“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
Jamie Moses toured with Queen for 11 years, and switched up his rig to perform alongside May – and even inspired a new modification for the iconic guitar
(Image credit: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Jamie Moses cut his teeth performing Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and James Brown on Air Force bases, as well as on radio and TV, all by the tender age of 13. After a stint with The Animals’ Eric Burdon in the late '80s, Moses' hard-fought hours led to a golden opportunity with Brian May, where he played second fiddle to the Queen guitarist in his solo band.
This gig morphed into an 11-year stint touring with Queen – an experience that solidified his reputation as an in-demand guitar player. However, touring with May meant adjusting his rig – specifically, his axe of choice.
“Funny thing is when I auditioned with Brian for his band, I had this amp called the Fender 75, which was a combo. I had two of those, and Brian said, ‘What a great guitar sound you’ve got.’ I had an old Strat, which I still use, and he loved the sound,” Moses says in an upcoming Guitar World interview.
The Brian May Band - Since You've Been Gone (Live At The Brixton Academy) - YouTube
“Once we got to doing the Queen thing, I used that for a little while, and one day, I could see that Brian was thinking about something, and he said, ‘How would you feel about using one of my Brian May guitars? Like a copy of mine?’ I said, ‘Yeah, sure.’ And I ended up doing that.”
Switching from a Strat to a Red Special replica came with its challenges. “I find them harder to use and control because all the switches and knobs are in a weird place,” he explains.
However, May was cognizant of Moses' preferences and suggested he could get a custom one made especially for him.
“He said, ‘Just tell them if you want anything different.’ I got it, and Brian came to soundcheck and said, ‘Is that the new guitar?’ I said, ‘Yeah,’ and he said, ‘What’s that knob for?’”
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Moses had modified the Red Special replica so that it had an extra knob by the bridge in the same place a Strat volume knob would be. He did this so that he could control it using his pinkie and “make the sort of violin sounds.”
Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.