Ferrari Brian May Trisonic Pickups

Carefully reproduced through years of study and research, using real examples of the same era and type of Burns® Tri-Sonic® Vintage pickups used in the Red Special guitar. The recipe includes the various tweaks and modifications found on the original Red Special such as: Neck pickup without metal base, filled with epoxy. Middle pickup with gaffa tape between baseplate and aircoil/magnets. Bridge pickup with epoxy between baseplate and aircoil/magnets. According to modifications made by Greg Fryer in 1998, each pickup is wax potted and a strip of textured rubber is sandwiched between the cover and the pickup to minimise unwanted feedback.

Near-mint condition!

Magnets:

• Custom clones of vintage isotropic ferrite magnets with the same characteristics as the original mid-1960s units. Magnetised to the same strength as the iconic original pickups. Based on Greg Fryer’s measurements during the restoration in 1998. Two magnets per pickup

Aircoils:

• Same identical construction as Burns’ 1960s.
• This is specifically done using a rectangular removable former like the one used to make the Red Special pickups.
• The magnet wire used is a custom made 44AWG plain enamel wire. The resistance per foot and outer thickness of the wire are the closest to the original samples tested. This has a huge impact on the frequency response.
• Maniacal attention to detail has been paid to the winding phase, taking into account variables such as copper wire tension, speed, turns per layer/density and total number of turns, as well as the overall shape of the air coil.
• Everything is then hand-wrapped in cotton tape with the same characteristics as the original.

Baseplates:

• Each baseplate is hand folded.
• Thickness and dimensions are exactly the same as the originals.
• The material used is uncoated steel, just like the vintage ones.
• Baseplates are only used for bridge and middle pickup.
• The neck pickup has no baseplate, just two legs welded to the inside of the cover and held together with epoxy/araldite.
• By removing the metal base under the coil, the pickup delivers a unique sound and response.
• This design creates a wider magnetic field, capturing more string vibration while reducing neck inductance.
• This is the key to the unmistakable signature tone heard in Bohemian Rhapsody and other songs that use the neck and middle pickups out of phase.

Covers:

• Custom-made Deep drawn chromed thin brass material with the same dimensions and look as the originals.