Abstract Brian May Guitar

On Sun, Jul 27, 2008 at 9:23 PM, Marc Forrester  wrote:
Hi Ed

I'm a big fan of Brian May and his guitar, which though old fashioned, still a brilliant example of craftsmanship and using what you have available at your disposal. This email is simply used to point out the inaccuracies about the Red Special on your site. You have probably received a few emails on this subject, but the errors are still on your page. I should probably note, much of this information comes from heavy research into the Red Special. Thought cannot tell how the tremolo is frictionless, I am only reiterating what I have read.

First off, the Red Special is a bolt in neck, with one in the back and two under the pickguard. The three pickups rest on the neck. Also, the tremolo fashioned by Brian and his father was made of hardened steel, and for the most part is very easy to keep in tune, due in part to the zero fret and the nut, which make for a very low friction tremolo. The fingerboard is painted oak, not rosewood as stated. The body is made from chambered plywood and oak, finished with mahogany veneers to make it appear solid. Also the pickups were rewound and potted to prevent feedback.
I know this may seem like an attempt to be snobby, but I really enjoy your website and simply want it to have the utmost accuracy. You may know more about it than I do, for you know the man himself, but I am simply telling you what I have read.

Best Regards,
PS: I've got one of your Baker's, and I'm saving up to get one of your Rockingbird's!
You make some of the coolest designs!
Mark Forrester

ED'S ANSWER__________________________________________

Hello Mark...

Thank you for your letter !!!!!

I was not aware that the original was a bolt on, I only saw it close up once and I neglected to turn it over.  I assumed it was a set neck because the Guild Replica and the Burns Replica were both set necks.
The few guitars that we built for Brian & Paul & Gary were never intended to be 100% accurate.
They were intended to look similar but to to made better. (It would be a sacrilege to redo the original).
The few that we built stemmed from all of the mods we did on the guitarists instruments that were playing in the "We Will Rock You" shows.

We upgraded the woods the trem the pickups and the neck. We used Solid Korina for the body & neck (Per Brian's choice).  We used Ebony on the fingerboard instead of rosewood (Per Brian's choice) We used one of our own manufacture tremolo's that would stay in tune (Per Brian's choice) We did a Buzz Feiten system to make the tuning better. (Per Brian's choice) (Brian had indicated  that he had some tuning problems with his).  We purchased the Burns trisonic pickups from Burns

We worked very closely with a good friend of Brian's who relayed to us exactly what the specs on the guitar should be.

We have been the target of some bashings.!!!!   We are a custom shop and we build guitars the way our clients tell us!!!!   If someone came to me and asked for an exact duplicate of the original, I would build an exact duplicate.

However in the case of the Red Special there were mitigating circumstances.

We were discussing a distribution agreement with Brian May on the LOW COST imported model and we wanted to build a $5000,00 USA model.   At first It looked like we were going to be able to make the deal fly !!!

However,  Brian decided to use an existing associate of his from the UK to handle the distribution.   Consequently there are none to be had in the USA . We have been selling the few imports that we can get for very high money.  Simply because of the supply & demand.

It is my thinking that Brian should locate a US distributor. He is losing income based on the fact that people are unable to buy them in the USA.
We tried repeatedly to discuss it with him but the only times we could get together were after Queen shows. In the busy dressing room atmosphere, there was never any real time to discuss the nuts and bolts of the deal !!

In any case we are no longer building these guitars, and we don't intend to build any more unless Brian or one of his representatives contacts us again.

I appreciate your letter, & thank you for your business, I am glad you like the Rockingbird. It is one of my favorite models we build.

Thanks Again
Ed Roman

We Have Received Numerous Letters Regarding This Guitar

Ed Roman certainly does not mean to imply that the "Original Red Special" should be looked at in any diminished light. The original "Red Special" is a magical guitar a true masterpiece and it's almost sacrilegious to denigrate it even in the least.  Ed Roman's only intent was to modernize it a bit, make it hold tune better and be built entirely out of Korina which is one of the best tonewoods.

Brian's 2005 Ed Roman Abstract guitar was designed and constructed by Brian May & Ed Roman.

For example Ed Roman suggested an Ebony fingerboard and Brian concurred stating something to the effect that they could not afford ebony when the first one was built.  Brian really loved the Buzz Feiten tuning system that was not even available when the first "Red Special" was built.

Brian was consulted before the project ever got off the ground. The guitar was built along with one other exactly like the first one for Gary Vescio of Florida.  Brian was gracious enough to sign that instrument making it a very valuable guitar indeed.  Gary's guitar was hung in the Hard Rock Casino In Las Vegas for all to see.