Brian May GuitarsRed Special

Optima 24K Gold BM Signature on the Brian May Guitars BMG Red Special is the only string set Brian May himself collaborated to design with Optima of Markneukirchen, Germany. As the Brian May Guitars official shop describes the partnership: the BM Signature is "specially developed with and for Brian May" — nickel-plated steel plain strings coated in 24K gold, insensitive to tarnishing, lasting 3x longer than typical strings. Brian May currently uses Optima Gold 9-42 on his Red Special. Conventional wisdom: every Red Special replica gets standard Ernie Ball or D'Addario 9-42 — the 'whatever's cheap' approach for tribute players. Mismatch logic: the gold plating delivers exactly the cutting top-end and corrosion immunity Brian May needs touring for over 50 years across humid stadium gigs — and the slightly compressed midrange of gold-plated nickel pairs uniquely with the Red Special's three Burns Tri-Sonic pickups wired in series, the trademark Queen orchestral guitar tone. Best for serious BMG Red Special owners chasing authentic Queen-era 'Bohemian Rhapsody' / 'We Will Rock You' tone; skip if you don't have a Red Special or won't tolerate the 4x retail cost over standard 9-42 sets.