BURNS GUITAR

Model: Bison
Strings: Six
Pick-Ups: Three (Single-Coil)
Frets: 22
Origin: London, England
Finish: White

This isn't the guitar Brian used for Long Away (that's a green twelve-stringed one), but a beautiful six-string electric he was taken a pic with during the 'A Night at the Opera' sessions. It's not known where he used it (if at all), since he's known for relying on the Red Special for almost everything. But otoh we've got to keep in mind that, while live he always used the same combination (Vox Ac30 + Treble Booster), in the studio he could experiment depending on the sound he (or the author of the song) wanted to get.

In fact, there's an interview made to Freddie in early November 1975 (after Bo Rhap's release but before the album's), where he commented that Brian had "acquired a new guitar especially built so he can almost make it speak", and that "it will talk in this track" (referring to The Prophet's Song). Now, we know for a fact that Brian acquired at least three new guitars before or during summer 1975: a bespoke replica of the Red Special made by John Birch (in natural finish), a marvellous Gibson Hummingbird acoustic (which in fact does appear in Prophet's Song) bought in Japan, and this one.

Now, Bison models aren't "especially built", unless of course this particular one had a different pick-up or something that can't be quite identified by just staring at a photo. So, theoretically, it is possible that Mercury was referring to this one (although he could have meant the Hummingbird, the Birch or another one we don't know about yet), and Brian could have used it for some overdubs in the 'Opera' album (since, according to producer Roy Thomas Baker, they used to try different equipment and settings in order to "orchestrate" the tracks properly).

In any case, this superb Burns guitar is one of the few British instruments the band ever used, and it looks like Dr May likes the sound of that make since he's still got both the Bison and the Double-Six: