Not too long ago, Brian May Guitars revisited its Red Special heritage and treated Arielle’s BMG signature guitar to a familiar, May-flavored Antique Cherry colorway. At the time, it joined the guitar’s flagship Two Tone finish on the color palette.
Now, though, BMG has visited the other end of the color spectrum and flipped the Red Special vibe on its head by introducing another new colorway for Arielle’s axe: Windermere Blue.
The striking metallic finish looks to be the complete aesthetic opposite of the antique red colorway found on May’s original Red Special, further proving that Arielle’s signature model truly is its own guitar entirely.
Aside from the cosmetic pick-me-up – and color-matched headstock – the guitar stays true to its original spec sheet, which sought to deliver the “Red Special in a parallel universe."
As such, it features a short 24” scale length and a 12”-radius ebony fingerboard, both of which feature next to an Indonesian mahogany body that pays homage to the “radical American automotive and electric guitar designs of the 1950s and '60s."
Other notable appointments include a Wilkinson WVP tremolo, thumbwheel locking tuners and a trio of Tri-Sonic Style pickups, which answer to the versatile BM Switching System – a control layout that features six DPDT switches that act as pickup toggles and phase reversal switches.
Arielle’s signature model – admittedly not this new-look iteration – was back in action earlier this month when the singer-songwriter released ‘73, the lead single and title track from her upcoming studio album, which will arrive April 20.
The track itself showcased both ends of Arielle’s dynamic spectrum, delivering eyebrow-singeing guitar solos and an ultra-melodic interlude lickfest that demonstrates the guitarist’s elite touch and fretboard feel.
Though the Windermere Blue model has yet to be publicly used, its Antique Cherry Red sibling certainly saw studio action, with Arielle using it throughout the course of ‘73.
“To understand why this guitar was irresistible to me, you need to hold her in your hands,” commented Arielle. “The guitar is light, and smooth and agile. The BMG Arielle sings like a bird.”
Visit Brian May Guitars to check out all of Arielle’s signature models.
