Brian May Technical Support: Pete Malandrone and Nigel Knight Q&A Session, October 2018

Brian May’s guitar and equipment technician, Pete Malandrone and electronics designer Nigel Knight participate in a 50 minute question and answer session at the Brian May Red Special enthusiast meet-up in October 2018 at Theale Village Hall, Reading, Berkshire in the U.K.. They talk candidly about various technical matters and the practicalities and peculiarities of working for Brian May. Listen out for a host of insider information and insights such as when Brian had to play the Bohemian Rhapsody solo wrong during recording sessions for the blockbuster movie! Occasional profanity during the session.
Questions with time indexes. Edited for clarity and to reflect the questions that were actually answered.
00:00 - How long have you [Pete & Nigel] been married? [Banter]
00:11 - Where do you get your strings from? [Heckling and self-promotion from Andrew Morgan of A Strings!]
00:27 - How did the new strap boosters go in Las Vegas and will you be making a run of them?
05:14 - What state is the Red Special in these days?
05:40 - Does the Red Special still have no tone potentiometer?
06:47 - Do the Red Special frets need to be replaced yet?
09:16 - Does Brian use his Guyton RS Transporter as a warm-up guitar?
09:55 - Does Brian use a phaser pedal live or for recording these days?
13:08 - Tell us about the Deacy amplifier plinth.
15:54 - What happened to the “AC-Deacy” pedal that was built to allow Brian to play the amplifiers at a lower volume for the Candlelight concerts with Kerry Ellis?
18:42 - Why is Brian’s bank of Vox AC30 amplifiers directed away from him? Is this for Adam or Brian?
22:44 - How was the residency in Las Vegas?
23:10 - What valves/tubes do you use in the Vox AC30s?
25:37 - What were the panels placed between the amplifiers in Las Vegas?
26:46 - Have you got an update on the BMG Tri-Sonic pickups (Adeson replacements)
32:47 - Julian Hemingway comments from the DIY/home Red Special builder’s perspective
33:55 - How has the issue of the wood adjacent to the bridge mounting posts cracking on BMG Specials?
34:46 - Has Brian still got his original Foxx Phaser pedal?
35:53 - Comment on the level of detail put into the props and equipment for the Bohemian Rhapsody film
37:31 - What is the Harold May treble booster?
40:03 - Was authentic vintage equipment such as treble boosters used during filming of the Bohemian Rhapsody movie?
42:43 - In the early 1990s, Brian stopped a gig because he wasn’t satisfied with the sound. Has anything like that ever happened since?
46:28 - Has Brian/Queen considered playing deep cuts in smaller venues?
47:51 - When did you last interact with John Deacon?
#BrianMay #RedSpecial #PeteMalandrone #NigelKnight

[@davejackson8376]

Thanks for uploading and well done to the chaps for providing interesting insights against a background of what sounded like the crèche from hell.

[@dsgb]

The Q&A was impromptu so nobody was equipped with professional recording equipment (e.g. wireless lavalier microphones). Several young children were with their parents including Will Gatley's baby son if I recall correctly. To be honest we didn't notice the noise they were making at the time.

[@PurpleColonel]

He has some harsh words for the home builders!

[@dsgb]

Not home builders, unofficial commercial builders. He and Brian don't have an issue unless people are making money out of the activity. Home/DIY builders don't do that.

[@stephenmarsh3986]

​@@dsgbIs there an issue with the lookalike HB? I know it's wired differently and scale length is longer but the body shape is SO distinctive. Understand if you don't reply. 🖖