Riff Tone
Don't Stop Me Now
Queen
Guitarrock1970s
Original Gear
GuitarBrian May Red Special
AmpVox AC30 (Top Boost, late 1970s studio model)
PickupsTri-Sonic single coils (Burns, custom-wired, out-of-phase option)
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass6
mid7.5
treble7
reverb2.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
boostDallas (or custom/unknown) Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster (or equivalent treble booster)
Notes
Studio recording, 1978. Guitar pickups set to out-of-phase, treble booster into AC30. No evidence of additional pedals for riff section. Deacy amp possibly used for overdubs but main riff is AC30 + treble booster.
Tone Character(10)
bright and articulateharmonic-rich crunchtight, focused midrangeslightly compressed attackclear note separationdynamic response to pickingsinging sustain (from treble booster)classic British rock flavorchimey top endcontrolled feedback at high volume
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, fast rhythm playing with precise muting and dynamic control to achieve the signature Brian May crunch and clarity. While not technically advanced, the tempo and articulation demand intermediate skill.
Sources
Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear
Create Free AccountGuitarrock1970s
Original Gear
GuitarBrian May Red Special
AmpVox AC30 (Top Boost, late 1970s studio model)
PickupsTri-Sonic single coils (Burns, custom-wired, out-of-phase option)
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass6
mid7.5
treble7
reverb2.5
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
boostDallas (or custom/unknown) Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster (or equivalent treble booster)
Notes
Studio recording, 1978. Guitar pickups set to out-of-phase, treble booster into AC30. No evidence of additional pedals for riff section. Deacy amp possibly used for overdubs but main riff is AC30 + treble booster.
Tone Character(10)
bright and articulateharmonic-rich crunchtight, focused midrangeslightly compressed attackclear note separationdynamic response to pickingsinging sustain (from treble booster)classic British rock flavorchimey top endcontrolled feedback at high volume
Difficulty
The riff requires tight, fast rhythm playing with precise muting and dynamic control to achieve the signature Brian May crunch and clarity. While not technically advanced, the tempo and articulation demand intermediate skill.
More Queen tones
- Bohemian Rhapsody · solo
- Killer Queen · solo
- Bohemian Rhapsody · riff
- Another One Bites the Dust · riff
- Don't Stop Me Now · solo
- We Will Rock You · solo
- Ogre Battle (Live At The Hammersmith Odeon, London / 1975) · riff
- Another One Bites the Dust · riff
- Another One Bites the Dust · clean
- Brighton Rock · solo