<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Brian-may ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/brian-may Thu, 07 May 2026 15:52:48 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “He called me the night before he passed to tell me how much he loved it”: Posthumous Steve Cropper album announced, featuring some of electric guitar’s biggest names ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-cropper-posthumous-album-announced Fqivz9QgcXLFFrH8bctQ3o Thu, 07 May 2026 15:52:48 +0000 Thu, 07 May 2026 15:59:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He got the same sound. It’s the way he played – it wasn’t his gear”: What happened when Brian May recorded with Black Sabbath – and played through Tony Iommi’s rig ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/when-brian-may-recorded-with-black-sabbath-and-played-through-tony-iommis-rig UyevWGRQ89M89hj8L8AN85 Thu, 07 May 2026 15:03:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When I started this business, I had two kinds of people: those who believed in it and those laughing at me”: Who is buying $15 million guitars? One of the world’s leading dealers lifts the veil on the collectible guitar market ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/guitars/matts-guitar-shop-interview UzQ65Wpr3uDnpZii3qViJ9 Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:44:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I just remember thinking, ‘I can’t play this thing’”: Why Steve Vai struggled to play Brian May’s iconic Red Special ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-vai-on-brian-mays-red-special-guitar UQVz54qTKGUBhYAs7zqoqm Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:24:33 +0000 Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:00:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ “If it was in that room that day, that would be between 20 and 30 million dollars easy for sure”: Guitar expert reveals the guitars that could surpass the new auction record held by David Gilmour’s Black Strat ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/guitars/guitar-expert-reveals-the-guitars-that-could-surpass-the-black-strat-auction-record L97gh5ght6G35dSq3XdXde Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:57:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “One of the best gigs I've ever been involved in”: Brian May returns to the stage for a fiery three-song cameo with Benson Boone – then hands him the Red Special ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brian-may-benson-boone-birmingham-uk JBi4TgcdtUXRK8tJjmNmjK Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:14:16 +0000 Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:22:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He told me the story about a young guitarist he once let play his guitar at rehearsal. I said, ‘Brian, that was me’”: Steve Vai pays tribute to Brian May as he receives his radical custom Red Special ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-vais-green-red-special-brian-may-tribute xFtfU8sWnVDfbBzNoxWrhJ Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:49:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A true gift, 2 years in the making”: Brian May gifts Tony Iommi a custom Red Special replica – but it’s taken some inspiration from his legendary 'Old Boy' SG ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/tony-iommi-red-special-replica ozpAhD8sdt94c3vqdViKAZ Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:23:11 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Getting a Germanium Boy into Brian May’s hands pronto is a top priority”: Dirty Boy’s pedals are loved by the likes of John Frusciante and Neal Schon – is the Queen guitarist next? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/guitar-pedals/dirty-boy-pedals hyvdeU8ry2HHVoptSSYdJ9 Sun, 07 Dec 2025 11:05:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My playing has always sucked, but it sells because I keep it simple”: Steve Cropper was one of guitar’s most modest yet influential figures. In one of his final interviews, he looked back at making Booker T & the MG’s classics and working with Jeff Beck ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-cropper-final-interview n4KuLzDh9MNfdwGwCJKRmL Thu, 04 Dec 2025 09:59:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s not every day you get to work for a player rightfully belonging on the pantheon of rock gods”: Steve Vai has reimagined Brian May’s Red Special in his own vision with the help of a UK boutique guitar builder ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/steve-vai-brian-may-red-special-guyton-guitars 5QbMwCXmhmdyXLByGefjEB Thu, 27 Nov 2025 17:35:56 +0000 Thu, 27 Nov 2025 17:37:16 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I bumped into one of Queen’s techs. He said, ‘Steve, come down to the studio – the lads would love to see you’”: How Steve Howe ended up playing on a Queen track ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-howe-on-playing-on-queens-innuendo FUgtQiXiCJhJzr5kHvWEzf Thu, 30 Oct 2025 13:35:51 +0000 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:30:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I don’t have heroes, but I adore Queen… I think you can hear bits of Brian in my solos”: Named after a Måneskin track, inspired by Queen and Arctic Monkeys, here’s how Baby Said became the UK’s hottest rock duo ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/baby-said-veronica-pal-bs kmsNMWP44nhQG2vsujq2v6 Fri, 03 Oct 2025 08:39:34 +0000 Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:12:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I bet if it had been Brian May playing this it would have been labeled incredible!” Sam Ryder delivers an electric guitar-driven rendition of the British national anthem – and somehow stirs up controversy ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/sam-ryder-electric-guitar-british-national-anthem jJ3YCAmMPgGKPKzMKxkyx8 Tue, 17 Jun 2025 12:26:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ “To my utter horror I heard myself noodling all the way through our chat. On Brian’s own guitar!”: The first time I met Brian May – and we were both wearing clogs ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/the-time-i-met-brian-may-of-queen-in-clogs L3DRbHH2qVKAh2fZpVaKDC Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:21:39 +0000 Thu, 19 Jun 2025 09:10:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Freddie is always with me. He was like a brother, and now I have a Mercury on my guitar, too, which makes me very happy”: Brian May on how astronomy, the Everly Brothers and Freddie Mercury influenced the design of his Gibson SJ-200 12-string ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brian-may-on-his-signature-gibson-custom-sj200-12-string QVsMeCmQW2cawMZLEJuBUT Fri, 06 Jun 2025 10:45:25 +0000 Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:56:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kurt Cobain's 1989 Takamine expected to fetch up to $500,000 at auction – alongside guitars played by the likes of Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, David Bowie, Joe Perry and Melissa Etheridge ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/guitars/kurt-cobains-1989-takamine-acoustic-at-auction kSErk5LWoPqd48NreEcQPQ Fri, 09 May 2025 12:08:02 +0000 Tue, 13 May 2025 14:31:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It was the first and last time I've ever argued with Brian May. He was so adamant about us not doing it”: Nuno Bettencourt recalls Extreme’s rebellious Queen medley at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/nuno-bettencourt-on-extremes-freddie-mercury-tribute DTSBH3tRDWhEyBaV7LEunR Fri, 25 Apr 2025 12:52:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “This particular way of concluding Bohemian Rhapsody will be hard to beat!” Brian May with Benson Boone, Green Day with the Go-Gos, and Lady Gaga rocking a Suhr – Coachella’s first weekend delivered the guitar goods ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/concerts-gigs-tours/brian-may-billie-joe-armstrong-lady-gaga-coachella-2025 EbSg48yGytNHdQWYXufUaj Mon, 14 Apr 2025 11:08:46 +0000 Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:24:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I don’t only think in barre chords – that’s a slightly arrogant statement to make”: Brian May and Roger Taylor disagree about their guitar contributions to Taylor’s Queen tracks ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brian-may-roger-taylor-queen-tracks-disagreements fdA6rxN5wHn93PbHoJDqNX Wed, 09 Apr 2025 10:05:15 +0000 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 10:14:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I had doubts about the Red Special – I knew it sounded different from what everybody else was using, from a Strat and a Gibson. But hearing it back was thrilling”: Brian May on reworking Queen’s regal debut, bad reviews, and Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Magic” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brian-may-queen-i wEKdaX25KkE6g8Cu8uEZo4 Tue, 04 Mar 2025 13:26:55 +0000 Mon, 10 Mar 2025 15:26:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ “That’s a little nod to a friend of mine. Freddie’s always with me”: Brian May’s new Gibson 12-string signature guitar has a subtle tribute to Freddie Mercury that you might have missed ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/acoustic-guitars/brian-may-gibson-12-string-freddie-mercury-tribute ho6dXhEbxDqy2F3wi99TK7 Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:57:18 +0000 Mon, 10 Mar 2025 15:19:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The 12-string I was accustomed to wasn’t performing. Gibson kindly said, ‘We’ll make you something special’”: Brian May’s first Gibson signature is here – and it’s got nothing to do with the Red Special ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/acoustic-electric-guitars/gibson-brian-may-sj-200-12-string-signature EQPSr2n2M6knS2DDtJE3SV Tue, 18 Feb 2025 15:00:00 +0000 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:28:13 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It took me a long time to feel confident about being the only guitar on stage. I always felt like I needed a rhythm guitar”: Brian May fought to add a rhythm guitarist to Queen in their early years – and several players would eventually grant his wish ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brian-may-fought-to-add-a-rhythm-guitarist-to-queen d3SDLeSahLF7BkWSHSG9wB Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:00:00 +0000 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:09:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I managed to stay behind at The Marquee when everyone had gone home. I asked him, ‘How do you get that sound?’ He said, ‘Well, it’s easy...’” In 1969, a young Brian May hid in a venue to speak to Rory Gallagher –and it led to his tonal breakthrough ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/i-managed-to-stay-behind-at-the-marquee-when-everyone-had-gone-home-i-asked-him-how-do-you-get-that-sound-he-said-well-its-easy-in-1969-a-young-brian-may-hid-in-a-venue-to-speak-to-rory-gallagher-and-it-led-to-his-tonal-breakthrough uYRQ8Ghf5wV8A5Biwno5kQ Mon, 10 Feb 2025 17:26:15 +0000 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:30:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I suddenly couldn’t control this left arm, it was quite scary. I had no idea what was going on”: Brian May issues update after suffering ‘minor stroke’ ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/brian-may-mini-stroke-health-update WDfd6CYeAuDLmHu2tRffN3 Thu, 06 Feb 2025 12:22:31 +0000 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:02:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I plugged into a Marshall stack – and it sounded awful. I could hardly play... Jimi Hendrix came onstage, plugged into the same amp – and it sounded like a cataclysm”: Brian May on the one time he experimented with a Marshall stack ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/when-brian-may-played-through-a-marshall-stack 4PtDPg8scaEgTwFAqUJvbT Tue, 04 Feb 2025 10:04:00 +0000 Tue, 11 Feb 2025 09:59:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There was a time you wouldn’t have touched a Superstrat, at least in my world – that was very illegal. It’s cool to be able to let go of those old feelings and those silly rules”: How Chris Shiflett learned to love his inner shredder ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/chris-shiflett-signature-cleaver-telecaster kB9neY3TwbNjyWoqvzGJKk Wed, 11 Dec 2024 13:01:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When you start looking at Paul McCartney, you start playing the song wrong”: Chris Shiflett on what it's like to share the stage with Macca – and Brian May ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/chris-shiflett-most-memorable-collaborator JSaX7TveQLUqvxrpLToxjJ Fri, 29 Nov 2024 16:10:08 +0000 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 11:40:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Jethro Tull would rehearse at a strict time every morning and then break for lunch. It was like going to work. In Black Sabbath, we never did that”: Tony Iommi on hanging out with Jimmy Page and Brian May, early Sabbath –and his time with Tull ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/tony-iommi-on-jimmy-page-brian-may-and-jethro-tull 4daiNrrtpQWfApcBfqzBXn Wed, 27 Nov 2024 13:31:39 +0000 Fri, 31 Jan 2025 18:02:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I took over where Billy Gibbons left off and did my half of the solo, and it was a very rare thing. My wife loves it. She doesn’t love anything I do...” Brian May, Billy Gibbons and Steve Cropper on how the three guitar icons learned to play together ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-cropper-brian-may-billy-gibbons-friendlytown aLXABaNy7TsKzdeULfbZTk Thu, 07 Nov 2024 13:21:24 +0000 Fri, 06 Dec 2024 17:00:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I remember my dad saying, ‘There’s no ambience, Brian. I don’t feel like I’m in the room with you playing next to me’”: Why Brian May and Queen were unhappy with their debut album – and how the newly revamped version fixes the “very dry” guitar parts ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/why-brian-may-and-queen-were-unhappy-with-their-debut-album Q8yqiavKJqiEJ5dyDATMu7 Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:29:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I got to meet the new British Rock Royalty tonight”: The Last Dinner Party's Emily Roberts moonlighted as Brian May in a Queen tribute band – now the guitar legend is endorsing her band ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/the-last-dinner-party-emily-roberts-brian-may okmg4B69bfjoX4UGUx4SAE Thu, 17 Oct 2024 12:25:12 +0000 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:28:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Slash’s wife grabbed hold of the steering wheel because he was heading toward a canyon. We were in the back seat going, ‘Nooo!’” Jamie Moses on the wild ride of playing with Brian May, hanging with Slash and his time as Queen’s second guitarist ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/jamie-moses-queen-brian-may wuHW2dr93YEkyg7dMsmhgT Wed, 16 Oct 2024 14:47:14 +0000 Mon, 28 Oct 2024 17:10:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave popped a fuse… The vitriol that came out was unbelievable”: Alex Van Halen reveals the real reason why the Van Halen tribute didn’t happen – and the advice Brian May gave him about the tour ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/alex-van-halen-on-why-the-van-halen-tribute-didnt-happen FrdGqFMSBZ6H6XdbQM4DS4 Wed, 16 Oct 2024 10:15:07 +0000 Mon, 21 Oct 2024 08:30:12 +0000 <![CDATA[ “What we have in common is that we don’t shred for the sake of it. In my case, it’s because I can’t!” Brian May on his unlikely guitar kinsmanship with Steve Cropper and Billy Gibbons ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-billy-gibbons-steve-cropper-not-shredding-for-shredding-sake TrwUJ8rVoMHm5xRRx3N8Ui Tue, 15 Oct 2024 16:54:41 +0000 Mon, 28 Oct 2024 17:26:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I wanted to sound like Jimi Hendrix on his first album. It was good to have that there for a while”: Brian May reveals the off-the-wall Red Special mod from his pre-Queen days that he ended up removing ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-on-the-red-special-mod-he-didnt-like MQ9xrGHqQayHTQjLTYxiyf Mon, 14 Oct 2024 14:04:57 +0000 Thu, 17 Oct 2024 11:48:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Billy had already played half a solo. The producer said, ‘Can you play the other half?’ I said, ‘Can’t you give him a whole solo and me a whole solo?’” Brian May explains why he was reluctant to share a solo with Billy Gibbons – and what changed his mind ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-reluctant-to-share-a-solo-with-billy-gibbons 936Su7ZvUTXRwcUGZzQ4P9 Fri, 11 Oct 2024 13:34:41 +0000 Mon, 28 Oct 2024 17:27:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ “What you guys probably didn't know was that was the first time I've touched that guitar for two months”: Brian May is back on stage following a recent minor stroke ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-is-back-on-stage-following-a-recent-minor-stroke kNtd3qeBat9kb4ckw75jPf Tue, 08 Oct 2024 10:59:44 +0000 Thu, 17 Oct 2024 11:42:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The Allman Brothers were unbelievable. When Duane came to the studio to play on Layla, I was so taken with him that I started ignoring my own band”: How the 1970s became the greatest decade for rock guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/how-1970s-became-greatest-decade-for-rock-guitar 8ZXc4TAAu2hmyVwBgjn8mY Wed, 02 Oct 2024 16:50:55 +0000 Thu, 17 Oct 2024 11:45:56 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I could see Brian was thinking about something, and he said, ‘How would you feel about using one of my Brian May guitars?’” Queen’s second guitarist, Jamie Moses, on how Brian May convinced him to switch from a Strat to a Red Special ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/queen-second-guitarist-jamie-moses-on-how-brian-may-convinced-him-to-switch-from-a-strat-to-a-red-special aKcTiPE2v9riuk9hiQdqHm Fri, 27 Sep 2024 10:28:24 +0000 Fri, 18 Oct 2024 15:30:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ “All of a sudden out of the blue I didn’t have any control of this arm”: Brian May recovering after suffering “minor stroke” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-stroke-2024 wQFLMVv37hN626epUoVp9Y Wed, 04 Sep 2024 09:37:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Even when Freddie was nothing and nobody, he was Jimi Hendrix in his mind. And I enabled him to have that at his fingertips”: Brian May on his symbiotic songwriting relationship with Freddie Mercury – and the guitar innovations he never got credit for ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/brian-may-guitar-world-2024-queen-guitarist-talks-gibson-freddie-mercury-and-tone A98UkDEVZ6tLz3Y9dGe7L9 Tue, 09 Jul 2024 12:11:34 +0000 Thu, 27 Nov 2025 17:31:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s like guitar heaven”: Brian May turned down the chance to play with Steve Cropper and Billy Gibbons – but when his rejection email was used to write a new song, he had no choice but to take part ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/steve-cropper-brian-may-too-much-stress 59KeaQbZrGZXBU9Ktw76dN Thu, 27 Jun 2024 16:21:04 +0000 Fri, 11 Oct 2024 13:33:37 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There’s a great simulator that really does a very good job of simulating my sound”: Brian May reveals which affordable amp-in-a-box gets closest to nailing his iconic Queen tone – but it’s one you might not expect ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-amp-in-a-box-recommendation BCUxaDmg5LbaT9oLJfFBdD Thu, 13 Jun 2024 11:57:49 +0000 Mon, 17 Jun 2024 08:33:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We have spoken about such things, and it would be lovely to have an edition of the Brian May guitar based in the States”: Brian May confirms Gibson-built Red Specials are on the cards ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-gibson-murphy-lab-red-special HspCgjytoHjbTi4uTxuXS Tue, 11 Jun 2024 08:44:28 +0000 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 12:20:57 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I played House of the Rising Sun in my fifth-grade talent show. Afterward Stevie Ray Vaughan walked up and said, ‘I play guitar, too’ and our friendship began”: Meet Rocky Athas, the guitarist who went to school with SRV and inspired Brian May to tap ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/rocky-athas-livin-my-best-life 37JvKFQqw9GpNAtypMVAyC Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:40:47 +0000 Mon, 24 Jun 2024 08:24:11 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I spent an entire summer solidly trying to get inside Brian’s playing, hearing all the little details”: The Last Dinner Party’s Emily Roberts on how a Brian May tribute gig radically changed her guitar playing ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/the-last-dinner-party-emily-roberts-brian-may BnSG76Q5JiTNPJMqTqJxE7 Tue, 04 Jun 2024 14:57:51 +0000 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:28:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Brian walked up to me and said, ‘I dig that.’ I was finger-tapping with my right hand. He says, ‘I'm going to nick that from you!’” The mystery virtuoso who inspired Brian May to two-hand tap recalls the exact moment it happened ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/rocky-athas-taught-brian-may-tapping KNyUeu8gXYRhxy8Jz527a Tue, 28 May 2024 10:57:56 +0000 Tue, 11 Jun 2024 11:28:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I realized that day that you don't perform for people. You don't prove anything to the audience”: Nuno Bettencourt on how Alice in Chains' Layne Staley radically changed the way he plays guitar on stage ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/nuno-bettencourt-alice-in-chains-layne-staley-influenced-the-way-he-plays-guitar-on-stage jNDGPbkweagTuxHx4dWB7h Tue, 21 May 2024 15:12:40 +0000 Thu, 23 May 2024 08:31:13 +0000