Solo Tone

Tie Your Mother Down

Queen

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarHomemade 'Red Special' (Brian May original, chambered body, 24-inch scale, three Burns Tri-Sonic single-coil pickups, custom wiring)

AmpMid-1960s Vox AC30 (Normal channel, two Celestion G12 Alnico 'Blue' 12-inch speakers, no master volume, no reverb)

PickupsBurns Tri-Sonic single-coil pickups (bridge and middle, in phase)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid7.5

treble7.5

reverb0.5

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

boostDallas-Arbiter Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster Treble Booster

Notes

Studio recording, 1976. Solo section features slide guitar and a pickup change. No evidence of additional effects or amp models used in the studio. Dallas Rangemaster treble booster used as main gain stage. No evidence of delay, chorus, or reverb on the original studio solo. DigiTech Red Special pedal used only for live workaround, not studio.

Tone Character(10)

singing sustaintrebly chimethick and dirty distortiontouch-sensitive responseslide guitar articulationaggressive attackBritish crunchbright and articulate highsfull-bodied midrangetight low end

Difficulty

The solo requires advanced slide technique, fast and precise phrasing, and dynamic control for sustain and articulation, making it challenging for most players.

Sources

The Secrets Behind Brian May's Guitar Sound on Queen's "Tie Your Mother Down" | Guitar World How to get Brian May's Red Special tones from a Strat or Les Paul | Guitar World

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