This is the guitar that
Brian May built for himself as a teenager.
He used it for most of his career as guitarist for the band
Queen.
In 1993 Guild attempted to manufacture and sell a replica, but it wasn't
an exact copy. There were differences and compromises and obviously,
each one could not be hand made. Three models were available.
A couple of years later, Australian Greg Fryer began a project to build
an exact replica of the original Red Special. It was a life ambition for
him. He wrote to Brian, who allowed him to have access to the original
so he could examine it in detail.
Over a period of 18 months Greg built three replicas by hand, much as
Brian had done in the 1960s. Brian was impressed. He was so impressed
that he used the guitars himself on his 1998 tour. The three guitars are
named John, Paul and George Burns. This last one is a play on words... George Harrison and Burns pickups give George Burns, the comedian.
Brian was so pleased with Greg's work that he worked with Greg to repair
and renovate the original Red Special itself. The unique guitar was
taken completely apart, parts repaired and replaced as necessary, and
put back together again, good as new.
Brian now has his original guitar and three backups.
Some information paraphrased from an article in Guitarist magazine, July
1998