BMG Special v CQ Brian May Red Special - Cheap Guitar Compared To Expensive - with BM Digitech Pedal
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2019
- BMG Special v CQ Brian May Red Special Guitar - Cheap Guitar Compared To Expensive
Both guitars plugged into the same setup using a Brian May Digitech Pedal running through a HiFi amp recorded using iPhone and iRig microphone
CQ Red Special replica of Queen guitarist Brian Mays Guitar comes in at over £3000 as does the BMG Super.
The BMG Special is £600 - £700 and is considerably cheaper although it lacks the authenticity of the above.
But how does guitar sound compare to cheap verses expensive
Video by James Rundle
Fun fact : Brian may guitar is cheapest instrument in Queen.
Fun fact:Its priceless tho
Isn’t it like 15 pounds
@@ffs_auggie maybe
AumniX Lol?
@@ffs_auggie How to confuse a Brit
They both sound pretty good. Based on the sound only, I would stick with the less expensive one just because there wasn't enough difference to rationalize the cost difference.
Angie Whitworth-Pace I’d find another comparison video since this doesn’t do the CQ justice. It sounds like the amp is in a box... 50 miles away!
Where can I buy it?:"v and which one is the cheapest?
@@derechonews4766 brain may guitar
I've just bought the cheap one second hand, waiting for it to arrive...
How is it?
How was it I’m considering the cheap on for now then upgrading for the expensive one for 1500$usd
We need answers
How is it?
Congrats bro, it’s an amazing guitar.
I can't hear a difference, but I am no guitar player myself. In general...it's not the guitar, it's the player.
I can hear the difference as a guitar player but I would say the main difference is the look of the guitar but if your just looking for the sound it definitely doesn't justify the price difference
I can't afford the cheap one. 😢
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂👏👏👏
Cool
Do surveys like what I do lol
@@jongle215yearsago7 I need £90 more as of now. Look at the sub reddit r/beer money :)
@Arthur G. I used the sites prolific, qmee, you gov, gener8 and honeygain. It's hard work though. I had to put in 4 hours a day to earn £10 per day and it took me a few months to save up. It was worth it though.
If I may add one thing, Brian himself played the less expensive guitar at home on his couch during the Covid lock downs of 2020 and in his hands the less expensive guitar sounds amazing. It is a really nice guitar for the money, Real value for what you get. The more expensive guitar in it's own right is an exceptional replica of the Red Special. Which ever guitar you can afford, it will be an amazing instrument. Rock on Brian May fan's, as the collective, together, we are Queen. Thanks James for the comparison. Blessings 🙌
for me, the copy has a higher sound. especially when you played killer queen 🤷🏽♀️
50 subscribers and i’ll post a video this means this is closer to Brian's as he used a treble booster
I'd like to get one but I wouldn't use it to play Queen music. I like that it has 24 frets, lots of sound options and a superior bridge. Also its a cross between a Strat and and LP Custom with weight relief and a set neck. I'd even consider replacing the bridge and neck PUs with Strat style humbuckers and a coil tap.
Not higher brighter more treble
I like how you’re playing Was it All Worth it, to see if it was worth it
I wish a model existed for the price of the BMG that had the original replica trem, or even a Wilkinson roller bridge like the super
don't worry, I'm working on it
@@jorgepozoshdez 👀
well good news rs conversions does that
I'm not a guitar player but they both sound good to me 😀 Great job playing the songs! Must be a thrill to be able to play songs by Queen! Thanks for sharing 😃
I think a cheap, 30 pound audio interface and maybe some free digital software could vastly improve the quality of your videos. Obviously it would take a little longer to edit but not by much.
I'm a keyboards man, not a guitarist, but I agree with your appraisal entirely, James. I couldn't tell that was that much difference in sound that would merit a fourfold difference in price, based on what you showed to us in this video. The BMG Special looks like a nice electric guitar for a novice to have.
Love the video keep up the great work
The tone on both was a bit muffled, now I get the need for the treble booster. The expensive one had a bit more clarity but for 4x the cost, it should have had more. I would say that the 3K£ looked the coolest, especially the trem-bar!
If someone's giving either to a well-deserving guitarist who was a fan before Queen made it in the US... well then, throw my name in the hat! LOL!
yea I agree personally I don't like the scratch plate on the BMG special that's why I decided to buy a burns rs as the scratch plate is closer.
Ngl the second bit of your comment does sound a bit arrogant. Sorry but it does
By the way, awesome vídeo james, keep rockin
You have no idea how happy I am that you chose Was It All Worth it
great review man, thank you.
I love these types of comparisons very interesting.
In The Lap Of The Gods, CQ is winning, and I also like the look of CQ...but the prize is too high imho!!! Thanks James!!!
James, can you do a tab video for the wembley Brighton rock solo or suggest any kind of lesson or video. I can’t find any kind of tab for the solo.
I’ve just bought a BMG and about to go and pick it up. Good comparison. I thought the Killer Queen solo sounded a bit better on the expensive one, but as you’ve said, the guitar is only one part of that sound. Also, it’s as well for everyone to remember that the mic on Brian’s amp plus all of the outboard gear in the studio or by the live mixing console contributes a bit too. Nevertheless, I wish I hadn’t given away my Rangemaster treble booster years ago!
Happy new guitar 🎸
Both great guitars. The Original Copy type is what May still plays with the saddle further back on the body. The original uses longer strings due to the saddle bridge being further back, this also means less pressure on the springs with longer strings. This is why the BMG copy sounds brighter. Bryan May sells the BMG red special and also the Pro red special which is a copy of the original one (On your left).
I've got 77 greco replica. Pretty thing and it's old as time, very versatile sounds it produces.
Did you have the lone RS long enough to notice a difference in right hand positioning to mute strings? Just occurred to me (I've an old burns equiv to the BMG) and to mute, I have to strike over the neck pickup, on the proper trem you can pm and play over the middle pickup
I love the Brian May doll in the background. Where did you get him from? I’ve been looking everywhere!
Emma Caitlyn I’m going to do video about the doll and where I got it 😊
James Rundle Ah brilliant, thank you 😊👍🏻
I have a hand made attempt at a red special replica, its at least 20+ years old as I had it a an 18th birthday present from my parents (I'm nearing 38). Its got the original dimensions but lacks the hollow body, but a luthier did rout out as much of it as he could. It has an original set of burns tri-sonics on it which were custom made by the guy who (back in 2000 - 2001) had the Burns patents. Its got all the phase switches etc and correct machine heads. The ONLY thing it misses is the tremolo. It has a roller bridge but the knife edge is missing, its one of those things I've been meaning to sort for the past 20 years but never got around to.
Thanks James, great video. I have the signature guitar and wanted the super guitar which I think slightly brighter because of the pickups are not wound as hot but I couldn't justify the cost. Nice video thanks for sharing. Congratulations on the Super Guitar. Blessings
I think the BMG special sounded more like Brian's sound on Killer Queen, but not so different on the other ones. Thank you for your expert analyses! (also still seeing the doll, lol)
@@cesarb3006 You're right. The feel of an instrument is really important! I think the guitar is very difficult, so I'm in awe of anyone that plays! 😊
does the special trem stay in tune? can it be locked? would it handle heavy strings? is it neck heavy?
I liked your sraight up honest review w/good communication ability, so i subscrided to your channel.
Much respect
Craig+Ruth🧘♂️
Is it just an optical illusion or is the fingerboard a bit wider on the cheaper BMG Special? I have bigger fingers and prefer the strings to be a bit further apart. The fingerboard also appears to be a bit flatter in the Cheaper BMG Special. Is that correct?
Great video and two great guitars reviewed. 👍 Like them both, but as nearly always, the sound difference dos not justify the price difference to me.
So I stick to my Brian May and get a Duesenberg Caribou and a Harley Benton SC-550 (Les Paul clone) for the difference. 😉
I’ll have them both 👍🏻
A great review James, ha way
Although the sound seemed similar, I noted the pickup spacing is hugely different as such the phasing will have a dramatic contrast on the CQ vs the cheaper version. I had been tempted to get the cheaper one but as pickup phase is key to his sound, I’m having second thoughts
Where can i get one of those CQ Brian May Guitars?
Great video, James! Where can I buy CQ?
Best accent award🏅🏅🏅
I sold my 2004 burns golden jubilee I wish I kept it 🤦🏼♂️
you play so cool man
Джэймс здравствуйте хочу узнать ваше мнение что по звуку ближе CQ брайян мэй или греко бм 900 ? и хочу узнать хорошая ли гитара GREKO BM900 1978?
0:20 I thought he meant pounds as in the weight of the guitar
Where would I find the CQ version
Hi James I would just like to ask what amp did you use?
I played using the Brian May Digitech pedal played through HiFi and the speakers mic up with irig microphone directly to my iPhone
The CQ is brighter doing the lead stuff. I have the BMG and love the sound of it for the price but not the feel of it or the fact that it nose dives if I take my hand off of the neck. Cheers.
HI i just come across your video, on the Cheaper guitar, there is alot of screws ruining the look of it
I was kinda hopin you'd go more into detail about the trems. Are they both good / great / meh? Do they hold their own regarding whammy bends and tuning stability. Does the trem on the expensive model allow you to bend "up"? Do you have the cheap one set up to bend up at all either? Or are they both spring tensioned to only bend down?
Thanks for your review.
I think you mean does the trem go up and down? If so both models go up and down 😊
Hello James, I want to know your opinion, which sound is closer CQ Brian May or Greco BM 900? and I want to know if the GREKO BM900 1978 guitar is good?
Made a video about the Greco ua-cam.com/video/vgYxOQQY67A/v-deo.html
Thanks for the useful comparison; I couldn't tell the difference; certainly nothing that warrants 2.5 grand extra. I'll be buying the cheap version
The fingers of brian may make the sound special and unic !
Agreed.
I guess that guitar is rare for me i really like that controls like i can do acoustic guitar mode but i like the bmg one
I've just bought the 'cheap' one at nearly £800 GBP and I absolutely love it.
It's look is close to the original
Its 725£.
@@lackdejuranez7084 well apart from that crappy looking bridge
I'd go for the burns one, both visually and sound-wise.
how is the tuning stability of the trem bridge of the cheaper one, is it as good as the Super ??
Personally I’ve never had any problems with tuning stability with the BMG. The CQ is a vastly superior instrument in every way.
I think a lot of people missed the point of this video which was that buying an expensive guitar wasn’t going to magically make you sound vastly better
I think I would rather save up for the CQ. Like Brian May says, if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly.
I’d be happy with the cheap one , sounded pretty good to me , just buy a treble booster peddle as well .
I can't even afford the cheaper one. You are so lucky to have both. Lol
Great video, James! What song is the first lick you you play from?
Was It All Worth It 😊
@@Rocklicks72 Awesome, thank you, Sir! Great riff that I forgot from The Miracle album!
Hi James, than you for the post. I know this is a few years later. I have a Brian May LE and adore it. The one issue I have with it is when I change the strings, the bridge comes all the way out. making me doe tricks to get the job done. I order and it should be coming in the next month the BMG Super. From what I could hear here on UA-cam there was no enormous sound difference between the two. I got the Super thinking more that it is going to be collectable. I wanted as close to the real thing as I could get. I am curious to know that after a few years have passed now, do you favor one over the other? Now that you have had more time with the two of them? Lol I am thinking of tuning the LE down to Drop D to do things like Fat Bottom Girls White man etc. Thanks again for the post.
My suggestion when changing strings is to replace then one at a time. Instead of taking them all off at once.
The Super will be a huge step up in build quality. All the components will just be better. And as you say it looks like the original
Thank you for the response. I am really looking forward to my Super coming. That said, the tone on my LE is off the charts. It's a great guitar.@@Rocklicks72
I've just bought a Red Special from Reverb, I'm very happy with it, I agree with @Renotwin.... same quality of sound, all you're getting differently is the Brian May bridge, pick ups and the colour, it doesn't really make much difference what you get.
Hey mr James, I love your videos. Could you please give me a link to the cheap one? I love you and queen and really want one. Thx!
Go to www.brianmayguitars.co.uk 😊
the one with no autograph on the headstock sounds more harmonic. Perhaps the other one will sound the same with the time when the magnets lose their magnetic pull a little bit.
When you have them plugged in, are they plugged straight into the amp? Or is there a pedal?
Using Brian May Digitech pedal. 😊
James Rundle thank you so much!!!
Sound is really similar, looks on the other hand, the expensive one looks better and more "premium". The bridge i prefer on the cheaper one, but the pickguard looks flawless on the expensive one. They're both excellent guitars and I think the average player would chose the cheap one over the expensive one due to the price :)
both are great,, bmg gutar has a little clean sound,, red special has more distortion
I thought the Super had less noise, a bit more warm. Both sound good though.
Where did you buy the cq red special
The CQ was meant to me 😊
I liked the sound of the cheaper one better. It "has it". The more expensive one has a clearer tone, but that isn't necessarily what you want. I found the more expensive one "bland".
The two guitars are too different for a direct comparison, I think.
On the BMG the bridge pickup is further from the bridge - necessitated by the physical construction of the Wilkinson tremolo. The neck p/u also looks to be further from the neck on the BMG. This means that neither p/u position will give the same sonic qualities, surely? Even more so when using the phase control switches!
I'd like to know if there is much difference in scale length too.
For sure the difference in electronics make a difference. I experimented years ago with May-type switching and tried many different pots on the volume control (I'm not sure why the BMG even had a tone control with its output being chucked through a treble booster by most users), and even pots can make a difference, especially on guitars like May's where the volume pot is used to give clean to harsh tones - rather than stomp on some distortion pedal!
I had a BMG years back, should never have gotten rid of it, string bending is sweet, and the whammy bar was pretty good and stable for the price point.
Nice to hear a comparison, though.
loving the crocheted Brian May in the backround!
I never noticed the trem in a different place
The CQ has a slightly crisper sound and has a less bulky appearance. However I have small hands. I doubt that it would be comfortable for me to play. That's close to $4,500 USD probably. I could fill up every closet with guitars instead. 🤔 I don't think the rest of the family will like that as much as I do though.
Here’s my two cents (or tuppence, if you prefer): They really didn’t sound different at all - certainly not enough to justify the cost. The BMG is not only Brian May’s own company, but I. Would also say the BMG is better looking than the CQ. Visually, I prefer the look of the thicker binding and the more modern vibe arm. And it’s more affordable, and I’m not personally looking to sound like Brian May (nobody does, really) - I’d want one of these because it’s a great guitar, amazing shape and look, and extremely versatile, and I would use it to craft my own sound
Where can I buy a red special guitar?
Thank you.
www.brianmayguitars.co.uk
I feel stupid for this question but does his tone work with only the guitar and an amp or do you need a pedal
Treble booster
Treble booster ; a 6 pence coin , a chorus pedal and preferably , a VOX AC 30 . Thats' all !
Gonna get a bmg if possible
What about a Harley Benton Red Special??
Thanks for sharing 😊😊🧘♂️
I havnt tried the Harley Benton. The knew ones are not wired like the Red Special due to copyright
Hello James,
I think the booster used makes a big difference.
I also had that with my scorer Mayday and switched from Fryer to BSM.
The paint looks very thin. Otherwise a great guitar.
greetings from Germany
Heinz
Heinz Gurski yes you’re right. I’m playing this through the Brian May Digitech Pedal
The more expensive one looks considerably better. The real test would have been to turn them up loudly and crank out the big chords he favored playing after 1981...prior to that, he played many more notes. Also, bending the strings at loud volume. You should do another test except with the volume much louder.
My neighbours would not thank you for a louder version 😂
Isn’t the BMG special just a updated version of The Red Special
The more expensive one has a warmer, deeper and wider sound!
It's just me or some notes were missing on the Killer Queen's solo?
where did you buy the generic guitar?
brianmayguitars.co.uk
Brian mays guitar was built by Brian himself and his Dad, this guitar was actually a really cheap project, made of of tables or shelves and fireplace mantle, this cheap build has become famously known as the red special, as said on the video title, nothing can perfectly replicate this
The second one is sharper. I would prefer to listen to the second.
They both sound very close to each other. The cheaper model sounds great, but I just don’t understand why they change the shape of the scratch plate it makes it look really cheap. It doesn’t have the pointy horns like the more expensive model.
I would guess failure rate for pointy are bigger, I don't have any other explanation. The current BMG design is really bad.
I’ll bet I’m probably the only African American that gonna get one,couldn’t be happier 😊👍🏿Bought it because of your vids
Funnily enough one of my online students is an African American lady who owns one and loves Queen.
@@Rocklicks72 😳😊👍🏿
Po queria uma dessa timbre fantástico
There doesn't appear to be that much difference sound wise that couldn't be tweaked with the rig. The main thing that bugs me about the BMG is the shape of the scratchplate. Why not follow the elegance of the original? As for other recent posts about some quality control issues, that confirms that if you're in the market for one, try before you buy. I'd definitely give one a go though.
Meanwhile I'm getting ads for what appears to be a £14 pounds red special 👀
Edit: it was a mini...well I feel silly
I have the BMG and at first I loved it, then I hated it, now I love it... À switch seemed not to connect at first, BMG patronisingly and stupidly suggested I go on their electronics for beginners course, or whatever it is, and I have a woodworm hole in the fingerboard and the tremelo arm didn't even fit the hole... I changed the pickups to yonderbosk and the volume pot from a tiny 500k pot to KAT superpot.... I really really like this guitar now.... I'm developing a good relationship with it...
When did you bought your guitar?
I’ve heard good things about those pickups 😊
I love the guitar now, bought it a couple of months ago.. The yonderbosk are really vocal, I like them, and the maker is brilliant.
@@ValBoschi-ix9cd
I bought new BMG also recently, and it alao had wormholes in the fingerboard. Scratchplates are quite untidy finished, some uneven screws also. I dont like the stock pickups either. Going to do conversion+new pickups, so wont't bother that much, but anyway cant recommend very much current line of BMG for the nowdays price.
@@tomppa3490 thanks for that, yes, I seem to recall I paid around 850 for mine, I felt they should have checked the fingerboard for wormholes and that the tremelo fit, I'm sure if I've had problems with a switch, that would come up for someone whose too.... The response to send me to their online electronics class put me off them as a company, I'm an ex BT engineer..not great customer service.. Haha
I wish I could even afford a £600 Special from BMG without having to borrow from somewhere else (that probably translates into $1,000 USD,). Is it doable for the tremolo system on that to be replaced with one that is traditional to Brian‘s original?
This video should answer the question 😊 ua-cam.com/video/qYGfM15UA5Q/v-deo.htmlsi=JhjSm_wWj3VtzbMx
The IYV/Dillon version is the best, tbh. I've tried all of them.
BM Red special have more definition, more clarity....mabye because the bridge pickup is more close to the saddles?
I suspect the value line model's tremolo actually works better and is a better design. The pickups in the high-end model sound better, but the value model pickups sound very respectable (nothing is going to sound like this guitar anyway). However, the price delta is not work the difference to me, so the value model would be the player model I prefer over the true collector's grade instrument.
Where i can get a CQ Red Special?
" The official home of Brian May guitars ".... But orders are completed at this time. In any case, they cost $ 3,200
What is it that drives this significant price difference? It couldn’t possibly be the sound quality. Given the fact that this is one of the most iconic guitars of all time, I would have expected the Special to cost a lot more even if it isn’t identical to the original.
Cheaper model is made from cheap parts and it is much easier to make. For more expensive you need to do much more work by hands. And tremolo parts are especially expensive, if you want more accurate sound it is also good to invest for better pickups.
But priceless now 👍🏻
I need that cq guitar so bad........anybody know how much they are selling for?...............very informative video James....keep em coming.
I saw one near me selling for 4000€ (which is too much for me). If you can wait, Id recommend ordering a bmg super, which is "only" about 3300€
@@HimTortons yikes that is also a bit steep......there is a guy up Newcastle way who I believe makes em for round about £1000 .....they certainly look the part......not sure how they play though.....oh well I had better start saving up me thinks.
@@musicalfrog for £1000? Ill have to check that out. Does he have a website?
Other than that, the most affordable option might be to buy a bmg special and convert it
@@HimTortons cant for the life of me remember his name...I think he might be on the red special forum Facebook group......it may have been Peter Cole.
I
Hi, my friend, congratulations for your review. I'm just gonna say one obvious thing...there's a 'clear' difference (not such a big one) from the one to the other, but nothing that justifies such a difference in prices. Anyway, both are great guitars and with the right equipment, the diferences between them would get almost imperceptible.
The thing to remember with the CQ is it’s a hand crafted instrument and made to a very very high standard.
My reason I made this video wasn’t to dismiss the expensive version but highlight that you arnt going to magically sound better by spending lots of money. If that makes sense 😊
@@Rocklicks72 Thanks for your explanations :)