Brian May debuts the "Pinkest Pink" Red Special

(Image credit: Instagram / Brian May / Yuval Hen)

While we have seen BMG reproductions of Brian May's Red Special in limited edition colour finishes, or with custom artwork as on the News Of The World, the Queen guitarist introduced the world to bold new look for his iconic electric guitar – World's Pinkest Pink.

May posted a trio of behind the scenes shots on Instagram, as Queen shot the video for a charity single, as yet untitled but scheduled for an October release, with the proceeds going to a pair of women's cancer charities. 

The World's Pinkest Pink is a first for the electric guitar. It is a fluorescent pink powdered paint developed by Stuart Semple that throws all kinds of strange reflections off it, and provides a visual effect that is dramatically enhanced under UV light.

Even in the Instagram video below, you can see the different colours that this one-off Special is taking on as the light hits it at different angles.

Semple's company, Culture Hustle, is based out of Dorset and admits that the World's Pinkest Pink might not actually be the world's most pink powder paint, but for £4.50, you can get a 50g jar of this stuff. Mix with water until the consistency is right, then apply. 

Presumably BMG have done likewise, before applying a think layer of gloss poly as per the BMG Special LE range. More news about the single and the BMG Pinkest Pink Special auction as an when details emerge. 

Ready for action ... Bri Brian Harold May

A photo posted by @brianmayforreal on Sep 18, 2020 at 5:42am PDT

Bri Brian Harold May

A photo posted by @brianmayforreal on Sep 18, 2020 at 5:48am PDT

Jonathan Horsley

Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.