Brian May Red Special Guitar Build Project: Making The Truss Rod @dsgb

dsgb Brian and Harold May fashioned a single action compression style truss rod for the famous Red Special guitar from a length of 3/16" diameter steel rod using their kitchen gas stove. This video illustrates all the equipment required, and processes involved in making a similar truss rod for a Red Special replica guitar. The time-indexed list below will allow you to skip to particular sequences, most of which are shortened for brevity except sequences 1 (introduction), 16 (bolt/loop fit check) and 17 (dual action truss rod) which contain commentary.

Notes and Disclaimers
1. Please note that I am an amateur/hobby luthier and therefore not proficient in any of the illustrated metalworking techniques (hot forging, brazing and thread cutting). I only learned enough to make a few of these truss rods to a reasonable standard with basic workshop equipment and limited facilities so if you wish to see these techniques demonstrated skilfully by experienced professionals, please seek out appropriate instructional videos elsewhere.

2. At the end of processes, I screw a stainless steel M5 sleeve nut onto the threaded end. I do not illustrate the process of cutting two orthogonal slots into one end with a grinding disc or hacksaw to match the original piece. This will create a castellated style nut which can be adjusted with the appropriate tool, if required.

00:01 – Introduction
01:56 – Inserting the bolts for the first bend
02:10 – Setting up the OxyTurbo gas welding set - lighting and regulating the flame
02:57 – Hot Forging the first bend
04:06 – Showing the rod after the first bend
04:14 – Inserting the bolts for the second bend
04:31 – Hot forging the second bend
04:54 – Releasing the rod after the second bend
05:02 – Showing the rod after the second bend
05:10 – Brazing preparations 1 - Smoothing indentations with a diamond file
05:21 – Brazing preparations 2 - Removing oxidation with 180 Grit abrasive paper
06:03 – Brazing preparations 3 - Degreasing with isopropyl alcohol (IPA)
06:22 – Brazing preparations 4 - Making up borax flux paste
07:07 – Brazing preparations 5 - CuP Alloys brazing rods
07:15 – Brazing the loop closed
07:45 – Post brazing clean-up
08:24 – Grinding a lead-in for the thread
08:37 – Cutting the external thread on the truss rod
09:25 – Bolt/loop fit check
10:44 – Dual action truss rod

For further information on my Brian May Red Special guitar replica build project, including discussion of the Red Special truss rod and other Brian May related guitars and equipment projects, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar #guitar #trussrod

updated 5 years ago

Brian May Red Special Guitar Build Project: Making The Truss Rod

dsgb 2021-09-28 | Brian and Harold May fashioned a single action compression style truss rod for the famous Red Special guitar from a length of 3/16" diameter steel rod using their kitchen gas stove. This video illustrates all the equipment required, and processes involved in making a similar truss rod for a Red Special replica guitar. The time-indexed list below will allow you to skip to particular sequences, most of which are shortened for brevity except sequences 1 (introduction), 16 (bolt/loop fit check) and 17 (dual action truss rod) which contain commentary.

Notes and Disclaimers
1. Please note that I am an amateur/hobby luthier and therefore not proficient in any of the illustrated metalworking techniques (hot forging, brazing and thread cutting). I only learned enough to make a few of these truss rods to a reasonable standard with basic workshop equipment and limited facilities so if you wish to see these techniques demonstrated skilfully by experienced professionals, please seek out appropriate instructional videos elsewhere.

2. At the end of processes, I screw a stainless steel M5 sleeve nut onto the threaded end. I do not illustrate the process of cutting two orthogonal slots into one end with a grinding disc or hacksaw to match the original piece. This will create a castellated style nut which can be adjusted with the appropriate tool, if required.

00:01 – Introduction
01:56 – Inserting the bolts for the first bend
02:10 – Setting up the OxyTurbo gas welding set - lighting and regulating the flame
02:57 – Hot Forging the first bend
04:06 – Showing the rod after the first bend
04:14 – Inserting the bolts for the second bend
04:31 – Hot forging the second bend
04:54 – Releasing the rod after the second bend
05:02 – Showing the rod after the second bend
05:10 – Brazing preparations 1 - Smoothing indentations with a diamond file
05:21 – Brazing preparations 2 - Removing oxidation with 180 Grit abrasive paper
06:03 – Brazing preparations 3 - Degreasing with isopropyl alcohol (IPA)
06:22 – Brazing preparations 4 - Making up borax flux paste
07:07 – Brazing preparations 5 - CuP Alloys brazing rods
07:15 – Brazing the loop closed
07:45 – Post brazing clean-up
08:24 – Grinding a lead-in for the thread
08:37 – Cutting the external thread on the truss rod
09:25 – Bolt/loop fit check
10:44 – Dual action truss rod

For further information on my Brian May Red Special guitar replica build project, including discussion of the Red Special truss rod and other Brian May related guitars and equipment projects, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar #guitar #trussrod

Queen + Adam Lambert from the Platinum Seats: Seven Seas of Rhye, Rhapsody Tour, O2 Arena, London

dsgb 2023-03-24 | A great view of Adam Lambert in his top hat singing Seven Seas of Rhye at The O2 Arena in London on Thursday, 09 June 2022. Brian May in the background. Filmed from the Platinum seats and segues into Hammer to Fall. #Queen #AdamLambert #BrianMay #RhapsodyTour.

Brian May Guitar Pickguard Inlays: MayStar and Badger

dsgb 2023-03-18 | In this video, I demonstrate CAD design, CNC cutting and inlaying the mother of pearl MayStar and badger motifs on the acrylic pickguards of Brian May's famous Red Special guitar and his Guyton arch top semi acoustic guitar.

The MayStar was designed and inlaid by Greg Fryer of Fryer Guitars, Australia during his repair and restoration work on Brian's Red Special in 1997. The badger motif was designed and inlaid by Andrew Guyton @andrewguyton2743 of Guyton Guitars when he modified the arch top semi acoustic in 2014 ready for the tour with Queen @Queen + Adam Lambert@AdamLambert . Brian is a renowned animal rights campaigner and has championed the cause of foxes and badgers in the United Kingdom.

The guitar featured in the thumbnail image and in the video is my Burns Signature Red Special BHM4787. I modified this guitar to upgrade it from the standard specification. You can find details of this project and other Brian May related guitar and equipment on my website, dsgb.net

00:00 - Introduction.
00:21 - 2 inch diameter black acrylic sampler discs.
00:34 - MayStar motif CNC design.
01:08 - MayStar motif CAD cutting layout.
01:27 - Badger motif CAD design.
01:55 - Badger motif CNC cutting layout.
02:31 - CNC cutting sequences (mother of pearl sheet).
03:59 - CNC cutting sequences (acrylic/perspex sheet).
04:27 - Dry fit test.
04:41 - Black cyanoacrylate superglue.
05:00 - Gluing the mother of pearl inlays into the acrylic disc.
05:50 - Acrylic sampler discs after the superglue has cured.
06:04 - Flatting back with graded abrasive papers.
06:40 - Polishing to a gloss finish with automotive cutting compound.
06:47 - Examining the finished inlays.
07:03 - Outro and closing comments.

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Freddie Mercurys Sister Kashmira Cooke (née Bulsara) in Queen + Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour Audience

dsgb 2023-03-05 | Brian May dedicates Love of My Life to Kashmira Cooke (née Kashmira Bulsara), Freddie Mercury's sister who attended the same Queen + Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour concert on Thursday, 9th June 2022 at The O2 Arena in London that we attended with our children. They filmed the concert on the previous night for subsequent release but it was almost as special being in the same concert venue as Freddie Mercury's family. 😍😀

#BrianMay #FreddieMercury #Queen #BohemianRhapsody #AdamLambert

Brian May Deacy Amplifier Build Part 3 - Making the Cabinet and Final Assembly

dsgb 2023-02-25 | The final part of this three part series on making a replica of Brian May's Deacy amplifier built by John Deacon in the early 1970s covers the design and construction of a replica of the vintage loudspeaker cabinet. I also cover final assembly of the all the component parts. The video has numerous sequences which are listed with time indexes below:

00:00 - Introduction.
00:29 - The physical form of the loudspeaker cabinet.
01:01 - The loudspeaker cabinet front baffle and rear cover.
01:35 - Softwood battens.
01:48 - Computer Aided Design (CAD) work (KAT Deacy).
02:25 - Computer Aided Design (CAD) work (this replica).
03:57 - Chipboard sheet unwrapping and discussion.
04:53 - Planning out the CNC cuts using TurboCAD 2016.
05:23 - Cutting the 1220 x 610 mm chipboard sheet in half.
05:37 - CNC cutting process highlights: softwood battens.
05:58 - CNC cutting process highlights: chipboard cuts.
06:12 - Examining the chipboard panels after CNC cutting.
07:10 - Stainless steel M4 threaded inserts.
07:26 - Corner clamping options.
08:28 - Dry fit clamping test No. 1.
08:49 - The mitre spline rebate routing jig.
10:24 - Veneer introduction.
11:50 - Staining the veneer with Rustins wood dye (light teak colour).
12:57 - Coating the stained veneer with Rustins quick drying varnish (clear matt).
14:26 - Cabinet alignment blocks (DACPABs).
15:10 - Dry fit check using the cabinet panel alignment blocks.
15:44 - Checking mitre fit tolerance, squareness and alignment quality.
16:06 - Band clamp presentation.
16:29 - Reviewing the cabinet after veneering and varnishing.
16:53 - Gluing in the softwood battens.
17:28 - Reviewing the cabinet after installation the softwood battens.
17:43 - Covering the front baffle introduction.
18:19 - Reviewing the covered front baffle.
18:49 - Final assembly - screwing on the front baffle.
19:01 - Installing the ELAC TW4/16 tweeter and ELAC 6RM/186 low frequency driver (woofer).
19:19 - Installing the amplifier printed circuit board (PCB).
19:27 - Reviewing the full installation of all components and PCB anti-vibration mounts.
19:45 - Reviewing the speaker crossover connections.
19:56 - Installing polyester wadding to eliminate low frequency standing waves.
20:07 - Rear cover electrical connections (battery wire terminal posts and 1/4" mono jack socket).
20:21 - Screwing on the rear cover.
20:32 - Attaching the external battery connection lead.
20:39 - Side-by-side comparison with the KAT Deacy amplifier replica.
20:57 - Outro.

I extend my gratitude to the following people:
- Mark Reynolds for supplying some of the component parts featured in this video and helpful advice.
- Nigel Knight for allowing me to review his design survey of Brian May's original Deacy amplifier and general help and guidance.
- Gonzalo Plaza for guidance on the cabinet making aspects.

Please check out my other YouTube videos and my website, dsgb.net for more information on Brian May's legendary Deacy amplifier, his famous Red Special guitar and my project to build a replica of that.

#BrianMay #Deacy #Deacyamp #JohnDeacon

Brian May Red Special Guitar Case Contents

dsgb 2023-02-03 | In this short video I show you some essential items you should keep in a Brian May Red Special guitar case.

There is a spare set of Rotosound British Steels 0.009-0.042" stainless steel strings (Brian has used Optima Gold strings for some years) but these Rotosounds are just as durable and considerably cheaper.

I remove the tremolo arm to ensure that the case lid doesn't actuate the tremolo when closed.

Brian uses the red washers from the flip lid Grolsch lager bottles as strap locks.

I keep a compact treble booster such as the KAT RED-18 strap-mount treble booster in my case but the KAT/BMG Treble Booster Classic is a versatile choice because it can emulate boost profiles/tones from three eras of Queen.

You don't need many tools to maintain a Brian May Red Special guitar but a set of these high quality Japanese made "Engineer" brand spanners and some mini hex key wrenches are a must.

This is a specific Hiscox case made in the U.K. from ABS to fit Brian May Red Special guitars. The ivory colour is special order. I bought it from Wunjo Guitars in Denmark Street, London.

The accompanying music is an extract from the studio guitar track of Under Pressure by Queen which features Brian May playing a 12 string guitar in addition to his famous Red Special.

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian Mays Other Guitars

dsgb 2023-01-22 | Brian May’s home made Red Special guitar is arguably as famous as he is. In this video I discuss nine other guitars which were made for Brian that you might have seen him using briefly during a concert or showing off on social media. I present the guitars in chronological order that they were built.

00:00 - Introduction
00:30 - Fryer Guitars, Brian’s main back-up guitar (1997)
Correction: 00:40 - Fryer 'George Burns' is shown, not Fryer 'John'
01:00 - Guyton Green Special (2003)
01:34 - Guyton Spade Guitar (2004)
02:12 - Scalloped fretboard Guyton Special #010531 (2005)
02:45 - Guyton Red Special bass #120864 (2008)
03:26 - Guyton 12/6 Doubleneck #120979 (2011)
04:07 - Guyton Semi-acoustic ‘The Badger’ #111087 (2014)
05:09 - Guyton RS Transporter #0117141 (2017)
05:48 - Guyton Red Special Eclipse pickups #0118157 (2018)
06:20 - Outro 1 - my replicas of Brian’s original home made pickups (BHMOHM)
06:31 - Outro 2 - dsgb splash screen

General information on Brian May’s activities, opinions and guitars
brianmay.com

Fryer Guitars ‘John’, 'Paul' and 'George Burns'
fryerguitars.com

Guyton Guitars
guytonguitars.com

Guyton RS Transporter
guytonrstransporter.com

Information on my Brian May related projects
dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Oasis Noel Gallagher Epiphone Sheraton Union Jack Maine Road

dsgb 2023-01-01 | From the original production run of Epiphone Supernovas, the Noel Gallagher '62 re-issue styled Epiphone Sheraton "Union Jack" outfit was fitted with Gibson USA Mini Humbuckers and additional fingerboard inlays at the top end and "Frequensator" tailpiece. The guitar was modified and refinished from an original 1993 Epiphone Sheraton Nashville Series. Noel's original instrument, given to him as a gift by a girlfriend and hand finished resides in a London museum. This iconic instrument represents the best of 1990s Britpop.

#Oasis #NoelGallagher #EpiphoneSheraton #UnionJack

Brian Mays Warm-Up Guitar - Purple Version - Guyton Red Special Transporter

dsgb 2022-12-30 | This is my Guyton RS Transporter guitar by Guyton Guitars finished in metallic purple (serial number 0817154). Brian uses his Empire Red version (serial number 0117141) as his pre-concert warm-up guitar. It replaced his Guyton Red Special with a scalloped fretboard.

Guyton Guitars serial numbers start with the month and year the guitar was completed; the final three numbers are the unique incremental number of the instrument. So Brian's red RS Transporter was completed in January 2017 and is the 141st guitar that Andy Guyton made. Mine was completed in August 2017 and is guitar number 154.

Guyton Red Special Transporters are limited to a production run of 25 instruments (not including Brian's personal instrument) and are supplied with a custom carbon fiber Hoffee case.

@andrewguyton2743
guytonguitars.com
brianmay.com

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian May Deacy Amplifier Build Part 2 - Circuit Board Assembly and Discussion

dsgb 2022-12-04 | This is the second in my series of three videos in which I make a replica of Brian May’s legendary Deacy amplifier which was assembled by Queen bass player John Deacon in the early 1970s. In this video I unbox the Knight Audio Technologies (KAT) custom kit of electronic components and assemble it, discussing their key characteristics as I progress.

00:03 - Musical introduction: Dreamer’s Ball by Queen.
00:14 - Introductory remarks.
00:40 - Opening the KAT kit main box.
01:50 - Presenting the components in the kit.
03:46 - Unboxing and discussing the interstage (T1) and output stage (T2 transformers.
05:02 - Discussing the Deacy amplifier circuit (Supersonic PR80 transistor radio and Mullard Reference Manual of Transistor Circuits).
06:05 - Presenting the main tools and equipment - Weller WD1 soldering station, Peak Atlas LCR45 inductance, capacitance and resistance test meter and Peak Atlas DCA55 semiconductor component analyser.
07:08 - Unbagging, testing and sorting the resistors.
08:15 - Installing the resistors onto the circuit board.
09:59 - Soldering the resistors (sequence shortened).
10:23 - Unbagging, testing and sorting the capacitors.
11:38 - Discussing the lead solder and soldering conditions while soldering the capacitor legs (sequence shortened).
12:07 - Discussing, loading and soldering the bias trim potentiometer assembly.
12:33 - Installing the transformers onto the circuit board.
12:57 - Soldering the transformer legs (speeded up) and reviewing the circuit board assembly.
13:22 - Mounting the aluminium and copper heat sink assembly.
13:55 - Soldering the heatsink legs to the PCB track.
14:09 - Testing the vintage TO-1 germanium transistors.
14:47 - Installing the two AC128 transistors.
16:06 - Soldering the AC128 transistor legs (real time).
16:30 - Preparing, installing and soldering the AC126 transistor.
17:04 - Preparing, installing and soldering the AC125 transistor.
17:42 - Reviewing the main components installation.
18:04 - Installing the power supply link wire.
18:21 - Installing and soldering the six VERO pins to allow external input jack socket, speaker and 9V power supply wires to be soldered in place.
18:46 - Soldering the external input jack socket, speaker and 9V power supply wires.
19:05 - Attaching the 470R test resistor.
19:09 - Testing the amplifier output current is between 5 and 6 mA with a Fluke multimeter.
19:26 - Connecting the Deacy amp replica board to a Guyton RS Transporter type guitar and KAT/Fryer Ringmaster treble booster.
19:55 - Illustration of ground interference.
20:06 - Playing some individual notes and distorted chords through an ELAC 6RM/186 speaker rated at 15 Ohms to test the unit.
20:54 - Closing remarks and outro.

Thanks to Nigel Knight for developing the KAT products illustrated in this video and supporting my projects over the years and Mark Reynolds for helping me source some of the items required for this build.

Please take a look at my other YouTube videos on Brian May’s Red Special guitar and musical equipment and visit my website, dsgb.net for further information on the Deacy amplifier and my other Brian May related guitar projects.

#BrianMay #Deacy #Deacyamp #JohnDeacon

Brian May Deacy Amplifier Build Part 1 - Introduction

dsgb 2022-11-05 | This is the first in a series of three videos about making a replica of Brian May’s legendary Deacy amplifier. In this introductory video I briefly discuss the origins of the Deacy amp circuit (salvaged from a vintage transistor radio that John Deacon found in a London dumpster in 1971) and what Queen tracks Brian used it to record on. I then move on to talk about the new Knight Audio Technologies (KAT) amplifier board kit and the other component parts required including suitable vintage and modern woofer and tweeter loudspeakers and the cabinet itself. I finish by introducing the only official Deacy amplifier replica which was made by Knight Audio Technologies between 2011 and 2019.

00:00 - Musical introduction: a short segment of Brian’s isolated guitar track from Bohemian Rhapsody
00:15 - Start of the narrative - Origins of the Deacy with various images of two of the three donor transistor radio variants
00:59 - Deacy build component parts overview
01:35 - KAT Deacy amplifier PCB kit overview
02:15 - How to order the KAT Deacy amplifier PCB kit
03:08 - Original Deacy amplifier loudspeakers (ELAC 6RM/202 woofer and TW4/17 tweeter)
03:16 - Vintage ELAC 6RM/186 and 6RM/199 6.5 inch woofers and TW4/16 tweeter loudspeakers
04:57 - Plessey 1 microF electrolytic high pass filter crossover capacitor
05:09 - Modern KAT DSP-6.5 TC twin cone speaker with built-in filters for Deacy voicing
05:42 - How to order the KAT DSP-6.5 TC twin cone speaker
06:05 - Front baffle material option 1: the original ICI Vynair textured plastic ‘cloth’
07:00 - Front baffle material option 2: screen printed man made textile
07:29 - Arrangement of transformers and germanium can type capacitors in 1960s vintage transistor radio circuits
07:55 - The KAT Deacy amplifier replica
08:33 - The Deacy Amp Battery Simulator Unit (DABS)
08:53 - The KAT Deacy amplifier replica owner’s manual booklet: “The Story So Far…”
09:12 - Outro

Thanks to Nigel Knight for developing the KAT products illustrated in this video and supporting my projects over the years and Mark Reynolds for helping me source some of the items required for this build.

Please take a look at my other YouTube videos on Brian May’s Red Special guitar and musical equipment and visit my website, dsgb.net for further information on the Deacy amplifier and my other Brian May related guitar projects.

#BrianMay #Deacy #Deacyamp #JohnDeacon

Queen Rhapsody Tour Brian May A Kind Of Magic Special Effect Fireworks

dsgb 2022-10-27 | Queen + Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour London O2 Arena Brian May A Kind Of Magic special effect fireworks.

#Queen #AdamLambert #BrianMay #RogerTaylor

Brian May Last Horizon Solo Played on a Strat Through a Practice Amp by Gerben van Dooremal

dsgb 2022-10-27 | Gerben van Dooremal playing an excerpt from Brian May's solo track Last Horizon on my converted Fender Stratocaster in The Calcot Hotel, Reading through a small guitar practice amplifier.

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #LastHorizon

Queen Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon Solo on a Converted Strat in a Hotel Bar Through a Practice Amp

dsgb 2022-10-27 | Luke Timmins playing the final few bars of Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon by Queen on my converted Fender Stratocaster in The Calcot Hotel, Reading through a small practice guitar amplifier.

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #Queen #ANightAtTheOpera

Queen + Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour Concert End Band Farewell

dsgb 2022-10-25 | The final few minutes of the Queen + Adam Lambert concert at The O2 Arena in London on Thursday, June 9th 2022. Adam Lambert, Brian May, Roger Taylor, Spike Edney, Neil Fairclough and Tyler Warren thank the crowd, say farewell and leave the stage to the accompaniment of God Save The Queen.

#Queen #AdamLambert #BrianMay #RogerTaylor

Queen + Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour End Band Farewell

Brian May Dedicates 39 to Albert Einstein Queen Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour

dsgb 2022-10-25 | Brian May dedicates '39 to Albert Einstein on the London O2 Arena leg of the Queen + Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour in June 2022.

#Queen #AdamLambert #BrianMay #RogerTaylor

Brian May Rhapsody Tour Wardrobe & Guitar Change for We Are The Champions

dsgb 2022-10-25 | Brian May does a quick wardrobe and guitar change for We Are The Champions on the Queen + Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour at The O2 Arena in London, June 2022.

#Queen #AdamLambert #BrianMay #RogerTaylor

Brian May Killer Queen Solo Queen Rhapsody Tour 2022

dsgb 2022-10-25 | Brian May Killer Queen solo on the Queen + Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour at The O2 Arena, London in June 2022.

#Queen #AdamLambert #BrianMay #RogerTaylor #FreddieMercury #KillerQueen

Queen Rhapsody Tour Brian May Tribute to Adam Lambert, The Gift From God

dsgb 2022-10-23 | Brian May pays tribute to Adam Lambert, "The Gift From God" during his band introductions and thanks section on the Queen + Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour at The O2 Arena in London, June 2022.

#Queen #AdamLambert #BrianMay #RogerTaylor #FreddieMercury

Queen Rhapsody Tour Brian May Special Effects: Guitar Solo

dsgb 2022-10-23 | The part of Brian May's guitar solo where he comes back down to earth via a rising platform behind the curved projection curtain amongst the cable operated planets. An insight into the special stage effects used on the Queen + Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour at The O2 Arena, London in June 2022.

#Queen #AdamLambert #BrianMay #RogerTaylor #FreddieMercury

Queen Now Im Here Brian May Stage Reveal Effect Rhapsody Tour

dsgb 2022-10-22 | How Brian May appears magically on the thrust stage using a rising platform and crew operated black canvas at the start of Now I'm Here on the Queen + Adam Lambert Rhapsody Tour, O2 Arena in London, June 2022.

U.K. Red Special Meetup 2022 Highlights

dsgb 2022-10-14 | This is my four minute highlights package of the 2022 U.K. Brian May Red Special enthusiast meetup held at Theale Village Hall, Reading, Berkshire. The meet-up has been organised since 2017 by Jon Underhill, host of the Red Special Guitar podcast; Jon has been instrumental in growing the scope and attendance and ensuring the success and sustainability of this niche event.

This year, we were fortunate to have Arielle, Andy Guyton, Nigel Knight, Simon Bradley and Pete Malandrone giving up their time to chat, mingle, donate items to the charity raffle and sign memorabilia. People attended from the USA, Mexico, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, The Republic of Ireland and the U.K. including Scotland and Wales. The Brian May Red Special enthusiast community feels like an extended family and is very friendly, hence the theme this year: "Friends Will Be Friends". I thank you all!

Please visit my website, dsgb.net to read a summary of the day illustrated with many photographs. I have covered the previous meet-ups held at Theale Village Hall and there is a wealth of information on my Brian May Red Special guitar build and modification projects and musical equipment.

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

KAT Studio-One Guitar Amplifier Unboxing & Features - For Brian May Tone at Home

dsgb 2022-09-25 | In this video I unbox and show you around the Studio-One 1W RMS guitar amplifier developed by Nigel Knight of Knight Audio Technologies (KAT) for people who want to emulate the distinctive Queen tones achieved by Brian May from his Vox AC30 amplifiers but in domestic environments or small venues. It is hand assembled by Nigel, weighs 6 kg and measures just 385 x 290 x 170 mm. It has three vacuum tubes (valves), 1 x ECC82 and 3 x ECC83 and an integral six position attenuator and is strongly reminiscent in appearance and construction of a Vox AC30.

00:00 - Introduction
00:48 - Ordering the amplifiers from www.deacyamp.com
01:44 - Unboxing the three amplifiers
02:30 - Control panel features, input jack, control switches
03:04 - Size comparison with Vox VBM-1 and Vox AC30
03:36 - Measuring the dimensions
03:47 - Unscrewing and removing the rear panel
04:00 - Presenting the rear panel
04:07 - Taking a look at the loudspeakers and chassis in situ
04:22 - Removing the chassis
04:30 - Close up still images of the amplifier internal features
04:59 - Switching on the three amplifiers
05:03 - Switching on the KAT Brian May replica rig
05:22 - Three amp chorus setting clean and distorted
05:47 - Three amp Brian May solo delay
06:36 - Outro

Please check out my other Brian May guitar and equipment related YouTube videos and content on my website, dsgb.net

#BrianMay #KAT #KnightAudioTechnologies #NigelKnight

How Did Brian May Design His Red Special Guitar?

dsgb 2022-08-27 | In 1963, because they could not afford to buy a suitable instrument, Brian May and his father Harold took an innovative and practical approach to designing a new type of electric guitar. Later dubbed "The Red Special", neither of them could have predicted that ten years later it would become as famous as Brian himself. In this video, I explore an urban myth in the Brian May Red Special enthusiast community that they drew around various household objects to form the basic outline and features of the guitar. Like all good urban myths, it might have an element of truth to it so watch the video and decide for yourself.

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian May Technical Support: Pete Malandrone and Nigel Knight Q&A Session, October 2018

dsgb 2022-08-03 | Brian May’s guitar and equipment technician, Pete Malandrone and electronics designer Nigel Knight participate in a 50 minute question and answer session at the Brian May Red Special enthusiast meet-up in October 2018 at Theale Village Hall, Reading, Berkshire in the U.K.. They talk candidly about various technical matters and the practicalities and peculiarities of working for Brian May. Listen out for a host of insider information and insights such as when Brian had to play the Bohemian Rhapsody solo wrong during recording sessions for the blockbuster movie! Occasional profanity during the session.

Questions with time indexes. Edited for clarity and to reflect the questions that were actually answered.

00:00 - How long have you [Pete & Nigel] been married? [Banter]
00:11 - Where do you get your strings from? [Heckling and self-promotion from Andrew Morgan of A Strings!]
00:27 - How did the new strap boosters go in Las Vegas and will you be making a run of them?
05:14 - What state is the Red Special in these days?
05:40 - Does the Red Special still have no tone potentiometer?
06:47 - Do the Red Special frets need to be replaced yet?
09:16 - Does Brian use his Guyton RS Transporter as a warm-up guitar?
09:55 - Does Brian use a phaser pedal live or for recording these days?
13:08 - Tell us about the Deacy amplifier plinth.
15:54 - What happened to the “AC-Deacy” pedal that was built to allow Brian to play the amplifiers at a lower volume for the Candlelight concerts with Kerry Ellis?
18:42 - Why is Brian’s bank of Vox AC30 amplifiers directed away from him? Is this for Adam or Brian?
22:44 - How was the residency in Las Vegas?
23:10 - What valves/tubes do you use in the Vox AC30s?
25:37 - What were the panels placed between the amplifiers in Las Vegas?
26:46 - Have you got an update on the BMG Tri-Sonic pickups (Adeson replacements)
32:47 - Julian Hemingway comments from the DIY/home Red Special builder’s perspective
33:55 - How has the issue of the wood adjacent to the bridge mounting posts cracking on BMG Specials?
34:46 - Has Brian still got his original Foxx Phaser pedal?
35:53 - Comment on the level of detail put into the props and equipment for the Bohemian Rhapsody film
37:31 - What is the Harold May treble booster?
40:03 - Was authentic vintage equipment such as treble boosters used during filming of the Bohemian Rhapsody movie?
42:43 - In the early 1990s, Brian stopped a gig because he wasn’t satisfied with the sound. Has anything like that ever happened since?
46:28 - Has Brian/Queen considered playing deep cuts in smaller venues?
47:51 - When did you last interact with John Deacon?

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #PeteMalandrone #NigelKnight

Tri-Sonic Pickups: General Information, Brian May Red Special Pickups, Coil Winding and Assembly

dsgb 2022-07-01 | In this video I discuss Tri-Sonic pickups in depth. Join me as I take a look inside an early 1960s vintage pot magnet style Burns Tri-Sonic pickup and compare and contrast vintage and modern variants. I discuss the characteristics of the specific set fitted to Brian May’s Red Special guitar with reference to a replica set made by Ade Turner of Adeson Pickups.

I demonstrate two methods for engraving the chrome plated brass cover then wind a bobbinless Tri-Sonic style coil on my Stepcraft 2/840 CNC machine using a custom made former to my own unique design. Finally, I assemble all the component parts of a Tri-Sonic pickup and measure its DC resistance and inductance using a Peak Atlas LCR45 meter.

Please also check out part 1 of this two part video series in which I discuss and make a replica of the home made pickups that Brian May originally fitted to his Red Special guitar before he changed them to the Burns Tri-Sonic pickups used in all Queen recordings and stage performances:

youtube.com/watch?v=NtVDcheIzBE

For further information on all my Brian May Red Special related projects, guitars and equipment, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

00:00 – Introduction
01:41 – Video contents discussion
02:29 – Comparison of Tri-Sonic pickup variants
05:52 – Brian May Red Special Tri-Sonic pickups
08:44 – Magnet polarity check of Brian May Red Special Tri-Sonic pickups
09:10 – Cover engraving with a diamond engraving point
10:05 – Cover engraving with a 90 degree V-groove CNC cutter
11:00 – Coil former design discussion
13:14 – Pre-winding discussion
14:47 – Coil winding sequences
15:52 – Removal of the former from the spindle
16:33 – Tying off the wound coil
18:12 – Wrapping the outside of the tied coil with tape
18:50 – Disassembling the coil former to free the coil
20:19 – Wrapping the tied coil with glass fibre armature winding tape
20:53 – Assembling the Tri-Sonic pickup
22:06 – Measuring the DC resistance and inductance of the Tri-Sonic pickup
22:30 – Closing remarks

#TriSonic #pickups #TriSonicpickups #Burns #BrianMay

Brian May Red Special Original Guitar Pickups

dsgb 2022-05-14 | Before he fitted three Burns Tri-Sonic pickups to his Red Special guitar that were heard in all Queen studio recordings and live concerts, Brian May made his own pickups from button magnets, paxolin and melamine sheet with guidance from his father, Harold. In this video I discuss the construction of these pickups and demonstrate making and winding a replica with similar DC resistance and inductance to a vintage Tri-Sonic using my Stepcraft CNC machine and AC spindle. Project #BHMOHM (Brian May Original Home Made) pickups.

00:01 Introduction
01:05 Brian’s design sketch and pickup design details
02:42 How the pickups are mounted onto the guitar body
03:15 Paxolin information
03:37 Brian’s 70th birthday Guyton Red Special
04:15 Unknown design details
05:32 Discussion of potential coil turns
05:56 Tonal limitations caused by the button magnet polarity
06:35 The CNC pickup winding apparatus
07:50 The magnetic wire tensioner
09:02 Making the coil former strip
10:26 Attaching the pickup to the coil former back plate
10:32 CNC wire traverse
11:01 Threading the coil wire through the feed tube and feed nozzle
11:19 Loading the coil wire onto the coil former
12:08 Winding the coil
13:32 Removing the pickup from the coil former back plate
13:28 Making off the coil
14:25 Testing the DC resistance and inductance with a Peak Atlas LCR45 meter
15:12 Wrapping the coil with self-adhesive glass fibre coil tape
15:39 Wrapping the side of the pickup with 0.5 mm white plasticard
16:22 Closing remarks

Please check out the official Red Special website maintained by Simon Bradley where you can find further information about Brian's original home made Red Special guitar pickups: theredspecial.com

For more information on Tri-Sonic pickups and all my Brian May guitar and gear projects, please visit my website: dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #pickups #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian May Red Special Guitar Parts Box

dsgb 2022-05-01 | Another party's over... so let's take a quick look inside my Brian May Red Special spare parts box. I can show you some good merchandise including Adeson Brian May specification pickups and some replicas of the original pickups that Brian made from Eclipse button magnets. I've also got a number of vintage items including Bulgin jack sockets and TCC Metalmite capacitors. There are numerous items of custom made hardware including bakelite nuts, aluminium top hat style control knobs, tremolo springs and a tremolo arm.

For additional information on my Brian May equipment and guitar related projects, please visit my website, dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

U.S. Brian May Red Special Meetup 2022, Phoenix, Arizona

dsgb 2022-04-03 | The second US Brian May Red Special Enthusiast meetup took place at the Linger Longer Lounge, 6522 N 16th Street in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, 26 March 2022. As in 2020, the event was again arranged by Luke Holwerda, supported by Jon Underhill of @TheRedSpecialGuitarPodcast. This is a ten minute compilation video of some of the highlights of the day and includes demonstrations by Ricky Peraza of his CQ Red Special, a modified BMG Special owned by Andrek Hernandez and a 1994 Guild Brian May owned by Gonzalo Plaza.

I took the main components of my replica Brian May touring and guesting mini rig made by Nigel Knight of Knight Audio Technologies (KAT). The three Vox AC30 amplifiers are owned by Luke and include TBX and CC2 variants and a replica fawn version he made himself.

Ron Smith from Red Special hardware supplier The Cybershop attended and displayed a selection of his custom component parts.

Photograph credits: Doug Short and Luke Holwerda.

For additional information on my Brian May equipment and guitar related projects, please visit my website, dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian May Red Special Guitar Build Project: Body Finishing Part 4 – Rustins Plastic Coating Lacquer

dsgb 2022-03-06 | This is the fourth and final video in a series illustrating all the techniques involved with finishing the body of a Brian May Red Special replica guitar, i.e. veneering, grain filling, staining and lacquering.

In this video, I illustrate and discuss the consumables and techniques required for lacquering with Rustins Plastic Coating, as Brian May used on his original Red Special guitar. There are numerous sequences as listed below with time stamps for convenient navigation. Some are speeded up for brevity.

00:01 – Introduction
00:58 – Rustins Plastic Coating (RPC) description
02:13 – How many coatings should be applied to a Red Special guitar?
02:42 – Chemical versus mechanical bonding time windows
04:26 – Consumables and equipment required
04:38 – RPC which has lost its solvent and is unusable
05:31 – 250 ml new, unopened pack of RPC
05:57 – Rustins thinners
06:09 – Brush type
06:27 – Screw top clear polyester containers
06:40 – Pots of spirit powder dye
06:49 – Graduated pipettes and pipette filler
07:07 – Accurate mini weighing scales
07:59 – Keeping mixed RPC in the refrigerator
09:39 – Opening the 250 ml pack of RPC
10:05 – RPC instruction leaflet
11:13 – Pipetting out the plastic coating itself
12:45 – Adding the hardener solution to the plastic coating
13:57 – Weighing the total mass of the container, plastic coating and hardener
14:07 – Examining the three batches of RPC
14:27 – Applying RPC to the veneer surface
15:34 – Tinting RPC with black spirit power dye to make “black Rustins”
16:56 – Applying “black Rustins” to the plywood surface
17:42 – Tinting RPC with Rustins wood dye
20:02 – Applying red tinted RPC to the plywood surface
21:03 – Examination of the lacquered mahogany finish after five coats of RPC
22:43 – Consumables and techniques for flatting back the lacquer surface prior to polishing
24:26 – Fine grade abrasive papers
25:17 – Plasterer’s hawk as a sanding block
26:15 – Flatting back with 600 grit abrasive paper
30:40 – Flatting back with 1200 grit wet or dry abrasive paper
32:37 – Stage 1 polishing with 3M Fast Cut Plus cutting compound
36:58 – Stage 2 polishing with T-Cut automotive cutting polish
39:04 – Closing remarks
39:58 – Comparison with the finished guitar

For further details on my Brian May Red Special replica build project and all my other Brian May related projects and Brian May gear, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar #Rustins

Brian May Red Special Guitar Build Project: Body Finishing Part 3 - Grain Filling & Staining

dsgb 2022-02-06 | This is the third video in a series illustrating all the techniques involved with finishing the body of a Brian May Red Special replica guitar, i.e. veneering, grain filling, staining and lacquering.

In this video, I illustrate and discuss the techniques required to apply grain filler and Rustins red mahogany wood stain to the mahogany marquetry veneer of a Brian May Red Special replica guitar. There are several sequences as listed below with time stamps for convenient navigation. Some are speeded up for brevity.

00:01 – Introduction
00:41 – Preparation precautions
02:20 – WS Jenkins black Jecofil grain filler discussion
05:15 – Applying grain filler to the mahogany veneer
06:45 – Removing excess grain filler using a cloth and white spirit
07:45 – Removing excess grain filler using 320 grit 3M Stikit Gold abrasive paper
09:55 – Staining the grain-filled mahogany veneer discussion
11:08 – Rustins red mahogany wood dye discussion and application instructions
12:07 – Applying Rustins red mahogany wood dye to the grain-filled veneer with a sponge applicator
13:40 – Applying Rustins red mahogany wood dye to the grain-filled veneer with a cloth
14:17 – Removing excess Rustins red mahogany wood dye with a cloth
14:51 – Examining the stained, grain-filled veneer

Brian May Red Special Guitar Build Project: Body Finishing Part 1 - Introduction
youtube.com/watch?v=553E4_4uYE8&t=0s

Brian May Red Special Guitar Build Project: Body Finishing Part 2 - Veneering Techniques
youtube.com/watch?v=nFD7ySOn4lI

For further information on my Brian May Red Special replica build project and other Brian May related projects and equipment, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian May Red Special Guitar Build Project: Body Finishing Part 2 - Veneering Techniques

dsgb 2022-01-29 | This is the second part in a series of videos illustrating all the techniques involved with finishing the body of a Brian May Red Special replica guitar, i.e. veneering, grain filling, staining and lacquering.

In this video, I illustrate and discuss the techniques required to apply mahogany marquetry veneer to the upper and lower faces and the side of a Brian May Red Special replica guitar. There are thirteen sequences as listed below with time stamps for convenient navigation. Some are speeded up for brevity.

00:01 – Choosing and applying the veneer
02:41 – Summary of the techniques involved in applying veneer to a Brian May Red Special replica guitar
03:31 – Cutting the veneer with a Swann-Morton surgical scalpel and StewMac stainless steel precision straight edge
04:19 – Masking off the square veneer panels
04:49 – Discussing adhesives for veneering: Titebond, Cascamite and West System epoxy resin
09:09 – Applying Titebond aliphatic wood glue to the blockboard and gluing down the square veneer panels
10:11 – Covering and weighting down the veneer while it dries
11:17 – Removing the spreader board and weights
11:56 – Discussing cutting, preparing and gluing down the side veneer strips with Evo Stik Timebond contact adhesive
13:31 – Evo Stik Timebond contact adhesive application instructions
15:00 – Applying the Evo Stik Timebond contact adhesive to the side veneer strips
16:51 – Sticking the side veneer strips onto the blockboard surfaces
18:33 – Close up inspection of the glued down side veneer strips

Brian May Red Special Guitar Build Project: Body Finishing Part 1 - Introduction
youtube.com/watch?v=553E4_4uYE8

For further information on my Brian May Red Special replica build project and other Brian May related projects and equipment, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian May Red Special Guitar Build Project: Body Finishing Part 1 - Introduction

dsgb 2022-01-23 | This is the introduction to a series of videos illustrating all the techniques involved with finishing the body of a Brian May Red Special replica guitar, i.e. veneering, grain filling, staining and lacquering.

In this introductory section, I discuss the topics listed below with indexed time stamps so you can skip to the beginning of each topic:

00:04 – Opening remarks.
02:08 – Veneering with mahogany marquetry veneer.
02:49 – W S Jenkins black Jecofil grain filler.
03:15 – Staining with Rustins Red Mahogany wood dye.
04:35 – Rustins Plastic Coating (RPC).
05:35 – Tinting Rustins Plastic Coating (RPC) lacquer with spirit powder dye to make "black Rustins".
06:53 – What happens to Rustins Plastic Coating (RPC) when its shelf life has expired.

For further information on my Brian May Red Special replica build project and other Brian May related projects and equipment, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

Rustins Plastic Coating Practical Advice
dsgb.net/projects/redspecial/rustins

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian May KAT RED-18 Strap-Mount Treble Booster & KAT Superpot

dsgb 2022-01-15 | In this video I show you the changes that happened to the first two parts of Brian May's signal chain in 2018 for the tours with Queen + Adam Lambert. Specifically the fitting of a KAT Superpot to his Red Special guitar and the KAT RED-18 strap-mounted treble booster.

00:01 – Introduction
00:42 – KAT RED-18 Strap-Mount Treble Booster overview
01:24 – 2014 KAT Strap-Mount Treble Booster
02:21 – KAT RED-18 Strap-Mount Treble Booster main unit features
03:03 – KAT RED-18 Strap-Mount Treble Booster leads and connectors
03:48 – Plugging in and attached the KAT RED-18 and Sennheiser wireless body pack transmitter
04:31 – Guitar strap discussion
05:09 – KAT Superpot discussion
07:55 – Brian May using the KAT RED-18 Strap-Mount Treble Booster live on stage

The KAT RED-18 strap-mounted treble booster was developed by Nigel Knight of Knight Audio Technologies for Brian May prior to Queen + Adam Lambert's 2018 residency in Las Vegas for two reasons: to match the different frequency band he was using on his wireless radio system and also to complement the modified volume pot, known as the BM RS Superpot or the KAT Superpot that Nigel fitted to the Red Special to give Brian greater control over the transition from clean to overdriven tones.

For further information on the KAT RED-18 strap-mount treble booster, the KAT Superpot and other Brian May related guitars and equipment projects, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #treblebooster #KAT #superpot #KnightAudioTechnologies

Brian May Red Special Roller Bridge CNC Milling

dsgb 2022-01-10 | Brian May Red Special Roller Bridge CNC Milling

Brian May made the unique design of roller bridge for his original Red Special guitar from a piece of aluminium bar using hand tools. In this video I illustrate the process of making this intricate item by CNC milling. The main sequences are all speeded up and the longer sections are considerably shortened so that they are only illustrative of the full process. The background music is Brian's guitar solo from Queen: A Night at The Odeon.

I prepared a section of 6082 T6 aluminium bar to 84 x 16 x 10 mm using a hacksaw and abrasive paper and mounted this onto a levelled, square section of aluminium plate on my CNC machine bed using cyanoacrylate superglue. I then use three single fluted solid carbide cutters to mill the roller bridge: a 3 mm one for the thicknessing operations then a 2 mm cutter for the outline and roundover toolpath and cutting out the individual blocks and finally a 0.8 mm cutter for milling the roller axle channels (see note below).

I designed the general appearance such as the edge roundovers to resemble the Guyton Red Special bridge with the exception that the channels cut to accommodate the 1/32" (0.8 mm) diameter axles of the roller saddles are drilled to 0.8 mm deep on those pieces whereas I only milled them to half-depth (0.4 mm) for this video. Embedding them to the full diameter of the axle goes some way to ensuring that the won't pop out during string fitting.

Bridge Saddles Dimensions

- Bridge saddles length: 5/8"
- Bridge saddles width: Top & bottom E: 1/2" (12.7 mm), middle four: 13/32" (10.3 mm)
- Bridge saddles height: Low and high E: 35/128" (6.95 mm) A & B: 39/128" (7.74 mm) D & G: 43/128" (8.53 mm)
- Roller rebate width: 25/128" (4.96 mm)
- Roller rebate depth: 3/32" (2.4 mm) on all saddles
- Screw holes to accept a cheese head machine screw (M3 or 6BA), 2 mm head depth

Bridge Rollers Specification

- Overall width including axles: 23/64" (9.13 mm)
- Cylinder width: 3/16", 4.76 mm
- Cylinder diameter: 11 SWG (2.946 mm). All cylinders to have a 0.042" (1.07 mm) toroidal channel
- Axle length: 23/64" (9.13 mm)
- Axle diameter: 1/32" (0.8 mm)

The penultimate splash screen at the end of the video gives some essential information for aluminium milling on a CNC router (as opposed to a liquid cooled CNC milling machine). This is repeated below:

- High Brinell hardness alloys machine better, e.g. 6061-T6. Temper (T-number) is important
- Use a very low XY feed rate, e.g. 500 mm/min
- Use a small diameter, SINGLE FLUTE cutter
- Shave the metal (e.g. 0.05 mm depth per pass)
- Decrement the cutter height off the stock because end mill flutes are not designed for drilling
- Use a spindle speed less than 10,000 rpm (e.g. 7,500 rpm)
- Use a lubricant, e.g. WD-40 Specialist dry PTFE

00:01 – Measuring the prepared aluminium bar with digital vernier calipers
00:29 – Thicknessing the 10 mm aluminium bar to 9.0 mm
00:42 – Thicknessing the individual block sections to 7.0 mm, 7.8 mm and 8.6 mm
01:08 – Milling the 3/32" (2.4 mm) roller rebates in each block section
01:30 – Milling the cheese head screw countersink
02:14 – Drilling the cheese head machine screw shaft bore with a 3 mm diameter solid carbide jobber drill
02:50 – Milling the outline and roundovers
04:10 – Cutting out the six individual roller saddle blocks
05:38 – Milling the roller axle channels (half height, i.e. 0.4 mm)
06:27 – Test fitting stainless steel rollers

For further information on my Brian May Red Special guitar replica build project and other Brian May related guitars and equipment projects, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar
06:35 – Outro with aluminium milling essential information screen

Brian May Red Special Guitar Build Project: Drilling The Neck Truss Rod Channel Hole

dsgb 2021-09-12 | The single action compression style truss rod on Brian May's Red Special was fashioned from 3/16" (4.76 mm) diameter steel round bar. At the tenon end, it was bent around on itself by hot forging on a gas stove and brazed closed to form a loop. This loop is anchored by a 5/16" (8 mm) captive bolt situated under the fretboard and which protrudes through the lower layer of the guitar body. The headstock end was threaded and a castellated cylindrical nut attached in case any relief correction was required. However, the neck is sufficiently thick that no such adjustment has ever been necessary.

In this video, I demonstrate using a 5 mm diameter brad point wood auger to drill the short section from the underside of the tenon through into the main channel routed out to accommodate the truss rod itself. All wood routing was previously done using my Stepcraft 2/840 CNC machine. This neck cutting was recently completed and the cut object remains attached in its surrounding frame. I took the opportunity to rout a rebate for the auger shaft to pass through.

Please visit my website, dsgb.net for further information, pictures and videos illustrating my three year long project to make an authentic Brian May Red Special replica guitar. dsgb.net also contains information on other Brian May related guitars and guitar modification projects.

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian May Red Special Guitar Neck Full CNC Cut

dsgb 2021-08-22 | This video illustrates the full CNC cut of my revised design Brian May Red Special guitar neck using my Stepcraft 2/840 CNC machine. The process was recorded over several sessions from 26 July 2021 to 21 August 2021 using my iPhone 11 Pro in full HD at 60 frames per second. All CAD design was done with TurboCAD 2016 Profession edition. Toolpaths were calculated in MeshCAM Version 8 for Windows. The machine control software is Stepcraft's proprietary utility "UCCNC" by Polgardi Design and has a similar control interface to the industry standard Mach 3.

The timber used was quarter sawn mahogany species tonewood (i.e. fully seasoned), dimensions 825 x 96 x 39.0 mm weighing 1,932 grams, density 0.623 g/cm3. This is a double-sided cut using a custom made "L"-shaped alignment bracket water-jet cut from 20 mm thick aluminium. Hold-down was achieved using cyanoacrylate superglue in each corner allowed to set for one hour prior to commencing the cut.

Cutters used are solid tungsten carbide 6.0 mm diameter 2 flute. Spindle speed: 10,000 rpm, XY feed rate 2,500 mm/min, Z plunge rate: 120 mm/min. 1 mm depth per pass on the roughing cuts, 0.5 mm stepover/stepdown on the finishing cuts.

The main sequences are listed below with time indexes for easy navigation. Every sequence is illustrated from several different camera angles and most are speeded up significantly for brevity:

00:05 – Start-up: control unit switch on and UCCNC control software screen
00:24 – Upper side roughing toolpath
02:53 – Upper side finishing toolpath
04:04 – Slot for the truss rod adjuster bolt plate (1.50 mm 2 flute long reach flat end mill, 0.25 mm steps)
04:21 – Main truss rod features (5 mm channel, tensioner bolt rebate, 5/16" retaining bolt head rebate)
05:17 – Manually drilling the machine head locating holes (10 mm diameter 4 flute flat end mill) using a mini drill press with an extended 19 mm plywood bed
05:55 – Manually drilling the 5/16" retaining bolt shaft hole using a mini drill press with an extended 19 mm plywood bed
06:12 – Manually drilling the tenon securing screw pilot holes and screw head countersinks
06:50 – Flipping over the stock in preparation for running the lower side toolpath
06:58 – Lower side roughing toolpath
09:55 – Lower side finishing toolpath
12:30 – Tenon underside feature: angled rebate to allow 5 mm diameter auger insertion

For full details of my Brian May Red Special replica design and build project, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar #CNC #guitarneck

Brian May Fender Stratocaster Conversion Project

dsgb 2021-07-15 | In 2018 I converted my 2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster to Brian May electronics with three Adeson Tri-Sonic pickups and a custom PCB pushbutton electronics module based on the Guyton RS Transporter unit by Nigel Knight of Knight Audio Technologies. The aim was to only carry out reversible modifications (i.e. no routing or other physical changes and retain the appearance of the Strat as far as possible). I designed and CNC cut the replacement pearloid pickguard and upgraded the tuners to Fender-branded Schaller locking tuners to bring the instrument closer to the specification of a Fender Deluxe Stratocaster.

The excerpt of Brighton Rock is played by Shawn Leaver through his Dave Petersen modified Vox AC30 amplifier using a Cornish TB-83 style treble booster made by Mark Reynolds. The remainder of the Brighton Rock excerpt has been replaced with "Tropical Thunder" from the YouTube royalty free library to avoid a copyright claim,

For full details of this conversion project, my other Brian May guitar build and modification projects and Brian May guitar and gear information, please visit my website, Doug Short Guitar Blog at:

dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #Fender #Stratocaster #FenderStratocaster

Brian May Guitars Treble Booster Classic Easter Eggs and Features

dsgb 2021-07-07 | My take on an unboxing video for the Brian May Guitars/KAT treble booster classic, recorded Easter 2021. Also making a brief appearance is the Fryer Treble Booster Deluxe - the purple one.

00:02 – Opening the Easter Eggs
01:43 – Features discussion
04:01 – Response curves for the three circuits

For more information on Brian May guitars and gear, please visit my website, dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #treblebooster #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Stepcraft 2/840 CNC Machine NEMA 17 Stepper Motor Sounds

dsgb 2021-07-04 | Join me for a lap of the pickguard-ring with my Stepcraft 2/840 CNC machine as I check the toolpath position before committing to cutting a sheet of gloss black perspex (acrylic) to make a pickguard for a Brian May Red Special guitar. Hear the robotic squeals and squeaks of the NEMA 17 stepper motors!

Brian May Rig Replica Build

dsgb 2021-06-26 | In this video I assemble a replica Brian May stage rig using a custom made NSP Cases shock-mounted 19 inch rack flight case with removable front, rear and top panels mounted on a wheeled trolley.

The rack mounted units comprise a Dunlop DCR-2SR CryBaby Wah Wah, two TC Electronic G-Major 2 guitar effects processors, a custom made audio routing/MIDI switching master control unit and a wireless switching unit by KAT (Knight Audio Technologies) and two Sennheiser wireless receivers. Other equipment featured in the video include my home made Brian May Red Special guitar, a KAT Deacy Amp replica a 2001 model Vox AC30 TBX guitar amplifier. Treble booster is a KAT RED-18 strap-mounted unit.

The video consists of twelve segments, most of which are speeded up either 2x, 4x or 8x for brevity. These are listed below with time indexes if you wish to jump to a specific sequence:

00:01 – Intro full rack slow pan
00:22 – Unboxing the custom NSP flight case
00:39 – Presenting the custom NSP flight case
01:17 – Installing the Canford power supply rail in the rear of the case
01:39 – Installing all the 19 inch rack mounted units in the front of the case
02:30 – Connecting all the power leads and patch cables
03:27 – Powering up the units
03:38 – Demonstrating the MIDI switching pedal board
04:02 – Outro full rack slow pan

For more information on my Brian May Red Special replica build and other Brian May related guitar and equipment, illustrated with hundreds of detailed photographs, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

To see pictures of Brian May’s touring and guesting/back-up rig on which this replica is based, please visit Nigel Knight’s website, Knight Audio Technologies:

deacyamp.com

The accompanying music is "Stardrive" from YouTube's royalty free library; this replace "I Want It All" by Queen to avoid a copyright claim.

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #Queen #VoxAC30 #AdamLambert

Mini Red Special Made Brian May Smile

dsgb 2021-06-14 | In 2014 I rebuilt a BMG Mini May 3/4 Brian May Red Special with a solid mahogany body and one piece mahogany neck, three Burns mini Tri-Sonic pickups and a modified "conversion style" rocker tremolo system custom made for me by Cesar Beltran in Peru (otramalditanoche on eBay). Cesar also machined custom 3/4 scaled aluminium top hat style control knobs to match. In the end, the only original item left was the truss rod!

I took the guitar along to the 2017 meet-up in Theale Village Hall near Reading in Berkshire U.K. where Andy Guyton of Guyton Guitars and enthusiasts including Gerben van Dooremal (both pictured holding it in the video images) checked it out.

Some guys suggested that Brian May might be interested in seeing it so I requested and was offered a backstage meet before the Queen + Adam Lambert concert at the SSE Hydro arena in Glasgow, Scotland on 3rd December 2017. My wife Jane and I only enjoyed a few minutes of Brian's time while he caught up with some members of his late mother Ruth's family (Mike Donald and his father, Brian's cousin) but he chatted with us, autographed it and posed for a few photographs, for which we asked his permission. As you can see, it put a smile on his face which is an image I will treasure forever, along with the kind comments he made.

Please check out the project page on my website covering this conversion, illustrated with many more photographs, along with my other Brian May Red Special guitar build and conversion projects and information on Brian May related musical equipment:

dsgb.net

The music is "Natural" from YouTube's royalty free library which replaced the original track "Nevermore" by Queen to avoid a copyright claim.

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian May Red Special Replica Guitar Build Project: Neck Timber Preparation

dsgb 2021-06-06 | In this video I discuss preparation of a slab of reclaimed mahogany timber to make neck blanks for a Brian May Red Special replica guitar build. I then demonstrate use of a Makita table saw to cut and trim two 4” wide blanks and make some extension strips to widen my other blanks suitable for CNC routing.

There are ten segments in this video as detailed below with the respective time index:

00:03 – Inspection and marking reclaimed mahogany timber in preparation for cutting.
02:50 – Makita table saw setup
03:42 – First cut of the mahogany slab (speeded up x2)
05:10 – Second cut of the mahogany slab (speeded up x2)
05:45 – Trimming the rounded edge off the first neck blank (speeded up x2)
06:16 – Trimming the rounded edge off the second neck blank (speeded up x2)
06:50 – Checking the resonance of one of the neck blanks
06:58 – Trimming the rounded end off the first neck blank (speeded up x2)
07:06 – Trimming the rounded end off the second neck blank (speeded up x2)
07:12 – Presenting the cut neck blanks, extension strips and illustrating the dust extraction

To read more about my three year project to design and build a replica Brian May Red Special guitar and other articles on Brian May guitars and equipment, illustrated with hundreds of photographs, please visit my website:

dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian May Red Special Guitar Build Project: Fretboard Side Markers & Ebonising Options

dsgb 2021-06-01 | In this video, I make an acetate stencil to help paint on the fretboard side markings on a Brian May Red Special replica with the help of my CNC machine. I also demonstrate two techniques for achieving the black coating on the oak fretboard that are worth considering: Liberon wood dye and black cyanoacrylate superglue. The video lasts approximately 19 minutes and consists of 12 individual sequences. These are indexed below if you wish to skip to particular parts:

00:03 – Introduction and Burns fretboard side markings
01:32 – Guyton RS Transporter fretboard side markings
02:26 – Acetate sheet on CNC machine spoil board
03:07 – CNC milling run of the acetate stencil (full width, speeded up x4)
03:47 – CNC milling run of the acetate stencil close up
06:15 – Checking the accuracy of the CNC milled pattern
06:37 – Manually drilling the stencil using a paper template
08:00 – Demonstrating the application of Liberon wood dye
10:18 – Demonstrating the application of black cyanoacrylate superglue
13:24 – Pre-painting discussion
16:22 – Painting the markings on using the stencil (speeded up x2)
17:32 – Removing the stencil to revealing the white painted markings

Please visit my website, dsgb.net for more information and hundreds of pictures about my Brian May Red Special guitar build project and other Brian May related guitars and equipment.

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar #fretboard

Brian May Red Special Replica Guitar Build Project

dsgb 2021-05-19 | This is a three minute compilation of over 70 still images taken during my three year project to design and build a Brian May Red Special replica guitar, authentic in every possible detail. Check out full details of the entire build with hundreds of photos and lots of other information on Brian May guitars and gear at my website: dsgb.net

#BrianMay #RedSpecial #BrianMayRedSpecial #RedSpecialguitar

Brian May Red Special Guitar Book (Second Edition) Preview

dsgb 2021-05-15 | A five minute preview of the second edition of the Brian May Red Special book: "Brian May's Red Special: The Story of the Home-Made Guitar that Rocked Queen and the World" by Dr Brian May CBE and Simon Bradley. Find out more about how to build a Red Special and get information on Brian May related guitars and equipment at my website: dsgb.net

00:01 – Front Cover poster
00:28 – Contents
00:32 – Foreword
00:36 – Introduction
00:39 – Chapter 1 – Father to Son, page 10
01:07 – Chapter 2 – A Guitar is Born, page 28
01:28 – Chapter 3 – The Works, page 40
02:57 – Chapter 4 – The Queen Days, page 88
03:34 – Chapter 5 – On The Roof, page 108
04:09 – Chapter 6 – Revisiting the Past, page 128
04:23 – Chapter 7 – From Feltham to Middlesex, paage 136
04:34 – Chapter 8 – Gallery, page 144

Brian May Red Special Guitar Zero Fret Wear Pinging

dsgb 2021-04-01 | The strings can wear grooves in the zero fret of a Brian May Red Special guitar which causes pinging during string bending. Video made to illustrate this phenomenon for this section of my website:
Burns Brian May Red Special Upgrade Part 1: Inspection and Strip Down
dsgb.net/projects/burns/part1

Vox Amplifiers: The JMI Years by Jim Elyea, Quick Flickthrough

dsgb 2021-02-21 | A two minute flick through the deluxe edition of the authoritative tome entitled "Vox Amplifiers: The JMI Years" by Jim Elyea.

#Vox #Voxamps #VoxAC30 #JimElyea

Fender Stratocaster Pickguard Assembly

dsgb 2021-01-04 | This is a speeded up video of the assembly and wiring of a replacement pickguard for my 2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster. This is intended for curiosity value only, not an instructional video because there are many detailed videos with commentary on Youtube to show you the various methods of wiring a Strat pickguard. Further details are available on my website:

dsgb.net/2021/01/04/stratwiring

The components used are as follows:
- genuine Fender 11 hole pearloid pick guard for three single coil pickups
- Oak Grigsby 5-way blade switch
- Three Fender supplied CTS 250 kOhm log/audio taper potentiometers measuring 202, 220 and 259 kOhm
- Vintage specification single coil pickups hand made by Ade Turner of Adeson Fenton Weill in Burbage, Wiltshire, U.K. DC resistances 6.29, 6.30 and 6.31 kOhm, inductances 2.20, 2.34 and 2.26 H.
- 22 nF tone capacitor supplied with the pots instead of the standard 47 nF variant.

#Fender #Stratocaster #FenderStratocaster #guitarmods