Riff Tone

You Take My Breath Away

Queen

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarBrian May Red Special

AmpVox AC30 (Normal channel, cranked, 1970s model)

PickupsTri-Sonic single-coil pickups (custom-wired, Burns Tri-Sonic)

Amp Settings

gain6

bass6

mid7

treble6.5

reverb2.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1976 (A Day at the Races sessions). No evidence of live or alternate gear for this song's riff section. Brian May's Red Special and Vox AC30 are confirmed for all Queen studio recordings of this era. No evidence of additional pedals for the riff section.

Tone Character(10)

chime and jangleslightly compressedharmonically richtouch-sensitivewarm and singing sustainclassic British amp breakupclear note separationmild overdrivenot heavily saturateddynamic response to picking

Difficulty

The riff requires intermediate skill due to its dynamic sensitivity, need for clean articulation with mild overdrive, and precise chord voicings typical of Brian May's style.

Sources

Potent Pairings: How to Sound Like Queen's Brian May Using Effects Pedals Brian May's Guitar Gear, Pedals & Amps | Equipboard How to get Brian May's Red Special tones from a Strat or Les Paul | Guitar World

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