Riff Tone

We Will Rock You

Queen

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarBrian May Red Special (original, homemade, semi-hollow, 1960s build)

AmpVox AC30/6 (Normal channel, cranked, no master volume, 1970s JMI model)

PickupsTri-Sonic single coils (Burns, wired in series, custom switching)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid7.5

treble7.5

reverb0

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

boostPete Cornish Pete Cornish Treble Booster

Notes

Studio recording, 1977. Used original Red Special guitar and Vox AC30s as in live rig, but with no effects on the center amp for the main riff. Treble booster pedal was used before the amp. No chorus, delay, or phaser on the main riff section. Effects like chorus and delay were reserved for solos or other tracks. The main riff is dry and percussive, matching the stomp/clap rhythm of the song.

Tone Character(10)

dry and percussivetight, punchy attackdistinct midrange biteraw, unprocessed soundclassic British rock crunchno ambience or reverbbright and articulateslightly nasal due to pickup wiringfocused, direct projectionmatches stomp/clap rhythm

Difficulty

The riff is rhythmically demanding but technically simple, requiring precise timing and a strong, percussive attack to match the iconic stomp/clap pattern. No advanced techniques are needed, but the groove and articulation are critical.

Sources

Brian May's Guitar Gear, Pedals & Amps | Equipboard 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 How to play like Brian May | MusicRadar

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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