

  • 4:30

    "The story was just a publicity stunt"

    Typical it was first printed in The Sun newspaper then aye?

    Sensationalist bullshit that paper is.

  • Brian May also holds a PhD in astrophysics. dude is brilliant

  • LEGENDARY 

  • For a guitar built so long ago by someone with no Luthiery skills is amazing. The fact that it's been a professional instrument for almost 50yrs, making a unique instantly recognized sound is even more amazing. It's shape is so unique. EVH built his guitar out of bits he scavenged, but nothing like this. Brian Mays mass produced guitars are extremely well made & affordable. Quite a feat & very generous of him.

  • he made is own guitar with his father? poor?

    i've always loved Brian for the great guitarist he is..

    Now i respect him even more.

    Best guitar player to me.

  • its amazing that they actually built a guitar from scrap,

  • at 4:36 is he actually playing buddy holly!

    haha cool.

  • ive been a bass player for 15 years of my life. brian may makes me wanna learn to excel at the guitar.

  • 11 people accidently sat on the red special and needed immediate medical attention!

  • what a classy guy! and to think he's got a phd in astrophysics! he's awesome in many ways!

  • "Jingle Bell SHOCK!" -- the new Shred-tastic Christmas Classic from GLADIUS (see my profile for details) with EPIC 3-part 'Brian May' - style, goose bump- inducing harmonies and much, much more...

    What the fans say:

    "Manheim Steamroller meets Tran-Siberian Orchestra--only better."

    "That kicks some major Santa butt!"

  • best guitarist ever!!

    little note: it's of live at brixton academy ;)

  • No one plays like Brian May, you could always tell a new Queen song on the radio just from a few notes. Those 3 note bends (Hendrix influence) & the pre-bending. Letting the notes ring out & the vibrato he uses. The way he makes the guitar splutter, slowing & speeding up the notes in his runs. The man is a true genius embodying exceptional intellectual & creative ability!

  • brian may you are an orgasm to my ears

  • 11 people got their butts kicked for stealin their grandma's knitting needle.

  • may's guitar sound is unmistakable

  • 0:31 )

  • "brian may of queen" shit!! he's much more than that!!

  • So..the good artists are almost all English:P

    The ones I know...

    Whats up with that^^

  • @chapynl lack of knowledge

  • 0:55 This sums up why I play. If you don't play guitar, you don't get it. You can't.

  • Brian your amazing!!!!!! RIP Freddie.

  • I reckon his wife must just lie there after sex and wonder, "Am I in Heaven?". Meanwhile Brian is wiping himself off and wondering, "Am I God?".  We know the answer to both questions, of course.

  • @BarryDennen12 that was gay

  • genious

  • @ilovedanny2403 This has to be the most ironic post I've seen on Youtube.

  • 0:47 - Theo Paphitis

  • @EyeHawk777 Haha.. You sir have a tumbs up!

  • Just an absolute class act guy. Brian May is truly one of the most clever people on the planet. And definitely one of the finest guitarist to ever pick up the instrument. It's not often some ones playing can be recognized with just one note. That happens when you hear him.

  • what's the name of the song he's playing at 1:31??

  • Brian is so bad-ass! He actually made his own axe!

  • I love his style. He plays like its really easy. also does he play with a penny?

  • @Thinkingjelle he plays with a six pence

  • He's beautiful for me

  • rock on brian

  • Brian May seems really awesome!

  • is there are guitar like his in the store???

  • @DRAGONBOLZMAKITA yes, musician friend's website

  • HAPPY BIRTHDAY,BRIAN!!!

  • Happy Birthday, Brian May!!

  • Happy birthday Brian!

  • owh I love this sooo much, love the story, love the output of that nice guitar, love you Briand may you are HERO!

  • haha,,this guy is awesome!! I will never laugh at a cheapo guitar again,,,but think of how can I make this better!!

  • @dglass3090 I think it's a beautiful looking guitar and the fact that it was hand made makes it even more so.

  • guitar playing isnt a cometition to him because hes so obviously leauges above everyone else ! :D love him !

  • 00:30 creepy

  • THIS IS THE COOLEST GUITAR EVER! (even though i am a strat-man)

  • I WANT TO HUG AND KISS BRIAN!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 And, I want to touch his beautiful hair :D

  • @irinayugiohfan So do I! Louis XVI's hairs! ^^

  • It's interesting hearing how his guitar was made by him and his father, we all knew that it was made by them, but not how.

    I have always admired Brian May, not as the great lead-player (which he of course is), but as the great rhythm-player. There's probably no rhythm player as interesting anywhere else, just listen to the old queen albums.

    Lots of respect to the dude, both for his lead and rhythm playing and for his building-skills.

  • @ErikEspangberg John Lennon was originally a rhythm guitarist in the early days of the beatles, I believe.

  • @ErikEspangberg I have always had tons of respect for Brian his intellect is outstanding really is, if you take a look at what he used to teach and things like that he's nothing short of a genius!

    Though I was never a fan of Queen still am not I still have tons and I mean tons of respect for this guy, I love the way he doesn't throw things down your neck, he just says yea I did that lol and get's on with it, GREAT MAN!!!

    I actually have a prototype Mexican Stratocaster.

  • @ErikEspangberg I love the way he says we're not competitive we're not well in a broad sense we're not (not like I am the biggest thing ever lol), but I remember playing a little jamming time with some friends at University and having a bit of a competition between their lead guitarist and me lol, but it was done out of the fun of the situation.

    But really that's because I think you can spend your entire time trying to sound like say Brian May here and you will never at all sound like him.

  • My idol in the guitar world.

    The way he holds his guitar is just epic. Like its his freakin child he doesn't need to smash it or go mental with it. Awe Inspiring

  • Fireplace for the neck, part of an Oak table to hold the strain, block board for the body, piece that holds up the saddle bag on a bike, piece of my mother's knitting needle, springs from a motorbike and self carved steel, design your own bridge rollers with no friction...

    Six strings and you will become a part of ROCK history

    Pretty simple really..ahhaahh

    Love these stories..

    Like the old Blues masters before it became cool where they made their instruments.We know how that worked out..

  • EVH is great and a trend setter ... all 'BITCHES WHO CAN'T PLAY NEED TO STOP COMPARING GUITAR GREATS TOO ONE ANOTHER'

  • CLASS ACT !!!!!!!

  • aerosdream1 you retard! how the hell does that work?? brian couldnt play what eddie does, but eddie cant do what brian does! they are all uniqe!

  • That's one epic example of DIY...

  • I remember the first time I heard Queen. The song was 'Ogre Battle' and it was being piped through this really loud P.A. I thought: "Who is THIS guy?" Love Brian and Queen ever since. I'll bet Brian could make a helicopter out of a sewing machine.

  • I wonder what this brilliant thinker song writer would have recorded with Freddie in the degital recording era of today, if he was still here. While degital sounds were trying to be more and more like human, Queen was trying not to be "human" in terms of the perfection in their recordings and imagination for contmporary music at the time, I think. They must be one of the first musicians that could get to the frontier line between human and machines. Amazing band ever in every respect!

  • guitar god!!!

  • "its not a competition, thats the thing about guitar players" those were the days! now everybody and their mother wants to play as fast and as complicated as possible in order to constantly one-up the player previous to them.

  • @InfiniteRhombus So true, it really seems that there is a competition these days and writing great songs gets lost in the process.

  • Brian May made a guitar out of an old motorbike,

    Could he make a motorbike out of an old guitar?

  • This video has helped complete a section of my Queen fandom. I feel more complete as a Queen fan now :D Thanks for posting this!

  • MY KINGDOM FOR BRIAN MAY'S HAIR!

  • @siy42

    it is now free of artificial color, quite magnificent !

  • @siy42 You might be disappointed cause rumour has it that he wears a wig in order to be able to go out incognito!

  • I wish all the people on youtube or just in the music community in general felt that music is not a competition. I've always thought it is something to be shared and enjoyed. Not to try to elevate yourself over someone else. Pull them up with you!

  • i wouldn't be surprised if he saved the world with his music and his genius knowledge of astrophysics

  • OMG .. how i love you brian <3 he is just amazing human and i think,that he is the best guitarist <3 

  • is it the fender mustang or the jaguar that has pickups in series like the red special with similar selectors?

  • queens british dam the uk is the birth place of music

  • his story wanna makes me give him a hug :(((((

  • Does the standard brian may guitar feedback? 

  • BRIAN MAY GOD CALLED AND HE SAID HE WANT HIS GUITAR BACK MAN !

  • @shroombudy Brian called himself?

  • thats a clever guy there...

  • Top Holland

  • Top

  • I remember people laughing at me as i told them over 10 years ago that Brian's guitar was self-made and even had a piece of wood from their fireplace....i didn't have that guitar magazine  any more to show them..... some people just can't believe that some one can build a guitar out of barely nothing .... ;)

  • @RustyPease i always knew it....and using a six pence as a plectrum but only because im a musician...but until you see tell the story it sounds like some kind of urban guitar legend story.....

  • @mojopin70 -... i had to smile now about the six pence plectrum.... because my Mom told me about it and she never played musc... it was like this; I came home with a bag of plectrums ( i play guitar for about 20 years now) and she asked me "what's that for" and i said "these are plectrums/picks to play guitar and showed her ...and my Mom said : Why don't you use a coin like queen's guitar player? ..and i was like ; eh? what? how you know that? ( i couldn't check on the internet, it was 1991^^

  • @RustyPease ...i cant play with coins although i have tried...dude i did a Brian may guitar parody on my you tube site...i love queen dont get me wrong i was bored though and saw some other parodies and thought id have a go lol....

  • @mojopin70 ... i tried with A " one cent" (us coin) couldn't find a 6 pence coin (not living in UK) ...it worked but it kinda used the guitar strings faster so went back to regular picks... some people play and have an amazing sound without any pick ( Jeff Beck for example...i just cant get a sound like him with only fingers.... )

  • Ther ara 9 suckers at th mement who didnt like this video!!! Suuuuuckersssss

  • 0:32 i see freddie mercury's ghost

  • oh Brian May, you are truly amazing <3

  • talk about guitar heaven- i did not know his dad was aka rubard red--aka les paul--lester paulfous-wizard of waukishaw

  • I've known that Brian made his own guitar for ages...but it still just blows my mind every time he mentions it. I mean, how do you even begin to do that?

  • @MentalMeander. Well,...First, I you begin with research. And I think Brian and his dad may already know a thing or two about musical instruments. But still its one hell of a job. But it works...

  • @MrXAVIERDB In fact it is a solid body with inner sound chambers.

    So this is inbetween a hollow body but also not a solid body....

  • What a strange guy at 0:30 seconds in. Cant miss him.

  • @outofslumber I SEE IT

  • @outofslumber

    That's ain't Mike Oldfield?

  • hey does anyone know the song that comes in at 1.10 and again at 1.30

  • @andychidge1 That's "too much love will you"

    This version was sung by Brian on the Back to the light album.

  • awesome...

    

  • You COULD NOT put a price on that guitar.

  • The man made his own guitar. Now THAT is fucking rock n roll!

  • dat hair.

  • He had like the best father ever

  • His hair always reminds me of Newton, and the fact he's an astrophysicist adds to the Newtoness ^__^

  • nawwwwwwww look at him when he was barely out of nappies at 1:13 :) he was a little dote <3

  • I can not imagine Brian May's hair after a shower

  • what a cool guy, we could all learn alot from his humble well spoken attitude

  • Haah, this video was uploaded in May :P

  • 9 people accidentally must have hit the dislike button....there is nothing to NOT like about this amazing man. Long live Dr. Brian May! :-)

  • He was so fortunate to have such a patient and talented father to build this beutiful guitar with,his father also made him his first telescope and Brian then went on to become Dr May a few years ago inspired by the stars his second love in life.What a wonderful Man :)

  • what a legend... Freddie was a vocaland performance legend and Brian is a guitar legend

  • this guy will never be forgot.

  • THIS GUY IS REALLY HEAVY :)

  • i really want to meet brian may

  • @engalfguitars1 Yo tambien!

  • Wonderful. He speaks of it as his baby, cares about it (should I say her :) ?)...

  • Brian May is my hero!!!

  • brian may was always been my look up to guitar hero up until now, and for all you know his not underrated, his an epic... too much love will kill you is dedicated to his friend and band mate Ferdy mercury...

  • the guitar as the man are legends

  • Man is a guitar genius. I think he is way way way under credited and under rated for what he did...I mean not just his guitar but how he arranged his amps as well

  • whats the song at 1:10?

  • @shpfask i think its Too Much Love Will Kill You , but the Brian May's version,

  • You know I have some neighbors always giving away their old furniture. Maybe I should see what it sounds like :). Epic idea inspired by Brian May? I think yes :D

  • I am 44 years old and have always appreciated and respected Mr. Brian May as a band member of Queen and as a super rock guitarist, my respect and admiration for him just grew by leaps and bounds!!!!

  • Take that, Paul Reed Smith!

  • Red Special is an incredible guitar

  • I totally agree with Brian when he says "guitar playing isn't a competition!" I also just do it for fun, and because I have a passion for the instrument :)

  • @ efzt - Yeah, he was really I'm afraid - It's funny, working as a doco soundman for a number of yrs. I got to meet quite a lot of my heroes. Like people often say, it ain't always a good thing. I aways imagined I might meet someone like this 'on equal terms' as one successful muso to another, but sadly I got to find out how 'some' celebs treat lowly technicians, a real eye-opener if nowt else. Now Noddy Houlder - there IS a top guy!... :0 ).

  • I played on one of his guitars on a radiostation in a competion,A sighned Brian May guitar,I saw Queen live in 1985 at Sun City ,simply the hottest rock band ever!!!

  • Love the sound of the VOX wall behind Brian.They are not for make noisy distorted sound,but if they are turned up highly on the volume and EQ,they sound great.I imitate this sound through my Roland cube 60,on the effect called "CLASSIC STACK".It rocks!

  • I find a little bit of Ritchie's lick

    in this solo

  • TRy my

    1981 guitar hard improvisation

    fon my channel

  • Hij didn't make the guitar with his father. It was given bij GOD. GOD defeted the devil and has made a guitar out of the devil. Brain may is the best

  • thats a no-no for a tube amp @0:01

  • @puppetmasterman93 Yeah I cringed when I saw it. But he's rich enough to not care about preserving his tubes lol

  • 4:10 hahahaha funny guy i love :D:D

  • I met Brian four or five years ago and spent the day with him filming a documentary about Bohemian Rhapsody. He'd been my hero since my teens and I'd memorised every single note of his truly superb solos. As you'd expect, as a humble soundman, I worked harder than ever to ensure the finest job I could do for such a landmark musical moment (at least in my life). Sadly tho' Brian decided I was taking too long, and so spoke to me as if I were something unsavoury on his shoe. Nice guy...

  • @BobbyKempBigBand Was he rude to you?

  • @BobbyKempBigBand

    Spit it then!!

    What did he say!

    

  • @BobbyKempBigBand LOL so he's not your hero anymore for that? I can't understand if you sucked it up or tied it over your finger

  • @BobbyKempBigBand He is in fact a really nice guy.

  • @BobbyKempBigBand

    You know, at some level of professionalism, people have high expectations when it comes to work.

  • @Zuzannaq Of course yes - that's a 2 way street tho' - I wouldn't have been 'in the room' had I not been at/near the top of MY profession - it's just a shame he didn't afforded me the same level of human respect as I did him. It was still an amazing experience tho' and Roger is every inch the proper Rock Star!...

  • This man and his dad, geniuses.

  • Brian May is a great person, I'd love to meet him

  • genius?

  • thanks for that neil, he's been an idol since i was a kid

  • "That's the thing about Guitar playing - I don't find it very competitive"

    If only the fans were like that...

  • Him and Jimmy page look like they would be great friends

  • 0:30 rape face much?

  • anybody have a link to the full interview? Would love to see the rest of this...

  • Only Les Paul (genius) and Eddie Van halen to my knowledge made this much of an impact on home made gear. an Eddies was really pieces from kit.

  • I've always said that the guitar was built for the hands of Slash,Jimi Hendrix and Brian May.I didn't know until know how ironic that saying was

  • 6 people pushed the wrong button haha

  • What a downright nice guy!

  • @ShaBiCaoNiMa yes, thats because in his day music was about music. not about money like today where all the celebs and stars are assholes

  • Comment removed

  • All hail a man who hasn't combed his hair since 1968!

    Sure, building guitars, playing it on awesome tracks, writing great songs, and getting PhD:s are all Great Achievements - but that record tops all.

  • This is really impressif how he build his guitar!! He spent about 17£50!!!

  • Dear Brian May,

    I can't even wrap my mind around how brillaint and talented you are! You are my guitar hero and so much more! 

  • I have had the honer to meet Dr. May, and he is such a kind man

  • I love that this wonderful man is so humble. What a beautiful, talented, amazing person. And he kicks ASS on the guitar!!!!!

  • still underrated

  • Brian May is such a good man. he's different than other musicans. he's his own person and even though it seems like his life was meant to be, it's not about sex, drugs, and rock n roll. he has a greater purpose.