<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Queen ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/queen Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:14:16 +0000 en <![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[ “Thank goodness it wasn’t painted”: John Entwistle’s Warwick bass triples in value after analysis reveals links to another rock great ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/bass-guitars/john-entwistles-john-deacon-warwick-buzzard-auction jagDY7uedu3k24yHbyZro3 Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:54:22 +0000 Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:22:06 +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[ “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[ “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[ “You already have your own distinct sound, which normally people take decades to find”: 11-year-old shredder stuns with Eddie Van Halen and Brian May solos during relentless Britain’s Got Talent audition ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/olly-pearson-britains-got-talent-audition iHA7cucT7bZfEAZwiB6v6A Mon, 10 Mar 2025 17:21:09 +0000 Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:17:41 +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[ “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[ “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[ “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[ “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[ “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 put this riff on it, which people are telling me is the birth of thrash metal or something”: Queen’s Stone Cold Crazy comes full circle with a live punk rendition by The Offspring and Brian May ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/queen-brian-may-the-offspring-starmus-festival-slovakia td6qnvxUinEpcH7WD8u7cG Tue, 21 May 2024 10:56:59 +0000 Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:40:25 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I felt very dissatisfied with what I came up with… self-doubt rears its scary head to the point where I wonder who the hell I think I am”: Brian May questioned his guitar abilities ahead of a “challenging” virtuosic collaboration with Jean-Michel Jarre ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/queen-brian-may-jean-michel-jarre-starmus-festival 23Xy26ipMsLN4EiqBQ57re Tue, 14 May 2024 12:21:43 +0000 Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:48:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When the bass comes back in it’s like a punch in the face. Nobody plays like that anymore”: Listen to John Deacon’s isolated bassline on Killer Queen ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/john-deacon-on-queens-killer-queen cF9H2ZkH36iPhqjeinzhdf Sat, 13 Apr 2024 12:45:21 +0000 Thu, 20 Jun 2024 09:18:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s like Brian May walked over to his tone booth and just turned it up to 11!” Kirk Hammett names his favorite Queen song – and it’s a seriously deep cut ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/kirk-hammetts-favorite-queen-brian-may-song Ys9KLkogjwZzQP5zCcDWba Wed, 20 Mar 2024 15:26:25 +0000 Wed, 20 Mar 2024 15:26:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Freddie was a good riffmeister! He was a devotee of Jimi Hendrix. People think he was just concerned with the lighter stuff but it’s not true. He did enjoy the heavy stuff”: Brian May reveals the inside stories behind 13 classic Queen tracks ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-on-writing-and-recording-13-of-queens-biggest-songs kCxUXkJjWHWJQYstKTTBGN Tue, 12 Mar 2024 10:13:55 +0000 Thu, 20 Jun 2024 09:03:25 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We are so proud to have him in our Gibson family. From a little band called Queen…” Brian May is now working with Gibson – but what does it mean for the Red Special? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-working-with-gibson sHqUNebxUeSuv7EoJphDvY Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:45:18 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:21:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I still don’t find it easy! It’s one of the most unnatural riffs to play you could possibly imagine”: Brian May finds Bohemian Rhapsody difficult to perform – and he points the blame at “riffmeister” Freddie Mercury ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-bohemian-rhapsody-riff syEqp5fUsXgvjksZs8QKXa Wed, 21 Feb 2024 12:46:19 +0000 Fri, 20 Sep 2024 11:19:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s probably the only time in my career I bowed out, because I knew it was going to be a fight… most of that heavy guitar was lost”: Brian May says David Bowie removed his electric guitar riffs on Under Pressure – and he never liked the results ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-under-pressure-riff-david-bowie-mix ccrQ2245kReYoPaWBPtnrE Mon, 12 Feb 2024 17:37:15 +0000 Fri, 20 Sep 2024 11:09:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brian May Guitars seeks inspiration from the Barbie color chart to give the Special LE a high-Kenergy Hot Pink makeover ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-guitars-special-le-hot-pink a46qRDZtWRwxiEGCQajmsN Mon, 25 Sep 2023 14:29:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ Vox MV50-BM Brian May Limited Edition Set review: a tiny 50W Nutube head fit for Queen ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/reviews/vox-mv50-bm-brian-may-limited-edition-set-review W8X9CyyecdqeSkn5yD8TVT Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:26:45 +0000 Mon, 07 Aug 2023 08:53:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ Vox amPlug Brian May Special Edition Set review ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/reviews/vox-amplug-brian-may-special-edition-set-review mk774AsTaDiVBZbZJzanmA Mon, 12 Jun 2023 10:58:41 +0000 Wed, 14 Jun 2023 13:03:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ 11-year-old guitarist on Britain's Got Talent leaves Brian May in awe with Queen cover ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/britains-got-talent-11-year-old-guitarist-brian-may X23JedUyMfsG5x3bYgFkEG Thu, 25 May 2023 20:50:37 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Brian May make a TV presenter's day with an unaccompanied Bohemian Rhapsody solo through his epic Vox AC30 rig ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/brian-may-bohemian-rhapsody-tv-presenter 9g9a48ZYBBwpvzDjcz8tqH Thu, 06 Apr 2023 14:04:00 +0000 Tue, 11 Apr 2023 15:30:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ NAMM 2023: Vox pledges to make Brian May’s legendary tone “accessible to all” with two signature mini amps ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/vox-brian-may-amplug-mv50 B7SBoZH7wsgLUjFnr6VVGk Wed, 05 Apr 2023 11:00:14 +0000 Thu, 06 Apr 2023 15:50:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brian May – the ultimate interview: the Queen legend reflects on his career highs and lows, songwriting with Freddie Mercury and 50 years of trailblazing guitar playing ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/brian-may-queen-the-ultimate-interview fxFJT3NFEiPqnoDSrqLCfj Wed, 15 Feb 2023 12:55:54 +0000 Wed, 15 Feb 2023 13:05:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ The 10 coolest bassline samples ever ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-10-coolest-bassline-samples-ever jKARH54j6J55VX6MqwVHrX Fri, 03 Feb 2023 15:48:12 +0000 Fri, 15 Sep 2023 22:22:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brian May on how Led Zeppelin inspired Queen: “I owe a lot to Jimmy Page” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-queen-led-zeppelin-jimmy-page-influence 6FAtz42dCDRiWrLTFGkEfN Wed, 18 Jan 2023 10:46:08 +0000 Wed, 18 Jan 2023 14:59:23 +0000 <![CDATA[ How Brian May broke a golden guitar recording rule during the tracking of Queen's debut album ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/brian-may-queen-golden-guitar-recording-rule jG5MFdMLu3KWxASMJWqcSE Tue, 17 Jan 2023 11:15:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brian May: “The Face It Alone solo is very much in the moment. It’s me trying to be a voice next to Freddie's” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/brian-may-queen-face-it-alone dPcyxD98LRAqHoTQMoC33N Fri, 23 Dec 2022 09:33:10 +0000 Thu, 05 Jan 2023 16:46:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ Brian May on unearthing an unreleased Freddie Mercury track and how The Beatles: Get Back inspired the reissue of Queen's 1989 album The Miracle ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/queen-brian-may-the-miracle-reissue yMrhvZbdxPAwvL4MhQw85 Mon, 21 Nov 2022 15:27:20 +0000 Mon, 21 Nov 2022 15:32:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Charles Berthoud lead 200 bass players in a magical cover of Queen’s Under Pressure ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/charles-berthoud-leads-200-bass-players-in-cover-of-queens-under-pressure Bjbts5whHrefgvaPT6dQSV Mon, 21 Nov 2022 15:14:29 +0000 Fri, 27 Jan 2023 11:26:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ Queen share “lost” track featuring Freddie Mercury, Face It Alone, recorded over 30 years ago ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/queen-face-it-alone 7j8xnRqySF5FDEVs8MuS7K Thu, 13 Oct 2022 11:35:49 +0000 Thu, 13 Oct 2022 11:36:46 +0000 <![CDATA[ Queen and Adam Lambert announce Rhapsody Over London – a live stream extravaganza captured during their 10-night stint at the O2 Arena ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/queen-adam-lambert-rhapsody-over-london Hcj9H7PdsteE4GPB5uy4pV Thu, 07 Jul 2022 16:57:42 +0000