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Guitar tone · rock, Funk-pop / R&B-influenced pop

Queen guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 39 Queen songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Brian May Red Special into Vox AC30 (Normal channel, cranked, no reverb/tremolo circuits, Celestion Alnico Blue speakers).

Guitars Queen used

  • Brian May Red Special15 songs
  • Brian May Red Special (original, handmade by Brian May and his father)6 songs
  • Homemade Red Special (Brian May's Red Special)3 songs
  • Brian May Red Special (homemade, original 1960s build)2 songs
  • Red Special (Brian May's handmade guitar)2 songs
  • Brian May Red Special (homemade electric guitar)2 songs
  • Homemade 'Red Special' (Brian May's original, 1964 build)1 song
  • Homemade 'Red Special' (Brian May's original, with Burns Tri-Sonic pickups)1 song

Amps Queen used

  • Vox AC30 (Normal channel, cranked, no reverb/tremolo circuits, Celestion Alnico Blue speakers)1 song
  • Vox AC30 (Top Boost, cranked), plus John Deacon's 'Deacy' amp for layered harmonies1 song
  • Vox AC30 (likely 1980s model, non-top boost, cranked, studio recording)1 song
  • Vox AC30/6 (JMI, 1960s, three amps in parallel, center dry, sides wet)1 song
  • Vox AC30 (mid-1960s, Normal channel, Celestion Alnico Blue speakers, no reverb/tremolo circuits)1 song
  • Vox AC30 (likely 1970s/1980s Top Boost, multiple in parallel, cranked)1 song
  • Vox AC30 (Top Boost, 1970s, cranked, non-master volume)1 song
  • Vox AC30 (1960s Top Boost, non-master volume, Celestion Alnico Blue speakers)1 song

56 Queen tones

SongGain
Bohemian Rhapsody · solo6.5
Killer Queen · solo6
Bohemian Rhapsody · riff6
Another One Bites the Dust · riff0
Don't Stop Me Now · solo7
We Will Rock You · solo8
Ogre Battle (Live At The Hammersmith Odeon, London / 1975) · riff6
Another One Bites the Dust · riff4.5
Another One Bites the Dust · clean0
Brighton Rock · solo7
Hammer to Fall (Single Version) · riff7
I Want to Break Free · riff6
It's Late · riff7.5
Killer Queen · riff5
Somebody to Love · solo7.5
We Will Rock You · riff7.5
'39 · solo6
'39 · riff0
Another One Bites the Dust · solo0
Bijou · solo6.5
Bohemian Rhapsody · solo0
Bohemian Rhapsody (Live Aid) · solo6.5
Brighton Rock · riff6.5
Cool Cat · riff0
Cool Cat · clean0
Crazy Little Thing Called Love · riff5
Crazy Little Thing Called Love · solo4
Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...) · solo6.5
Don't Stop Me Now · riff6.5
Dragon Attack · solo6.5
Fat Bottomed Girls (Single Version) · riff5.5
Flick of the Wrist (Live at the Rainbow, London / November 1974) · riff6.5
Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme) · solo8.5
Gimme the Prize (Kurgan's Theme) · riff8
I Want It All · solo8.5
I Want It All · riff7
I Want It All (Single Version) · riff8
I Want to Break Free · solo6.5
In the Lap of the Gods...Revisited (Live At Wembley Stadium / July 1986) · riff0
Innuendo · riff5.5
Keep Yourself Alive (Live at The Rainbow) · riff6.5
Love Of My Life · riff0
Now I'm Here (Live At The Hammersmith Odeon, London / 1975) · riff6.5
One Vision · riff7.5
One Vision (Live At Wembley Stadium / Friday July 11th 1986) · riff6.5
One Vision (Live At Wembley Stadium, July 11th 1986) · riff6.5
One Vision (Single Version) · riff7
Somebody to Love · riff7.5
Somebody To Love (Live At The Montreal Forum / November 1981) · riff6
The Millionaire Waltz · solo5.5
The Show Must Go On · riff7
Tie Your Mother Down · riff7.5
Tie Your Mother Down · solo8
Was It All Worth It (Remastered 2011) · riff7
We Are the Champions · riff7
You Take My Breath Away · riff6

Get Queen's tone on your gear

Pick any Queen song and ToneAdapt adapts the original rig to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.

Frequently asked questions

What amp did Queen use?

Across 39 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Vox AC30 (Normal channel, cranked, no reverb/tremolo circuits, Celestion Alnico Blue speakers) (1 song), Vox AC30 (Top Boost, cranked), plus John Deacon's 'Deacy' amp for layered harmonies (1 song), Vox AC30 (likely 1980s model, non-top boost, cranked, studio recording) (1 song), Vox AC30/6 (JMI, 1960s, three amps in parallel, center dry, sides wet) (1 song).

What guitar did Queen use?

Most often: Brian May Red Special (15 songs), Brian May Red Special (original, handmade by Brian May and his father) (6 songs), Homemade Red Special (Brian May's Red Special) (3 songs), Brian May Red Special (homemade, original 1960s build) (2 songs).

How do I get Queen's tone on my amp?

Open any Queen song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.