How To Sound Like Brian May - Guitar Sounds

A common question often asked is how do I get a guitar sound like Brian May of Queen?

Do I need a Red Special guitar replica?

Do I need a Vox AC-30 amp? 

Should I use a Treble booster?

Do I need to use a sixpence coin as a pick?










The truth is the sound is a combination of a lot of different factors. 
A Red Special replica guitar isn't going to magically produce the unique tones you've heard on your favorite Queen record.



The Red Special guitar gets it's unique tonal possibilities from the way the three Burns Tri Sonic pickups are wired with the in and out of phase selector switches. You can achieve a Brian May sound with a Stratocaster but it isn't going to have the same amount of tonal possibilties.

A Treble Booster is an essential piece of kit and without it you are not going to really get anywhere. There are number of different kinds available and I believe Brian May uses Greg Fryer Treble Boosters 

Brian May uses Vox AC30 amps live on stage. Brian's amp are modified to his own unique spec.
In the video below Craig Farley demonstrates the difference between an off the shelf AC30 and a modified version

In the studio Brian May didn't always use VOX AC30 amp like many think, He relied on the famous DEACY amp made by John Deacon. This was built from an old speaker and a radio circuit board and powered by a battery. Mixed with the Red Special and a treble booster many of the unique guitar tones we hear on Queen records were created

In the 2003 Vox produced the Vox BM1 with the help of Brian May to produce a Deacy sounding amplifier with a built in treble booster.
James Rundle of Rock Licks Guitar Tuition reviews the amp in the video below

WHERE CAN I BUY A BRIAN MAY GUITAR?

Now discontinues as is the Vox BM1 Digitech produced a Brian May pedal which produced many classic Brian May sounds.

In the below video we look at how to produced a Brian May guitar sound using Guitar Rig 5 Software

Brian May The Greatest Rock Guitarist Ever .... Viewers Opinions - THE KILLER QUEEN CHAT SHOW EP with Marc S Knight & James Rundle

Brian May is one of the greatest and most influential rock guitarists of all time.
In this episode of The Killer Queen Chat Show, Marc S Knight and James Rundle discuss the Brian's guitar playing style and influnce of modern music

The Killer Queen Chat Show - Did Queen Sell Out?

Should rock band Queen have changed their sound. After their rise in the early seventies at a time of glam rock Queen hit the big time with hits like Killer Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody in 1975.
But by 1980 Queen were producing songs like Another One Bites The Dust which although being a huge worldwide hit was a massive shift in style.

As Queen entered the 1980's at a time where glam rock was a distant memory and new wave and disco dominated the radio waves Queen produced the ill fated Hot Space album which left many fans wondering what had happened to a band that had started off very much a heavy metal band.

After regrouping Queen entered a new era of hits like Radio Ga Ga and I Want To Break Free with glimpses of their hard rock sound on tracks like Hammer To Fall and Tear It Up

In this episode of The Killer Queen Chat Show, Marc and James discuss the differing opinions of many fans as well as how Queen adapted to the changing times 

Have Your Say On The KIller Queen Chat Show Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/KillerQueenBlogcast/

The Killer Queen Chat Show - What Are Your Favorite Queen Harmonies - Episode 43

In this weeks Killer Queen Chat Show Marc S Knight discuss Queen vocal harmonies

Have your say on The Killer Queen Chat Show Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/KillerQueenBlogcast/

Queen - Love Of My Life - Guitar Solo Tutorial (Guitar Tab)

In this video we look at the solo from Love Of My Life a Freddie Mercury track from the 1975 Queen album A Night At The Opera

video by James Rundle of Rock Licks Guitar Tuition in South Shields http://www.rock-licks.com

Queen - Rain Must Fall - Guitar Solo Tutorial (Guitar Tab)

QUEEN RAIN MUST FALL GUITAR SOLO TUTORIAL (GUITAR TAB)

In this video we look at how to play the guitar solo from Rain Must Fall a track found on the 1989 The Miracle album.
Written by Freddie Mercury and John Deacon

A very over looked solo in the key of C which is very melodic

video by James Rundle of Rock Licks Guitar Tuition in South Shields www.rock-licks.com

Queen - Save Me - Guitar Solo Lesson - Guitar Tab

Queen - Save Me - Guitar Solo Lesson - Guitar Tab

video by James Rundle of Rock Licks Guitar Tuition in South Shields www.rock-licks.com

Air Guitar Anthems - All The Guitar Riffs

Brian May recently put a compilation cd together containing 56 classic rock guitar tracks

This video I play all the main guitar Riffs from each song

Full tracklisting:

Disc: 1 1. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen 2. Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin 3. Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones 4. Gimme All Your Lovin' - ZZ Top 5. 20th Century Boy - T.Rex 6. Bat Out of Hell - Meat Loaf 7. Black Betty - Ram Jam 8. Smoke On the Water - Deep Purple 9. You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman 10. Stone Cold Crazy - Metallica 11. Poison - Alice Cooper 12. Crazy Crazy Nights - Kiss 13. Ace of Spades - Motörhead 14. The Boys Are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy 15. Here I Go Again '87 - Whitesnake 16. Layla (Feat. Duane Allen) - Derek and The Dominos 17. Since You Been Gone - Rainbow 18. More Than a Feeling - Boston

Disc: 2 1. Money for Nothing - Dire Straits 2. Don't Stop Believing - Journey 3. Down Down - Status Quo 4. Run to You - Bryan Adams 5. All Right Now - Free 6. I Can't Explain - The Who 7. You Really Got Me - The Kinks 8. Mannish Boy - Muddy Waters 9. Feel Like Makin' Love - Bad Company 10. White Wedding - Billy Idol 11. Bad to the Bone - George Thorogood and The Destroyers 12. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor 13. Sunshine of Your Love - Cream 14. Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry 15. Buddy Holly - That'll Be The Day 16. All Or Nothing - Small Faces 17. God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols 18. The House of the Rising Sun - The Animals 19. Parisienne Walkways - Brian May & Kerry Ellis

Disc: 3 1. Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard 2. Message in a Bottle - The Police 3. I Believe in a Thing Called Love - The Darkness 4. Inside - Stiltskin 5. My Sharona - The Knack 6. Hold the Line - Toto 7. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd 8. The Spirit of Radio - Rush 9. Girls Girls Girls - Motley Crue 10. I Wanna Rock - Twisted Sister 11. All the Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople 12. Rocky Mountain Way - Joe Walsh 13. (Don't Fear) the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult 14. Holy Diver - Dio 15. Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden 16. Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer 17. F.B.I. - The Shadows 18. Wild Thing - The Troggs 19. We Will Rock You - Queen

video by James Rundle of Rock Licks Guitar Tuition in South Shields

A Collection Of Queen Guitar RIFFS

A COLLECTION OF QUEEN GUITAR RIFFS



Bohemian Rhapsody Tutorial https://youtu.be/2xPDT96QeZ4



One Vision Tutorial https://youtu.be/XcczbuArGPY



In The Lap Of The Gods Revisited Tutorial https://youtu.be/H41p12_2Mwo



Tie Your Mother Down Tutorial https://youtu.be/WWbahp_90qk



I Want It All Tutorial https://youtu.be/ILGEVoWxmmM



Hammer To Fall Tutorial https://youtu.be/H70DOXrJP9g



Play The Game Tutorial https://youtu.be/S5x66RFbBMI



Stone Cold Crazy Tutorial https://youtu.be/tqweL_Az1a0



Innuendo Tutorial https://youtu.be/-Ft-GiAsAnc



Death On Two Legs Tutorial https://youtu.be/nSlhYPNE9Hs



Was It All Worth It Tutorial https://youtu.be/sCjkinpUSX4



Hang On In There Tutorial https://youtu.be/IVuRY-66SCU



video by James Rundle of Rock Licks Guitar Tuition In South Shields http://www.rock-licks.com

Queen - Fairy Feller's Master Stroke - Guitar Solo Tutorial - Feat Craig...

How to play the Brian May guitar solo from the Queen song from the 1974 Queen II album.
Big thank you to Craig Farley for his contribution to this video

Video by James Rundle of Rock Licks Guitar Tuition in South Shields www.rock-licks.com

Queen - Jesus - Guitar Tutorial

HOW TO PLAY JESUS BY QUEEN ON GUITAR

Jesus is a track found on the 1973 self titled debut album by Queen

A quite straight forward song to learn in terms of structure.
The main riff is Bm F# Bm I've seen it played with F#7 which also sounds quite nice. I'll let you be the judge.
The solo on the record is quite an involved piece so I've stuck to what's going on underneath all the improvised guitar bits.

The Brian May Star licks  video famously explains one of the end licks from the solo which is mentioned in this video and the very end Lick is found in the Queen Band Score Book see link below

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Byt...


Video by James Rundle of Rock Licks Guitar Tuition

Whats Your Most Listened To Queen Albums - THE KILLER QUEEN CHAT SHOW - Episode 30

In this weeks episode Marc S Knight and James Rundle discuss Queen most listened to albums are not necessarily the albums you think are the best.

Visiting Freddie Mercury's House in Garden Lodge

September 2016 trip to London we took the tube to Earls Court to visit Freddie Mercury's house at Garden Lodge

There's not much to see but here but the back gate of the outside wall protecting the property. But it makes a nice place to have you photo taken.

Anti graffiti coats the walls and many people have written on the plastic sheets fitted to part of the wall.

Personally I didn't want to write on the wall  but quietly play my guitar and overdub full guitar sound when I got back home. A salute to the greatest rock singer of all time and the music that is a soundtrack to so many of our lives.

My young son had his photo taken holding his Brian May Mini Guitar which will make a very fond family memory.

Adrian May Red Special Guitar Demo

CHECK OUT ADRIAN MAY GUITARS http://rsguitars.xyz/

Adrian May produces some of the best Red Special replicas available

Hand crafted precision guitars you will fall in love with

Visiting Freddie Mercury's House at Garden Lodge

September 2016 trip to London we took the tube to Earls Court to visit Freddie Mercury's house at Garden Lodge

There's not much to see but here but the back gate of the outside wall protecting the property. But it makes a nice place to have you photo taken.

Anti graffiti coats the walls and many people have written on the plastic sheets fitted to part of the wall.

Personally I didn't want to write on the wall  but quietly play my guitar and overdub full guitar sound when I got back home. A salute to the greatest rock singer of all time and the music that is a soundtrack to so many of our lives.

My young son had his photo taken holding his Brian May Mini Guitar which will make a very fond family memory.

How To Play Like Brian May - Guitar Tutorial

HOW TO PLAY LIKE BRIAN MAY - Guitar Tutorial

A brief overview of essential aspects of Queen guitarists style.

It's worth noting that I'm using a Vox BM1 amp which has built in Treble Booster which is essential for creating the Brian May sound,
As a plectrum Brian uses a old sixpence,

Many people have messaged in asking how to go about writing their own Brian May style guitar guitar riffs.

Hammer To Fall tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H70DO...

I Go Crazy guitar tutorial : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auqG8...

One Vision guitar tutorial : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcczb...

We Will Rock You guitar tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6a9A...

Sweet Lady guitar tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWqlD...

Hang On In There guitar tutorial : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVuRY...

Dont Stop Me Now guitar solo : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuWNX...

Killer Queen guitar solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIRK5...

Brian May Guitars & BrianMayGuitars.co.uk Website Review

BRIAN MAY GUITARS PRODUCE A RED SPECIAL REPLICA AVAILABLE AT BRIANMAYGUITARS.co.uk

Mini May Review https://youtu.be/yfEpfKXKxN4

TAE Pedal http://www.taefx.com/

A few people asking about knitting needle nob for tremolo arm. Search eBay for "Trem Arm Knob" and they are very cheap

TAE pedal owned by Brian May and replicated the circuitry of the Brian May Vox AC30

This video hopefully answers a lot of the questions people have sent in asking about the guitar

The biggest and most popular question is where to buy the guitar. The simple answer is BrianMayGuitars.co.uk

On the site there is also availability The BM Super which is an almost identical replica of the Red Special.
Also produce
Rhapsody Acoustic Guitar
Mini May Guitar
Uke
Red Special Bass Guitar


Please Note: I do not work for BrianMayGuitars

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