"This is the very first guitar that Brian May guitars has ever offered that is not based on my original Red Special"
Brian May
Songwriter Arielle is set to release her new album, Analog Girl In A Digital World, in May and it not only features her self-built electric guitar 'Two-Tone' but also the Brian May Guitars' signature model it influenced; the Arielle.
Her music and DIY approach to guitar building has clearly struck a chord with the Queen legend, and BMG Guitars decided Arielle was the right artist for a landmark release for the company.
"This is the very first guitar that Brian May guitars has ever offered that is not based on my original Red Special," says May.
"Designed by, and named after Arielle, it’s a new dimension. To understand why this guitar was irresistible to me, you have to hold her in your hands. The guitar is light, smooth and agile. She sings like a bird."
The result is a guitar May has called "the Red Special in a parallel universe" and the specs are intriguing here for this 24" scale model.
A raised centre strip increases the body mass for enhanced sustain and a two-tone diagonal finish offers a distinct and retro look.
The lightweight body is made from a sustainable source of Limba (aka Korina) with a mahogany neck. Nut width is 45mm and the fingerboard is ebony with abalone diamond snowflake inlays in the traditional BM pattern.
Like the BMG Special, the Arielle features Tri-Sonic-style single-coil pickups; modern replicas of the vintage '60s Burns units used in the original Red Special.
"She is a truly phenomenal player, with an ability to produce the most beautiful tones as well technical mastery"
Brian May
Arielle requested the spec for the Brian May design switch system used here, provided by electronics specialists Shin Chin. Six black DPDT switches engage each pickup individually as well as providing dedicated phase reversal Red Special fans may be familiar with.
The volume and tone is controlled by 250k pots with a Sprague 0.033μF 'Orange Drop' film capacitor, tuners are Grover 406 Series Mini Locking Rotomatics with an 18:1 ratio and internal "Locking Cam".
The Arielle also features a two-point Wilkinson WVP Tremolo Bridge.
“Arielle is an awesome musician," adds May. "She is a truly phenomenal player, with an ability to produce the most beautiful tones as well technical mastery. Of course, it is in the fingers, but I was keen to discover how she had fashioned her own instrument to achieve her sound. We collaborated in making the Arielle a new mission to guitarists everywhere - to open up a new door to excellence!”
“Arielle’s playing reaches places I never knew existed,” says Brian. “I believe this guitar will do the same.”
Analog Girl In A Digital World will be released on 7 May and new single Peace Of Mind is out 12 February. "The new album takes you on a journey through the trials, tribulations, and confusion of an old-school artist in a fast-paced world," says Arielle
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Pre-order the album from – https://smarturl.it/officialarielle and https://arielle.store/
For more information on the BMG Arielle signature model head to Brian May Guitars
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