---
product_id: 86705568
title: "Brian May's Red Special: The Story of the Home-Made Guitar that Rocked Queen and the World"
brand: "brian maysimon bradley"
price: "€ 81.45"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/86705568-brian-mays-red-special-the-story-of-the-home-made
store_origin: CY
region: Cyprus
---

# Brian May's Red Special: The Story of the Home-Made Guitar that Rocked Queen and the World

**Brand:** brian maysimon bradley
**Price:** € 81.45
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Brian May's Red Special: The Story of the Home-Made Guitar that Rocked Queen and the World by brian maysimon bradley
- **How much does it cost?** € 81.45 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.cy](https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/86705568-brian-mays-red-special-the-story-of-the-home-made)

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- brian maysimon bradley enthusiasts

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## Description

Brian May's Red Special: The Story of the Home-Made Guitar that Rocked Queen and the World

## Images

![Brian May's Red Special: The Story of the Home-Made Guitar that Rocked Queen and the World - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71N9vWH1AOL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    A fascinating biography of the most loved electric guitar in the world
  

*by B***S on Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2020*

Although Simon Bradley is appropriately credited as co-author, make no mistake – the story is all in Brian May’s words as he was interviewed extensively for the book. At one point in the book May states what is well known to most Queen fans in particular but also to rock fans in general who know anything about guitar players – the Red Special is a part of May. So, this book is both a biography of the Red Special and as close as we have to an autobiography by the legendary rock musician whose father helped him build the guitar during the early 1960s when Brian was in his mid-teens. The title of chapter one is telling in that respect – “Father to Son”. There are wonderfully detailed stories about father and son designing the instrument, scrounging materials, and building it together. May’s feelings about his dad are summed in the comment, “My Dad really was a great Dad”.  The book is beautifully illustrated with stunning photos and carefully preserved artifacts and documents from the Brian May Archive. It is a biography of the Red Special because it follows the life of the guitar from its ‘birth’ (chapter two title, “A Guitar is Born”) through the Queen days (chapter four) and its famous playing of “God Save the Queen” on the roof of Buckingham Palace to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, and right up to today. Also known as ‘The Old Lady’, the Red Special has aged gracefully, so much of it still original after more than 50 years of life. One of my favorite chapters is “The Queen Days” which includes brief interviews with the three main technicians that have worked with Brian to maintain the Red Special since 1975. I laughed out loud reading (one of the technicians) Brian Zellis’s comment, “It’s not like a Stradivarius where you can just go and buy another one; it’s the Red Special, there isn’t anything else like it”.  The penultimate chapter describes the brilliantly period-correct reproductions of the Red Special used in “the film”.  And Gwilym Lee, who portrays Brian May in the movie, acknowledges that the Red Special “was like this mythical object to me” – as it is to all of us who have followed Brian May’s career.You don’t have to be as passionate a fan of Brian and Queen as I am to enjoy this book. But if you are a fan, or just love rare and historically significant musical instruments, you must read this biography of the most loved electric guitar in the world – and its maker.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    The Guitar that Rocked the World!
  

*by D***T on Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2022*

It's the Red Special.  What more can you say?Anyone who is a fan of Rock & Roll knows the band Queen and instantly recognizes Brian May with his trademark curly hair and iconic Red Special guitar.The book does both justice.  Brian weaves his life story, his years with Queen, and his desire to build the perfect guitar, around the technical description of how the Red Special was assembled from bits of pieces that he and his father found around their home.From cover to cover, the book is full of photos of the Red Special -- whole, in pieces, and in various stages of assembly -- along with hand written notes, pencil diagrams and handmade tools that helped to assemble the guitar.And, of course, once the guitar had been completed and placed into service, there are the many photos and stories of the Red Special in use with Smile, Queen, Brian's solo work, and Queen in its present day rendition with Adam Lambert.(It's even made an appearance in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody.  Or, rather, several copies have.)If you like guitars, guitar history, or just want to see how the most-famous guitar in the world came to be, read this book.  (I have...quite a few times.  And each time, I find something new.)

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    It’s a great book to know Brian mays story and his guitar
  

*by S***S on Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2022*

It’s very good book

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*Product available on Desertcart Cyprus*
*Store origin: CY*
*Last updated: 2026-03-20*