A few weeks back, Brian May Guitars turned quite a few heads with the announcement of its first non-Red Special guitar, the Arielle signature model.
Though it's not set for an official release until March 28, some big-name guitarists have already gotten their hands on the Austin, Texas-based singer/songwriter's signature model – including Brian May himself and Eric Johnson, both of whom demoed the guitar for May's YouTube channel.
You can check out May's melodically-rich, whammy bar-heavy demo above and Johnson's demo – replete with the sort of Louvre-worthy clean tones only he can produce – below.
The Arielle model features a Korina/Limba body, a one-piece mahogany neck with 24 frets, and a 24-inch scale length, same as the Red Special.
Sonically, the guitar's outfitted with May's Tri-Sonic single-coil pickups – controlled by master volume and tone knobs – and the same phase-switching system found on the Red Special. The six-switch system allows each pickup to be engaged and have its phase reversed independently.
Elsewhere, the Arielle signature model features a Wilkinson two-point tremolo – with six individual saddles – and Grover 406 Series Mini Locking Rotomatic tuners.
It will be available starting March 28 for £662 (~$900.)
For more info on the guitar, stop by brianmayguitars.co.uk.
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