I Want It All (Single Version) Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Queen
Queen · 1980s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Studio recording, 1988-1989. Brian May used his original Red Special guitar with the bridge and middle pickups in series and in phase, into a treble booster and then into three Vox AC30/6 amps (Normal channel, cranked). The center amp is dry, the left/right amps receive wet effects (delay, chorus, phaser as needed). Effects are mostly from pedals/rack, not amp. No amp reverb or tremolo circuits used. This is for the riff section of the single version.
Amp Settings
Effects Chain
- Pete Cornish Treble Booster · boost
- Foxx Phaser · phaser
- Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble · chorus
- MXR Digital Delay (DDL II) · delay
Red Special → Pete Cornish Treble Booster → Foxx Phaser (optional) → Boss CE-1 Chorus (wet amps only) → MXR DDL II Delay (wet amps only) → Vox AC30/6 (triple amp wet-dry-wet setup, center dry, sides wet)
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
Adapt to MY Gear →7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- British crunch
- tight, percussive attack
- harmonically rich
- chimey top end
- full-bodied
- articulate and mid-forward
- singing sustain
- distinct treble bite
- dynamic response
- arena rock rhythm
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp EQ settings for 'I Want It All' studio session found; settings estimated based on typical Brian May AC30 setup and era.
- Pedal models are based on Brian May's known 1980s rig and audible effects in the recording; exact pedal settings not available.
- Pickup selection is inferred from Brian May's standard rhythm tone and expert interviews.
- No evidence of amp reverb or tremolo; AC30s used with those circuits removed per sources.
- Signal chain and effects order based on Premier Guitar and Equipboard rig rundowns for the late 1980s.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Brian May's tone on 'I Want It All' is classic British rock with a mid-forward, harmonically rich crunch, using his Red Special into a cranked Vox AC30. The gain is set for thick, sustaining crunch, with strong mids and slightly boosted treble/presence for clarity, and minimal reverb as per late-80s Queen production.