Brian May Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

I missed getting a Brian May signature Red Special when it came out a few years ago, so I wanted to make sure I got one of these new tribute guitars before the limited supply dried up. Overall, I am very happy with it; it's actually a lot of guitar for one in its price range. Comes with a so-so soft gig bag, whammy bar, Allen wrenches and a lint free polishing cloth. No documentation included, but if you understand his switching configuration and use of gain and volume on a VOX tube amp, you can easily achieve authentic Red Special tones as recorded throughout Queen's history. The pickups are incredible; I can achieve "bell like" chimes and real dirty rhythms. Great Grover tuners and beautiful binding on the body. I love the thick, chunky baseball bat of a neck! My fingers are not near as long and thin as on Brian's large hands, but I love the feel and the way I'm able to perform perfect bends, slides and vibratos. The only three (very minor) negative comments I have about this guitar are, 1) cheap plastic throughout ("wavy"), 2) cheap control knobs that don't fit the pots properly (why didn't they use solid shaft pots!?) – and with poorly painted markers in red paint (just plain sloppy workmanship), and 3) I wish the back plate was subset into the body – it sticks out and just looks awful. Aside from these very MINOR complaints, this South Korean manufactured tribute guitar is a keeper, and I have been enjoying it very much. I think you will too.Commish

I wrote a review complaining about the pickups. Because there is only one volume control the pickups have to be balanced to work together by adjusting the height of each pickup so they complement each other when more than one pickup is selected. Even which side is slightly higher is important to give you the sound that you like. Upon closer inspection I found the pickups were not balanced. Far from it. After adjusting them to my tastes I'm very happy with the pickups. I apologize for the premature complaint. Over all this is a fine guitar and I highly recommend it.Rick

Please note : Be careful reading the comments. Some are VERY old and refer to a previous version of this guitar. I just got mine on May 16th. This guitar is very solidly built and the quality is great ! There are several quirks to it so although it may take a little while to get used to it, but it will be worth it. Even though it's made out of a chambered piece of mahogany, it has some nice weight to it. The neck is very fat (fatter than a '50s Les Paul) yet the scale is only 24". And the entire guitar is short but very wide (about 15"). Also, each of the 3 pickups have their own on/off switch and in/out phase switch. This gives you 24 possible choices (not including how your amp is set) to get "your" sound. The locking Grover tuners and Wilkinson vibrato work great. The adjustment screw (to set the arm tension) on the Wilkinson is hidden. You have to push down on the arm completely so that the back of the bridge rises off the body. Then you can get to the adjustment screw (on the right side under the bridge) with the included allen key. A gig bag is included but I always buy hardshell cases for all of my guitars. If you also plan on getting a hardshell case, be aware of the width.Igmar

. Now let me set the scene… I am a guitar lover (I can even play a little too) and a quality professional so My expectations are somewhat higher than most looking at this product. An absolutely beautiful instrument, this is my second SA360 and although they are no longer. Made in Japan, be assured they have not lost any of the build quality or attention to detail. The guitar was really well set up, is great to play, feels good in the hand and sounds the bee’s knee’s. If you are looking to start out in guitar playing get yourself an Ibanez Gio to start as a first upgrade from that, then the SA series is where you want to be at.Timbo

I have had this guitar for about a month now. From the first day, I have absolutely loved this guitar. The included Seymour Duncan pick ups sounds amazing and the push/pull function gives you a nice range of voices. Everything about the build of this guitar feels amazing. The neck and the frets are smooth and well cared for, the quality of the hardware is top shelf. If you want a Les Paul, just forget about Gibson. This is what you want, of course there are many versions of this guitar, Any one of the EC-1000's are great, but the finish on this one is pretty outstanding in person.Logan C

I got the natural black color. Its a really nice looking guitar. With a different name on the head stock it would cost thousands. Sounds great, you can play any type music on it. Perfect out of the box . No setup at all needed to be done. I saved almost 200.00 with a blemish model model that was basically perfect.Ltd

Overall: I am now in my 2nd day of ownership and I decided to set this extremely light and sexy purple (blemished) have not found one …down long enuff to read reviews.and ya if I could find something about it I dont like… well havent!. What's there not to love at the reasonable price and the abilities this ax possesses. 5way and quantum is a nice pxkge.what. would one expect? At fraction of the price on those high dollar "others".. I feel pretty smart these days not emptying my wallet and can say. The wizard neck is so sweet jatoba fretboard is not only beautiful sustain harmonics….for days….VERY NICE..zZOUNDS AND IBANEZ….THANK YOU FOR. A GREAT DEAL ON A KEEPER….OH YEA AND WHY UPGRADE ANYTHING SEEMS TOVDEFEATCYHE PURPOSE AND UNNECESSARY IN MY OPINION. BUT IM A TIGHTWAD.been a member of the ibz family for awhile and they never stop making great products with reasonable pricing.Kenneth

This (and the blue with rosewood/hardtail) are my first Ibanezes. I mostly play strats and Les Pauls. As I understand it, these have been referred to as Super Strats, because of the double cutaway and the HH. The blue has a matching headstock and a five tone switch. The neck is the most comfortable I've played, the strings are evenly spaced and there's plenty of room for your fingers, even at the top. The satin finished body has the same feel as the neck and it weighs around 6 pounds. After I found the dragon eye (reverse matching headstock, maple fretboard and whammy) at the same price, I couldn't let go of the blue, so now I have two. I'm playing them through my Boss Katana, and it's a good match. Gotta say, it's a totally new guitar playing experience, and the only question is which one to pick up first. If you're thinking about an Ibanez, this would be the one (or two).Rich at the Beach

I was amazed at the quality for the price on this guitar . I own over 20 guitars and actually purchased this one for my sons birthday. All my guitars will be my boys one day but wanted to ad one to his current collection and this was a great choice. I have been a AMS customer for over a decade and love their prices, selection and payment plans. I always recommend AMS to my musician friends, they are the best!!!!Mike

LOVE this guitar! It have a smooth rosewood fret board which makes soloing slick and precise. The tone is perfect for Metal & clean playing. It stays in tune & is all around well built. Great price too!traviveg_9

I expected better from Jackson. Pickups are iffy,tuners are junk will not stay in tune. Pickup selector switch is scratchy and works sometimes. Action is ok after a good setup and string change. Had it for about 5 months now and thinking about trading it in for something a little better. It does look great hanging on the wall though.Keith C.

After really enjoying playing an RG standard at GC, I decided I wanted a Japanese Ibanez. This guitar is gorgeous. You open up the case and it's a plush red velvet contrasting perfectly with the sexy nebula green burst. It is incredibly easy to play! Has a perfect balance slung over your shoulder or resting on your thigh. They didn't cut any corners with this instrument. Pros: – Black chrome hardware looks slick – Neck very thin and flat. Not just for shredding! Strips of walnut add a touch of elegance. Satin finish makes this a fast neck. Jumbo frets feel great. The birdseye fretboard is gorgeous. Locking tuners are robust. Stays in tune like a boss! – Very clear difference in pickup output from neck to bridge. Bridge gets nice and dirty when the volume is up – Pickups are a bit hotter than I expected, especially the tone zone in the bridge, but dialing down volume cleans them up very nicely (when you want them to be clean). I'm guessing the hot pickups are for shredders, who are a target Ibanez consumer. The parallel mode is a sweet addition allowing pickup to sound like a single rather than a humbucker – Pickups have dimarzio embossed on them, but it's subtle and not visible from a distance- branding isn't as obnoxious as on seymour duncans – Volume and tone knobs are knurled making them easy to turn with just a touch and resistance is light and smooth. Great gradual effect (doesn't just jump from 100% to 10% when you turn the knob only a tiny bit) – Action can be set super low and bridge is very comfortable to rest your palm. No sharp saddles as on some tune-o-matics – Amazing custom-molded guitar case that looks sexy and has a hard plastic outer shell. Form-fitted for this guitar – Guitar comes with a multi-tool with everything on it, even a short metal scale Cons: – The fret markers are just dots, not inlays – Doesn't come equipped with straplocks – Pickup selector feels cheap compared with the rest of the hardware, but has authoritative action otherwiseMegatron

This guitar is beautiful and its sound is fantastic,neck is awesome and fretboard is great,pickups are good…but it is Very Heavy,I'd say around 10 pounds and also the body is too chunky and therefore not comfortable to play.Maybe this guitar will be good fit for a large player. I returned it today and got me another Ibanez. Guitar center were very helpful,they are alright!Andy

Took this model and the Ibanez RG Prestige RG652AHMFX for test rides. I ended up keeping this one. The Prestige is a better instrument, but not nine bills better. They play very similarly. The DiMarzios in the Prestige sound better, sure-but you can add those to this one later if you'd like. Honestly, I'll probably just keep the Quantum pickups in it-they sound fine. Love the creative 5-way switching and the volume and tone work as they should. Tuning stability is spot on. Mine even came set up well. The wood is not the cosmetic grade that the more expensive models have, but I bought it to play in bars and small venues-not to look at it. The body is three pieces. That being said, it's more attractive than an affordable guitar has a right to be. The ash does make it brighter than your standard RG, but that's what I was looking for. I'd recommend it to anyone that's not a cork sniffer and needs a solid instrument they can use without fear of breathing on it.TG

I have been playing 7 strings for almost 20 years and this is quite possibly the best 7 string I have ever owned, or even played. From the very first feel of the next I knew I was in for something special and I was not disappointed. I've seen several reviews stating "best 7 string", etc. but it is not until you play this that you can fully understand just how incredible this instrument is. Buy it, you will not want to play another 7 string.J3

This guitar is truly amazing. ESP has made me a believer in them. The craftsmanship is as solid as it gets. The deep shaven cut lets the higher frets so much more accessible. The neck is smooth, comfortable and fast. This is the first time using an ever tune bridge and i love it. The only issue i have with it, is a slight buzz from the bridge, but to my understanding, thats just a minor price to pay for the amazing technology that ever tune is. Both voicing for the fishman fluence pickups are nothing short of incredible. Aggressive, tight, warm and expressive. Its one beast of an instrument. The pictures online do not do it justice. The see through purple is absolutely beautiful.Cal

Just an excellent, well crafted multiscale ESP/LTD. Seymour Duncan Nazgul/Sentient combo pups get it done! Clean or metal very versatile pickup set.johnarcher123

Plays like a dream. Fishmans off the chain. Neck feels awesome, stable tuning, ultimate shred machine. Highly recommended if you can find one.Nexus Six

Tris LTD was recomended by Bruce Kulick and it is an amazing instrument worth every penny. The construction is solid with a humbucker that has a good range from warm to chunchy. The pull/push control knob adds extra versarility. It a great guitar for the price.Wil

Overall: Well, I had been trying to get this guitar for almost a year because of it always being on back order. I ended up buying a Schecter Hellraiser with the sustainiac and I love it as well. Anyway, this one was finally in stock and I grabbed it. I am so glad I did! trust me, you will not be disappointed with this one. Played like a dream right out of the box with a bit of tuning. The EMG 81's are a great set for this type of wood for the body. The sound is just incredible. I highly recommend this guitar. I have been playing hard rock and metal since the 80's. Wish I'd had this back then…lolMichael

Overall: Just received this beauty. Came in great condition. I didn't even needed to. Tune it. Setup is perfect.The EMG pickups have a lot of power for playing metal.Once again zZounds was Great to work with.Joe

Sound: Amazing. No cap. This guitar sings. Features: Roasted flame maple neck looks and feels dreamy. Ease of Use: You would he hard pressed to make a bad sound on this guitar. Quality: EBMM leads the industry in quality, fit, and finish. This is no exception. Value: I’ve never played a better guitar at any price point. The Wow Factor: I would rate this 11 out of 10. Overall: May be the best guitar in production. The new pickups are absolutely beautiful, and good for everything but the most extreme styles. I’ve never played a guitar that sounded so nice. I can put it on the neck pickup clean and fire up the boost, and it sounds like a jazz box. The bridge is the only bridge pickup I’ve ever really liked. It clear and dynamic, but no harshness. The guitar is super comfortable to boot. I was really worried I might not like the v neck, but somehow it fits like a glove. Probably the best feeling neck I’ve ever felt. To top everything off…. It was set up perfectly, and in tune in the box.Jonathan

I've had this guitar a few months now and it is a really good guitar. It is manufactured with quality in mind. There were no blemishes or quality issues when it arrived. It does come with Ernie Ball strings, which I have never been a fan of. I changed the strings right away. It is pretty lightweight (especially when compared to a Les Paul) and really does come across as a LP/Strat hybrid. There is a five or six position switch for the different pickup configurations, but I really only care for two fo them. I guess that would be dependent on what style of music you are playing. One knock that I have is that when using the tremolo, it does tend to go out of tune a bit. I don't use tremolo much, so I can live with that. The neck plays really fast and it is a great looker. Ernie Ball doesn't have a custom shop, but their guitars can compete with any brand out there. You won't be disappointed.Terry S

What can I say but; "It's an ESP" people!. Of COURSE it's "Quality". Beautiful color. Great weight and balance. Pickups, once again; "It's got EMG's" people!. Matter of tastes in the case of "Pickups", I like 'em AND Duncans though. I can honestly say; "Buy one. It's fun."kathynenni

This guitar can do absolutely any from crunchy gain tones to screaming metal madness. My only "complaint" is that the neck pickup is active, which isn't a big deal, but if it weren't you could get some strat like cleans out of this guitar. The neck is fast and the body is beautiful. If you can get your hands on one, give it a shot, it's sweet. *Hands on review by Christopher M. from store 57 in Indianapolis.Christopher M.

Sound: The 'Blackened' Black Winter pickup is very bright. Not shrill, but definitely will cut through a mix. It's incredibly clear, and touch sensitive. Very high output, which is appropriate for a guitar called the Black Metal! Features: This guitar has an alder body, which is amazing for almost all tonal aims. The raised LTD logo on the headstock is an incredibly nice touch! The Grovers are smooth, and stable, and the OFR is also stable and reliable. Ease of Use: This is where this, and just about every other LTD I've purchased shines. The fretwork is immaculate. I have the action at .75mm, and it doesn't buzz, for those who aren't familiarwith action measurements, this is incredibly low. The pickup height was perfect right out of the box. The only thing I needed to adjust was the truss rod, it had a bit too much relief. But once that was done, it plays like butter and sounds brutal! Quality: This guitar has absolutely no quality control issues, and feels extremely well made. As stated above, it has all high end appointments, such as a Seymour Duncan pickup, OFR, and grover tuners. It functions amazingly. Value: Absolutely. I'm a Jackson fanboy 90% of the time, but I can say (and zZounds can verify) I've had to return multiple Jackson products and never a single LTD. The Jacksons cost more, and have less. Manufacturer Support: I haven't needed to deal with ESP, as I've never had an issue with their products. The Wow Factor: When you're playing this guitar, if feels metal. The guitar is so easy to play, and sounds so brutal. I can't recommend it enough if you like to play extreme genres of music. Overall: LTD never disappoints. This guitar is metal as it gets, and plays fantastically.Matheau

The guitar is much more beautiful in person. It looks great, feels great, plays great. It’s very versatile and you can really play most to any type of styles with this guitar. I definitely recommend and I am completely satisfied.Jordan

Tim Henson nailed it with this one. The looks, tone and feel of this guitar is simply awsome !!! I've been a les paul player for years so I decided to try Ibanez. I'm happy I did. This instrument plays like a dream. I will be purchasing another ibanez real soon. I'd like to give a special shout out to ams salesman Zach. You're an awsome salesman Zach, thank you for assisting me with my purchase.Les Paul Lady

Just unboxed this little beast and played a few hours, and ok, Wow! I was looking for a slimmer neck in an LP style cuz I have smaller hands, and this plays and sounds as nice as LPs I've gigged with for 1/3 the cost (full disclosure, I got it from the Friend on sale) but even at sticker price I'd highly recommend this for any level of player. Very well appointed, fit and finish are top notch. Pickups are dead quiet until played, great tone.JB

I work at a GC, and when this guitar came in, it sort of kept catching my eye. It was one of the first prototypes to bit the market early. It had a strangely comfortable neck profile, shaved all the way to the body. Slim, satin, smooth. It had active pickups, my first time really handling that. And it looked killer in red. It had double ply binding, Grover tuners, a solid Tune-O-Matic, hardware in tough to order Black Nickel, and was $100 cheaper than the 2016 Gibson 50s Tribute Standard which is also a very nice guitar. But, the 81/60 EMG combo slayed for every single style. I play in a covers band, which is fun for the money, but since we cover every style from Lady Gaga to GNR, I needed a very versatile guitar that could handle multiple genres of music. This guitar can pretty much do anything, and it sounds clear as a bell. The 60 Neck cleans up amazingly well, and I already play with a pretty mean Orange Dark Terror that is fairly over driven on stage. The guitar doesn't muddy up, and with added chorus yes, you will hit those clean, almost sterile clean tones Metallica is known for. This one is a different slice of pie, as I had never delved into active pickups. It's louder, it can get aggressive quick, cuts right through the mix even on wimpy iPhone footage. When you are tearing up a solo people hear it if your sound guy doesn't blow. And it's very sturdy. Get it set up to how you like it, buy a really good case for it, and this lady will keep on giving. I'm dead serious considering buying another one and having a live axe, and one for home use as well. Never felt so good about a guitar purchase until I bought this guitar. If you are looking at buying something for anything from jazz rock, to pop, to blues, to yes… metal lol… you won't be sorry you bought this. This one will out play some of the Deluxes we carry on the wall. Seriously, get this in red or black and thank yourself on stage or at home!Josh

I received the guitar without a working jack. I could not plug into it. I was able to open it up and bend the jack receiver back into place to where I could plug in. Then, just 2 weeks later, the guitar doesn't work at all. I plug into my amp just to get a choppy connection. I really wish guitar center would test the guitar to make sure it actually works before shipping it off. Very disappointing experience.Trey

I did much research before singling out the Crestwood Custom as my jack-of-trades workhorse guitar. I wanted something classic, but timeless enough to be diverse, and offer something in it's voice to my future music. I'm in love. It's sleek, it's light, it's flashy, refined, and yet, solid as tank. The intonation is spot on, easy to tune, it holds a tune, it's bright, it's punchy, and yet has that classic smoothness associated with classic finger-style artists like Chet Atkins. The tuners are precise and effective. Nothing is sloppy, nothing buzzes or rattles. The tremolo has the perfect amount of usefulness for my purposes, and is solid enough for a grounded rhythm track, while allowing me to shred to the Top Gun theme song. I use it for rhythm, melody, and even shredding. It does it all. The mini humbuckers really give the best of all worlds. I've even seen videos of people using it for metal, with good effect. It's friendly to the pocket, the eye, and the ear. I could not be happier, and American Musical shipped it out fast, and it even arrived two days early, on my birthday, which is a happy first in my consumer experience. Thank you Epiphone for an amazing guitar, and thank you American Musical Supply, for putting it in my hands!Ken W

Quality of workmanship is outstanding! Neck is so comfortable to play. The Epiphone pro mini humbucker pickups have fantastic range. The body shape is very comfortable to hold. The trematone system works very well and the guitar keeps tune. I got the white version and the pictures on line do not do it justice.. absolutely beautiful guitar! I must say this guitar/purchase did meet all of my expectations. If your looking for something with a different feel and vibe from all the rest the Epiphone Crestwood is an excellent choice. I like this guitar so much I’m going to also pick up one of the Wilshire models with the soap bar p90’s..Stephen from Bridgewater NJ

All the things I will say here are just my opinions, because everybody's hands and ears are different. But, having said that, I do feel qualified to give an insightful review having worked full time in a guitar repair shop through much of the 90's. I was originally just going to buy a backup guitar for my Ibanez 7-string that I use onstage. But then I thought, why not have a little fun and push myself out of my comfort zone? I can stiil play all the same songs I play on my 7-string. So why not? I could tell right away I liked the design of RG8 (from the strighter-string pull headstock to the flat-mount bridge) better than the Schecter8 in the same price point. The RG8 came with D'Addario .09-.64 strings on it, and it felt very similar to playing a .10-.46 set of strings on a standard scale length guitar, bends and slides were no problem (as well as slapping and popping the lower strings). But plan on putting a heavier strings on this axe if you want to go any lower than F#, a .10-.74 set works well for chords and rhythm riffing. the RG8 sounds and plays almost more like a short-scale bass in this configuration, and rings out better as well. Ibanez seems to know where to give you the biggest bang -for the-buck, and thankfully, it seems to be in the construction of the neck. I have never seen a guitar in this price range with a five piece neck, that's for sure. The neck seems very stable and is either unfinished or has a very light sealer on it, it feels nice and satin-y, but I'm unsure how well this neck would do in extreme temperature changes. But, having said that, mine hasn't moved at all, even after a string change with a different brand and gauge. Of course, that means they need to skimp a little in other areas on the guitar, and the most obvious of course, are the pickups and electrontics. The stock pickups have a fairly clear tone and are little lower output than I was expecting (when compared to my 7-string with a Dimarzio Evolution in the bridge position). Luckily, these are easily replaceble, and not difficult to find at all. Seymour Duncan and EMG make perfect retro-fits for this guitar. I did disconnected the tone control from the volume knob, and it does actually make a small diffence in clarity in the tone. The tuning keys are of the no-name variety, and seem to work well, but the heavier strings I installed just barely fit through the hole in the key, and I thought I detected a small amount binding in their rotation afterwards. The 27" scale works well for keeping those lower notes clear and is really not that noticable for me except maybe in the lower regions of the neck (This is another reason I like the Ibanez design…Schecter has a 26.5" and LTD has a 25.5").I'm sure I will upgrade the pickups and electronics in the future, but overall, I'm excited about playing this guitar and the additional creativity it will bring.Locknutmonster

This guitar made me not only hate extended range, but music as a whole for a while. Ibanez as a brand is absolutely phenomenal, and I have been a fanboy of them since the moment I picked up guitar. This guitar delivers virtually nothing I expect from Ibanez – even the gio line. The rg8 series is plagued with shoddy craftsmanship, atrocious fretwork, horrendous out-of-box playability, and they just FEEL disgusting in the hand. An unfinished neck =/= an utterly raw neck. Such has been the case with each of the 6 individual rg8s I have played – when porous, grimy feeling, roughly sanded, horribly profiled necks that seem to fight your fretting hand with a samurai's zeal meet mile-high action that can only be nominally corrected due to atrociously leveled frets, the experience of playing an Ibanez RG8 can be likened moreso to the experience of trying to play a fretted shamisen. If ungodly fit and finish, horrible feel, and the flat plate bridge haven't turned you completely off, the disgustingly poor pickup choice should seal the deal. There are many things that these pickups aren't – but I can confirm that they are without character, flat, unimpressive, and unbalanced. Their response to gain is practically null. I have never enjoyed a tone that has come out of an rg8. tl;dr? run for the hills. or buy the entry level Jackson 8.mamasrockstar

The guitar came with the bridge and one of the pickups in the bag and not attached to the guitar and the vibrator tailpiece is missing. Compare my picture to the picture from eBay, I just wanted the Brian May Guitar miniature replica like the one they advertise on eBaysigdiana4

It's so cool and well made. It's larger than I thought. Love it ! I took a picture (attached to this post) and some friends thought it was real. The box looks like a guitar case and it is simple, but nice too.cauzion

Interesting, but not very indepth look at the making of the guitar. I expected more and better pictures of the build and design. Drawings were very hard to see properly. Given the size I expected it to take me more than the 4 hours it did to read (and I'm a slow reader). This is a new edition, and has some more recent information. I dont know if this is as the result of sacrificing some from the previous edition. Without reading one I wont know.trxbloke

I've always liked Queen, but was also fascinated with the sounds Brian May got out of his guitar – especially since it was handmade. I've built guitars myself and wired stratocasters up in a similar way to Brians wiring. However this book goes more in depth on the build, with historical photos, plans and photod of the Red Special in bits! The most fascinating thing I'd found was the body is actually made out of block wood, not mahogany like I thought it was and that there's an actual switch plate under the pickguard. The book goes over all aspects of the guitar build. I know the books about the guitar, but it would have been good to have a little more info on his delay and amp setups as well as the "Deacy amp". But it's a great read none the less.schmidtp72