GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence

We Will Rock You Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Queen

Queen · 1970s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar

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

Pickups

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

Amp

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

Pickup Position

Bridge and middle pickups in series, in phase (Red Special custom wiring)

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.

Amp Settings

Mids

7.5

Bass

Gain

Reverb

Treble

7.5

Presence

Effects Chain

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

Red Special → Treble Booster → Vox AC30 (center dry, sides wet for other songs, but solo is dry)

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

singing sustain
harmonic feedback
chimey top end
tight, focused attack
rich midrange
cutting lead tone
distinct treble bite
orchestral layering
percussive pick attack
classic British crunch

Notes & Caveats

⚠️No direct numeric amp knob settings for the 'We Will Rock You' solo found; values estimated based on typical 1970s Vox AC30 usage and multiple reputable sources.
⚠️Treble booster pedal model not specified in sources, but a Dallas Rangemaster or similar is universally cited for Brian May's classic tones.
⚠️No evidence of delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, or reverb on the solo; the tone is dry except for natural amp compression and room sound.
⚠️Pickup selection inferred from multiple interviews and technical breakdowns of the Red Special's wiring and May's soloing habits.
⚠️No evidence of effects loop usage; all effects are pre-amp.
⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Brian May's 'We Will Rock You' solo was recorded with his Red Special into a cranked Vox AC30, using a treble booster for extra bite and sustain. The tone is mid-forward, bright, and cutting, with little to no reverb (dry, close-miked sound), matching British rock conventions and May's signature amp settings from the era.