Solo Tone

We Will Rock You

Queen

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarHomemade 'Red Special' (Brian May's original, 1960s build)

AmpVox AC30 (likely 1970s Top Boost, three-amp wet/dry/wet setup, center dry, sides wet)

PickupsTri-Sonic single coils (Burns, modified for series/parallel, phase switching)

Amp Settings

gain8

bass6

mid7.5

treble7.5

reverb0

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

boostUnknown Treble Booster (Dallas Rangemaster or similar, exact model unknown)

Notes

Studio recording, 1977. Brian May used his original Red Special guitar and a treble booster into three Vox AC30s for the solo. The center amp was dry, the side amps carried effects. No evidence of other guitars or amps for this solo. Effects were applied in the signal chain before the amps, not post-mix.

Tone Character(10)

singing sustainharmonic feedbackchimey top endtight, focused attackrich midrangecutting lead tonedistinct treble biteorchestral layeringpercussive pick attackclassic British crunch

Difficulty

The solo requires intermediate to advanced control of bends, vibrato, and feedback, as well as the ability to layer harmonized lines with precise timing and articulation.

Sources

Brian May's Guitar Gear, Pedals & Amps | Equipboard Brian May's guitar gear: how to sound like the iconic Queen guitarist IK Multimedia Unveils Amplitube Brian May - Premier Guitar How to get Brian May's Red Special tones from a Strat or Les Paul [QUESTION] How to get Brian May's tone using shit gear - Reddit

This tone has been researched 4 times by the community

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