Burns Guitars Brian May

- Mahogany body, color "cherry" (for mine) with acoustic chamber and net Pinstripe
- Mahogany glued
- 24 "body size
- Steel: 22mm the 1st fret ... The 12th fret 24mm
- 24 frets, zero fret.
- Ebony
- Width of the handle 45 mm and 57mm 0 fret the 24me fret.
- Mechanical locking Grover GH305
- Double truss rode
- Graphite Nut
- New bridge
- Brian May Custom Vibrato
- 3 microphones Burns Brian May Signature Tri-Sonic
- Chrome Hardware
- Buttons Master Volume, Tone Control
- 6 individual orders micro tri-sonic Brian May Signature IN / OUT phase and ON / OFF.

UTILIZATION

Subjectively (I did not measure the width of the handle or the radius) the handle seems flatter and wider than my strat (mexico model 2002). The adaptation is not obvious and my fingers seem "glued" to the key, especially in the notes from. Print probably due to the slight imbalance head side handle slightly itchy nose in the game sitting. This sensation disappears in the game up. The game sitting is not facilitated by the indentation of the body is not very strong at the thigh.
The pitch is short (600 mm), which makes the game for small hands and acrobatic extensions for large hands like mine.
Access to acute impeccable, 24 frets (non-22 as said in the previous review). The bars seem to me against some high compared to what I use.
The selection of sounds is the concept of "pawn shop" (we know that Brian May had tinkered with this instrument using his paternal) switches on-off and off-stage for each microphone, we can not simple, but suddenly combinations may be redundant (eg neck pickup phase middle pickup out of phase + = + neck pickup out of phase middle pickup in phase). In addition, the handling of switches is audible, which would indicate that use of the instrument rather than live studio. That said, finding her is pretty simple, the only single coil pickups, two or all three phase, provide clear sounds or combinations crunch biting enough while still warm (certainly with regard to the use of wood dense). The out of phase positions are less obvious, it quickly falls into the "dry" of "acute" and "thin" (though not uninteresting to the game "casserole" or some effects). In this case, the most interesting in my opinion is the position with three microphones out of phase pickup. Its clear, funky rhythms are excellent (even live dub), crunch, rock riffs see ACDC hard rock style, solo, American '70s rock (for the heavier it will be appreciated, it will badly hack between guitar and amp).
Rod free vibrato, very light and quickly accessible. Beware though, the risk of dropping the rod if you look too far ahead.
Despite the design in solid mahogany, the instrument is rather light (small size, thickness of the body and the lower neck), which allows a comfortable standing game, and makes it an ideal instrument for the trip.
The provision of lifts on the head seems optimal, and helps sustain with zero fret and use of mahogany (which compensates for the use of vibrato to "knife")
A chamfer on the body at the right forearm (right handed) would have been welcome, as for the game sitting and standing (but then moves away from the original model)


SOUNDS

For sounds, see section above.
The rather unlikely combination of single coil pickups and "hard" wood make an instrument to hand, which has no crystalline slamming a Fender (or another Burns), or the roundness and softness of a Gibson (to stay in the standard). This guitar has its own voice, she speaks a little "nose" (V. resonator guitars) and we can explore in different styles, particularly counterpoint in "moderate" styles (pop-rock variety) . It will not have any trouble out in a good mix to bring his own personality and his own breath.


OVERALL OPINION

I use this guitar for one day and I think that adaptation to handle and ergonomic asked a few weeks. It comes after several Fender, and Steinberger travel equipped with EMG active pickups. I also tried Burns (Marquee, Cobra ...) before making this choice.
The value for money is very good, even if you feel in any design the dough handyman (See point 2) switches "basic" buttons pots cheap, perfectly flat chest cut with a jigsaw in a board head not worked (but against an optimal view of the string tension) ... Notwithstanding this, no complaints about the finish.
I'm not a fan of Brian May, although I appreciate that as a guitarist, and I have not made this choice to sound like him (I play a Marshall), but to expand the palette of sounds I can put on my arrangement. I wanted a guitar that sounds particularly clear while having sustain. The objective is achieved and I repeat that choice, although I think that the production would benefit from moving away from the original model to make some improvements that Brian May and his father could not realize at the time in their garage (position selector and active phase ergonomics review for the game sitting bevels on the body, more standard vibrato).

Everything is (very good) described in the previous opinion. I grade all the same: apparently with an early model, so with mahogany body, I have not mentioned the problem of imbalance. The guitar is very well finished. One caveat: to fix the major problems stem vibrato. However, overall, this guitar exudes finesse and mixed hardiness. Very special.

UTILIZATION

Good balance. small pitch, so great for my hands "not very big." Ebony fingerboard super fun. Channel rather narrow. I confess I can not imagine the great Brian May paws on it!
The shape of the muzzle slightly hollowed out below, the game is not easy sitting (the groove is too narrow for my thigh) at least to keep it as a classical guitar. But you get used quickly.

SOUNDS

Obviously, the manufacturer is primarily the worshipers of Brian May, which I am. But it seems illusory to want to sound like May 6 if you do not Vox AC-30 fully seat, plus boosters and other trebble chorus expensive shoes in the guitarist and, last but not least, her fingers and feeling so unique. Therefore, even if I think I can get close to certain sounds somewhat (especially for 70 years, for that matter), I think it is better to use this guitar in another perspective: take it as it is, exploring its many possibilities, and build his own sound from this unique tool.
Because the sounds produced by this instrument are like nothing else I know. 3 microphones can be combined at will (the three together if you want more ...), phase inverters ... There is a choice! It's going to sound bold, corpulent (neck and middle pickups in phase) to sounds very acidic or slender (but the same microphone out of phase). My vox, it sounds great, and a pod xt, the possibilities are endless! Only for the big sounds really hard I forsake the red special benefit of my or my Hagstrom Swede Washburn N2.

OVERALL OPINION

I own this guitar for something like three years. I have never regretted this purchase (not wasteful, it must be said, about 740 euros). She is beautiful, it sounds good, it is well built, and above all it is singular and invited to creativity, experimentation.

Guitar made in Korea.
24 frets, 3 single Burns Trisonic pickups wired in series.
Burns London Deluxe Vibrato (close Strato)
2 knobs: volume and tone of course.
The micro switch provides absolutely all possible combinations, ie:
A single microphone, 2 microphones, or 3 pickups at once! When I say two microphones, ca may well be neck + bridge for example.
Furthermore, it is possible to micro reverse phase to each other. I mean for example you can put two microphones in the same phase, and the third phase otherwise.
All this is interesting in sound ...
Groover mechanical self-locking, nut Graphtek, freight 0 (great sustain), body and mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard ...

UTILIZATION

The handle is very nice. I also play on Start (a reference I think it in terms of comfort handle), and honestly, I feel at least as comfortable on the Brian May.
The handle is slightly polished, but no problem with sticky hands or anything ...
Access to acute (24 frets!) Is very good. Easier than to reach the 21 th Start of my cargo. The neck is thin (profile D), and as it is built into the base and glued into the body, there is no big shoe screw type Start.

Ergonomics. So you must know that Brian May (and here I contradict by being 100 000% sure what I'm saying some opinions I've read) was first made by Burns in 2001 (probably January or February 2001) with Basswood body and mahogany neck. Added to that the acoustic cavities that were (and still are) carved into the body of the same Red Special Brian May (to recreate the sound so special), then you get an instrument seems there- spicy nose, heavy side handle, lightweight body side.

BUT: after a few hundreds of guitars produced, Brian May (who now oversees the production itself) has decided to correct this problem (from serial number 150/200, you must know that this guitar is just 7000 / 8000 about copies) by the mahogany for the body. Mine, produced in early 2005 has no balance.
In contrast, body shape requires, it is difficult, everything is relative-to play seated. In addition, the connection jack at the bottom left (I left for droiters it right) on the plane perpendicular to the table (!!!!???, you follow me there?) Tends to touch the chair when sitting cheek.
But nothing bad, just get used to.

Question ease of adjustment, there are six switches (one for each microphone which is therefore 3 + 1 to reverse the phase of each microphone). It has a total of 14 possible combination of sounds real good ... the first day, hassle ... just a little bit ... but it's not rocket science either!

SOUNDS

Sound. This is great art. It's hard to explain in words sound, I think.

Bridge pickup alone slamming powerful, mainly acute, precise sound (Start type in the same position, but less acute and more clearly defined anyway).
Micro middle: warm sound, accurate, well MEDIUUUUMMMMM with this.
Neck pickup: its even hotter (in mahogany ....), and even more médiuuummmm.
Bridge + middle: the type layer in the same configuration, but warmer (actually it's + gibson fender together !!!).
Well, I will not do any configs ... I'll just say that by using, for example all three microphones (or two), and putting out of phase one or two microphones, one arrives at the sounds typical of QUEEN.
Long Way (album Day at the races) is a good example for fans of Queen. It is easy (I say this because I have a simple amp Roland Cube 30) to get that sound fabulous, rich, crammed into the medium, in which one has the impression that the wood of the guitar that speaks ...

However, again the solo Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Jewel, All Dead All Dead, You Take My Breath Away, Good Company is unrealistic and impossible with a solo guitar + amp. You need the Treble Booster and / or the Deacy amp (one manufactured home by John Deacon, Queen bassist) to approach the sound of Brian. Then we must learn to play like him.

Drive sound: excellent. Good attention, I do not see James Hetfield (that's the way it is written?) Of METALICA (I love this group) with the Burns Brian May. But we come out without pushing the gain of the amplifier ground (natural saturation of the guitar), a beautiful well-defined saturation, not minced, clear, powerful, much better than the Start.

OVERALL OPINION

Finally, I use the guitar for ... It's been 10 days, time flies. No kidding, I had several hours in the hands, should not be super smart not to hear what can come out of a guitar!
The finish of this fine is PERFECT! No, it's not true, is not perfect, I would say EXCELLENT!
I love everything about this guitar. Its sonic possibilities, shape, color (red special, eh eh), and then it looks (I mean the feeling) that this guitar has a soul. After all, she is one of the little sisters of the guitar as a young Brian May has made with his dad. It is a copy of a guitar that provided the music sounds so special these albums in the Queen ...

Test Question: bah ... this might be where the problem lies. I bought it because I'm a fan of Queen and Brian May of course. But imagine that with perhaps 1,500 guitars produced each year, about 300 left-handed, we can not afford to try before ... except luck.
The value for money is great. I got it new for 850 euros, and the quality is there. Really, nothing more to say about that.
And this choice I would do of course!