Killer Queen

Let’s take a quick look at one of the ultimate classic guitar tones, the one and only Brian May of Queen. We’ll spare you the history of the band, but if you’re not aware, do yourself of favor and look them up. Better yet, get yourself acquainted with their music.

In a rare moment for this business, Brian actually cut a near 30 minute video back in 1983 detailing how he achieved his now legendary sound. If you have the time, we highly recommend watching it. Brian’s guitar is obviously a one-of-a-kind! But that’s OK. We’ve lined up a few of the required elements in AmpStamp. Here are a few key points that we gleaned from watching the master at work:

uses AC30’s without Top Boost, can achieve a similar tone by playing through the Normal channel
starts with a really woolly tone and refines it using a Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
plays with a metal pick
adds a chorus pedal using two or more amplifiers for true stereo operation
also adds a delay pedal panning repeats to opposite amplifiers

Killer Queen

Disable the boost for mellow cleans, tap into solo mode for blistering leads, and enable echo to bring in other-worldly harmonies while soloing. This preset has you covered for all occasions. We’ve also added room ambience to capture the studio sound found on recordings of rock bands during the mid-’70’s. But enough talking for now, check out how it sounds!