GIBSON LES PAUL

Humbuckers, with their intrinsic warmth and power, make the job of mimicking the rockier tones of the Red Special with a Les Paul far easier, and it’s interesting to note that Brian used one as a spare throughout the 70s, albeit a Les Paul Deluxe that was loaded with mini humbuckers. Here are our suggestions for guitars that feature vintage-style ’buckers.

Position one: bridge

This is the best option for getting close to Brian’s massive rhythm tone. Remember: it’s not all about gain, so balance your amp’s master volume with the amount of preamp drive you dial in. A low-wattage all-valve amp works wonders here, as you can wind up the power tube distortion without knocking down walls. Don’t forget that Brian uses a treble booster, too. Be prepared to ramp up your amp’s EQ if your pickups are on the warm side.

Position two: middle

The two humbuckers together in parallel give a tone that’s great for recreating the throaty warmth of the RS set with all three pickups on but the middle out of phase, especially if you use the level of gain as a way of adding cut and high end. With the legendary Peter Green Les Paul, now owned by Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, not only are the pickups magnetically out of phase with each other, but the neck pickup is also the wrong way round. When both are combined, the tone is nasal and instantly ear-catching, perfect for a number of classic May solos including Bohemian Rhapsody.

Position three: neck

The toasty tones of a Les Paul’s neck pickup are sewn through rock history, and the closest equivalent on the RS is probably the middle and neck together, in phase. Brian would often use his most powerful setting, all three pickups together in series and in phase, with a small amp made by Queen bassist John Deacon to mimic a cello for his guitar orchestrations, and you can get in the ballpark here by adding extra gain.