I have the first new Brian May Red Specials available for sale here in the USA! (Yes, this can be filed under "Blatant Commercialism" and let's try to NOT have a conversation about Brian's pocketbook.) So with that said, these new guitars came direct from Brian May Guitars via NAMM 2006 in Anaheim, California.
So what was new from Brian May Guitars? I brought four guitars back to our shop in San Francisco, CA. Three of them are for sale:
1. Classic Red Red Special
2. Sunburst Red Special
3. White Red Special link
The tremolo unit and bridge has been replaced and it is no longer the Burns Deluxe Tremolo. The guitars still have the Burns Tri-sonic pickups and the chambered body. They still have the Grover locking tuners.
There is now a new scratchplate behind the bridge to look more like the original Red Special. Each of these guitars is a rare prototype and there is NO SERIAL number on the back of the headstock. It is no marked SAMPLE or PROTOTYPE. The back of the headstock is simply blank with Brian's signature on the front of the headstock. I also have one of the original 22 prototypes from Burns when they were first developing the Brian May Red Special.
The sunburst Red Special has a new white pickguard that has a hint of light mint green color to it. The most striking guitar is the new white Red Special. It looks almost angelic and has a red tortoise pickguard on it.
The fourth Red Special that is NOT for sale is a Red Special with a special quilted flame top on it. It is also a prototype and is NOT marked with a serial number. I'll be putting it up on the wall next to the Gold #1.
Call if you have questions.
-- Jim
I also forgot, but there is also a new Brian May Guitars gigbag that we also brought back. link
Very nice and heavy duty. It has shoulder straps so that you can use it like a backpack. Brian's signature is stitched into the back and not silkscreened. Looks very classy.
-- Jim
Much as I hate spammers, it is interesting to see the colour choices.
Does anyone else feel that the redundant scratchplate looks "wrong" due to being too near to the main one, compared with the "real thing"