Tie Your Wallet Down
Getting May’s sound on a budget… and beyond
The unavoidable truth is that authentically obtaining the Brian May sound is difficult without some specific gear, and a Strat into an overdriving Marshall will only get you on the lower rungs of the ladder in this scenario.
Consider opting for a guitar whose design is based on that of the Red Special simply because it can do things that the majority of other production guitars don’t, such as providing pickups that are wired in series: the BMG Special (£695) is the ideal option. You’ll need some sort of treble booster or specifically-voiced overdrive too and we can certainly recommend the impressively authentic Catalinbread Galileo (£129), a stompbox that just about merits its ‘Brian May in a box’ reputation. The Vox Pathfinder 10 (around £64) or Marshall’s MG15R (£95) are both decent options, especially for home use, and a BOSS CH-1 chorus (£75) will infuse the tone with a shimmering richness.
If you are already the owner of a guitar loaded with a mid-powered or vintage-voiced bridge humbucker, you can try the combination of a Vox AC30S1 (around £555) and BMG/KAT’S
innovative Treble Booster Classic (£249). The latter provides a trio of distinct settings based on the idiosyncrasies of the particular boosters May used during three specific decades, while the amp, boasting one channel and a single Celestion speaker, gives just the right level of tube dynamics thanks to its El84-driven power section. Set the EQ flat, dial in the amount of gain that best suits your guitar, and whack the volume all the way up: it’ll be crushingly loud but will be more than worth it.
If money is no object, the spectacular BMG Super (left, £2,950) is about as close in spec and playability to May’s original guitar as a production model is likely to get. Then just back it up with three modified Vox AC30C2 combos (£various) a pair of TC Electronic G-major 2 rack units (£499 each), a KAT STB booster (£222), some custom wizardry from electronics gurus Nigel Knight and Mike Hill, and a stadium full of fans. Simples...