Steve Vai Struggled to Play Brian May's Iconic Red Special Guitar

The legendary guitarist found May's custom axe challenging to handle due to its unique design.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 11:40am

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In a new interview, guitar virtuoso Steve Vai recounted a memorable encounter from his early days in Los Angeles, when he had the opportunity to play Queen guitarist Brian May's iconic Red Special guitar. Vai, then just 20 years old, was awestruck to meet one of his musical heroes, but found May's custom-built instrument surprisingly difficult to play due to its unconventional neck and string gauge.

Why it matters

The Red Special is one of the most famous and influential electric guitars in rock history, having been played by May on all of Queen's classic recordings. Vai's struggle to adapt to its unique feel and setup underscores the guitar's challenging and idiosyncratic design, which has been a key part of May's signature tone and playing style for over 50 years.

The details

According to Vai, when he crossed paths with May at a bar in Los Angeles, the Queen guitarist generously allowed the young upstart to play the Red Special. However, Vai found the guitar's neck to be extremely thick and unwieldy, likening it to "a bat," and noted that it was strung with unusually light .008-gauge strings. Despite the guitar's iconic status, Vai admitted it was "a miracle" that he was able to play it at all in that moment.

  • In the early 1980s, when Vai was around 20 years old, he had just moved to Los Angeles.

The players

Steve Vai

An acclaimed guitarist known for his virtuosic playing style, who was in the early stages of his career when he encountered Brian May's Red Special guitar.

Brian May

The legendary guitarist for the rock band Queen, who is renowned for his custom-built Red Special guitar, which has been a key part of his iconic tone and playing style for over 50 years.

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What they’re saying

“The neck is like a bat, it's got like, what, gauge .08 strings? But it was a miracle to actually have the guitar under my fingers, and he allowed that.”

— Steve Vai, Guitarist

The takeaway

Vai's experience with May's Red Special guitar underscores the instrument's unique and challenging design, which has been an integral part of the Queen guitarist's signature sound for decades. Despite his virtuosic abilities, even a player of Vai's caliber struggled to adapt to the Red Special's unconventional feel, highlighting the guitar's iconic status and enduring influence on rock music.