Solo Tone

Somebody to Love

Queen

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarBrian May Red Special (homemade, original)

AmpVox AC30 (1960s/1970s Top Boost, cranked, no master volume)

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

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid7

treble7.5

reverb2.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

boostUnknown Treble Booster (model unknown, likely Dallas Rangemaster or custom clone)

Notes

Studio recording, 1976. Brian May's Red Special with bridge and middle pickups in series and in phase, into a treble booster and then into a Vox AC30. No evidence of additional pedals for the solo. All harmonies and solo parts were multi-tracked in the studio.

Tone Character(10)

singing sustainharmonic richnessvocal-like phrasingclear note separationchimey upper midstouch-sensitive responsesmooth lead toneorchestral layeringdynamic swellsslight amp breakup

Difficulty

The solo requires advanced phrasing, tight harmonies, and expressive vibrato, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

Brian May's guitar gear: how to sound like the iconic Queen guitarist How to get Brian May's Red Special tones from a Strat or Les Paul How to play like Brian May - MusicRadar What are Brain May's amp settings? : r/queen - Reddit

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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