Harley Benton BM-75 GRETSCH Broad'Tron Mod
I have been so impressed with the BM-75 (Brian May) by Harley Benton.
I never bought it to play Queen lol....but I love early Queen. Especially Queen ll. It's a masterpiece for sure.
But this guitar couldn't quite pull off the out of phase tone perfectly anyway.
It sounds darker than a strat. Positions 2 & 4 only have a 'slight' strat quack. It sounds much more at home with allot of gain.
Well I missed 'Frankie'....a Epiphone ES-339 I modded but sold. (WHY?🫣)
It got a sparkle silver paint job, then a 'brushed aluminum' automotive wrap.Jescar .057" Jumbo frets, bone nut. My 2nd best playing guitar. Then I put some black top Gretsch pickups in.
(Broard'Tron)
I put a 'phase' switch in also. I really love these pickups. They sound great with gain! Then I sold it!
I thought i should put black tops in my BM-75!
So I had 2 Gretsch guitars with these pickups and decided to 'liberate' all electronics from it.
Here you see how I created a new pickguard (without the usual tools available)
Well it ended up being great like I knew it would.
I have been curious of Brian Mays guitars specifications. They just are all wrong! Steve Vai had a go and said it was 'hard to play'.
I actually sent 'Brian May Guitars' a letter.
I basically said they should make a 'Modern May' version. One people would hang onto and love. As for me, I don't care who designed the guitar. But I don't like:
1 Thick neck
2 Wide neck
3 zero fret
4 .036" tall frets
5 24" scale (too tight w/ 24 frets)
6 Awkward switching system
It's not like I don't like the sounds of the guitar when BM is playing...
it's iconic and beyond Unique.
I was reading a story of a guitarist who was in a Queen tribute. He had one. He said when the tribute was done, he never played it again.
So Harley Benton was smart enough to make the BM-75 with specs players would like...
Normal shaped neck.
No zero fret.
Large frets.
25" scale like PRS.
A 5 way switch ect.
I think Brian's guitars will end up being a 'novelty' purchase that gets old quick. He really screwed that guitar he made up!
Well I'm more than happy with how this turned out. If I had to live on a desert Island with the Original Red Special or this modded Harley Benton?- I would take mine with zero thought! Now a trade?
Of cource! Off to Southerbes you go!
Cha-&Ching!$
The point is the Red special shape is so cool!
It looks fantastic. It should 'feel & play' as good as it looks!
If Steve Vai thinks your guitar is hard to play....