Tone Profile

This rhythm guitar tone is characterized by its bright, aggressive, and slightly overdriven sound, providing a powerful and energetic backdrop to the song. It's a classic rock tone with a distinct bite and sustain.

Production Credits

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• The recording setup likely involved close-miking the Vox AC30 cabinet to capture the amp's direct sound. The room ambience was probably minimized to maintain a focused and tight guitar tone. Overdubbing multiple guitar tracks would have contributed to the massive sound and added thickness to the rhythm parts.
• Brian May often used a sixpence coin as a pick, which contributes to the unique attack and bright character of his guitar tone.

Recreation Tips

• Start with a guitar equipped with single-coil pickups to capture a bright, clear tone. A treble booster can further enhance the high-end frequencies.
• Use a Vox AC30 or a similar-sounding amplifier with its gain set to a moderate level, achieving a slightly overdriven sound. Adjust the EQ to emphasize the high frequencies and add presence.
• Experiment with different microphone positions in front of the amplifier to find the sweet spot. A condenser microphone like a Neumann U67 can capture the amp's nuances.
• Double-track or even quadruple-track the guitar parts to create a thick, layered sound, as was typical in Queen's productions.

Original Gear

• Burns Brian May Signature(guitar)
• Vox AC30(amp)
• Neumann U67(mic)