Riff Tone

Somebody to Love

Queen

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarBrian May Red Special (homemade, semi-hollow, 24-fret, mahogany, Burns Tri-Sonic pickups, custom wiring)

AmpVox AC30 (1960s Top Boost, cranked, no master volume)

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

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb2.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

boostDallas Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster (or custom clone)

Notes

Studio recording, 1976, A Day at the Races sessions. Brian May's standard setup for Queen riff sections in this era. No evidence of live or alternate gear for this part.

Tone Character(10)

full-bodied British crunchchimey and harmonically richnasal midrange emphasistight and articulate attackdynamic and touch-sensitiveslight amp breakupclear note separationwarm yet brightclassic Queen rhythm soundresponsive to picking dynamics

Difficulty

The riff section features intricate chord work, syncopated rhythms, and requires dynamic control to achieve the signature Queen sound. Intermediate to advanced players will find the combination of technique and timing moderately challenging.

Sources

Brian May’s guitar gear: how to sound like the iconic Queen guitarist | Guitar World How to get Brian May's Red Special tones from a Strat or Les Paul | Guitar World What are Brain May's amp settings? : r/queen - Reddit [QUESTION] How to get Brian May's tone using shit gear - Reddit

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