GuitarDistortedRiff
Bohemian Rhapsody Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Queen
Queen · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Homemade Red Special (Brian May's Red Special)
Pickups
Burns Tri-Sonic single coils (custom-wired, series/parallel, phase options)
Amp
Vox AC30 (1960s, Top Boost, non-master volume, Celestion Alnico Blue speakers)
Pickup Position
Position: Bridge and Middle pickups in phase (typical for riff section; May used various combinations but this is most likely for the heavy riff)
Studio recording, 1975. Riff section. Guitar is Brian May's Red Special with unique wiring. Amp is a cranked Vox AC30, driven by a treble booster. No evidence of additional effects or pedals in riff section; effects like chorus/flanger/delay are not present in the riff. Treble booster is always on. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and typical May rig for this song/section.
Amp Settings
Mids7.5
Bass6
Gain6.5
Reverb2.5
Treble7.5
Presence6
Effects Chain
- Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster (or custom clone) · boost
Red Special → Treble Booster → Vox AC30 (cranked, slight spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- harmonic-rich
- mid-forward
- tight and percussive
- singing sustain
- articulate and dynamic
- upper-mid bite
- clear note separation
- classic British crunch
- not overly saturated
- slightly compressed from treble booster
Sources
- Brian May's Guitar Gear, Pedals & Amps | Equipboard
- Brian May goes deep on Bohemian Rhapsody: the gear, the solo ...
- Watch Brian May make a TV presenter's day with an ... - Guitar World
- How to get Brian May's Red Special tones from a Strat or Les Paul
- Brian May still finds the Bohemian Rhapsody riff difficult | Guitar World