Riff Tone

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Queen

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1970s Fender Telecaster

AmpVox AC30/6 (JMI, late 1960s/early 1970s, non-top boost, no reverb/tremolo circuits)

PickupsFender single-coil Telecaster pickups

Amp Settings

gain5

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb1

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1979. Brian May used a Fender Telecaster (not his Red Special) for the main riff/rhythm section of 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love.' The amp was a Vox AC30, cranked, with no onboard reverb or tremolo. No evidence of pedals or effects used on the riff section; the tone is dry and direct. Pickup selector likely in bridge position for bright, percussive attack.

Tone Character(9)

bright and percussivesnappy attackclean with slight breakuparticulate single-coil claritytight, rhythmic chordingdry, direct amp soundno audible reverb or delayclassic rockabilly/rock rhythmopen, uncompressed dynamics

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, percussive strumming with a shuffle feel and precise muting, but uses basic chord shapes and moderate tempo, making it accessible to intermediate players.

Sources

Brian May's Guitar Gear, Pedals & Amps | Equipboard Brian May’s guitar gear: how to sound like the iconic Queen guitarist | Guitar World Rig Rundown: Queen's Brian May - Premier Guitar Tone 'crazy little thing called love' on strat?

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