Riff Tone

I Want It All (Single Version)

Queen

Guitarrock1980s

Original Gear

GuitarBrian May Red Special (original, handmade, semi-hollow, 24-fret, 24" scale, mahogany body, oak neck, Burns Tri-Sonic pickups, custom switching)

AmpVox AC30/6 (Normal channel, cranked, no reverb/tremolo, triple amp wet-dry-wet setup)

PickupsBurns Tri-Sonic single coils, bridge and middle in series and in phase

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid7.5

treble7.5

reverb1

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

boostPete Cornish Pete Cornish Treble Booster

phaserFoxx Foxx Phaser

chorusBoss Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble

delayMXR MXR Digital Delay (DDL II)

Notes

Studio recording, 1988-1989. Brian May used his original Red Special guitar with the bridge and middle pickups in series and in phase, into a treble booster and then into three Vox AC30/6 amps (Normal channel, cranked). The center amp is dry, the left/right amps receive wet effects (delay, chorus, phaser as needed). Effects are mostly from pedals/rack, not amp. No amp reverb or tremolo circuits used. This is for the riff section of the single version.

Tone Character(10)

British crunchtight, percussive attackharmonically richchimey top endfull-bodiedarticulate and mid-forwardsinging sustaindistinct treble bitedynamic responsearena rock rhythm

Difficulty

The riff requires tight, syncopated rhythm playing with precise muting and dynamic picking, as well as fast chord changes typical of arena rock. The tone and articulation are critical for authenticity.

Sources

Brian May's Guitar Gear, Pedals & Amps Rig Rundown: Queen's Brian May Brian May's guitar gear: how to sound like the iconic Queen guitarist IK Multimedia Unveils Amplitube Brian May

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