Hi all,
I just bought an AC30 combo and I have a Fender Stratocaster.
Does anyone have any tips for me on getting the signature May distortion sound out of those two? I know I won't be able to get it to sound like the red special and I do not have a treble booster - but any tips would be good, including which pick ups to have on.
Cheers!
Sorry Liam, but you won't be able to achieve that "signature May distortion" sound, even with the knobs and amp turned up to 11.
The treble booster alone is a very important part of that sound, next to having an actual BM guitar. I recently bought a BBE Freq Boost stomp box, and trust me it makes a HUGE difference!
Dubroc wrote:
What about Digitech's pedal then?
link
ok through a PA but kinda crap through a guitar amp.
Getting a TB will mostly give you the desired effect (as mentioned)
Input into Normal channel, everything full and then turn all eq to off. Suppose if you wired your strat in series then that would offer a thicker tone from your guitar.
Dubroc wrote:
What about Digitech's pedal then?
link
ok through a PA but kinda crap through a guitar amp.
Getting a TB will mostly give you the desired effect (as mentioned)
Input into Normal channel, everything full and then turn all eq to off. Suppose if you wired your strat in series then that would offer a thicker tone from your guitar.
Agree one hundred percent with this advice.
What I would add to this is maybe look at changing the pickups too.
Adeson Pickups produce Brian May Trisonics, although they are single coil they are bigger than a strat pickup. However Adeson also produce a strat sized Trisonic pickup which should help you get a little closer to the BM sound.
Remember however that the Red Special is a largely hollow guitar, very different to a strat so you will never get the exact sound, but al of the above should help in some way.
Suggestion to the last two posters: press enter before the "[" of the "/QUOTE" and your posts will look right :-)
The Digitech pedal will get you pretty close to the tone. A treble booster will be even better.
But the most important part is in your fingers. Vai once said - Brian played the guitar and it sounded like Brian. Then he handed it to me, and it sounded like Steve Vai.
Get the Fryer Treble Booster deluxe. Trust me. Even if you don't have the Red Special an AC30 with the Treble Booster will get you a close enough sound. Just make sure you play around with the knobs on the amp till you find the perfect sound. You might not find it right away. Good luck!
"Brian played the guitar and it sounded like Brian. Then he handed it to me, and it sounded like Steve Vai"
Exactement! One only has to watch videos of various folk playing on the actual guitar at one of those Red Special meetups to see that it's really in the hands of the player.
You may find the AC30 able to re-create a much tastier, beefy sound than what Brian used it for. Don't get hooked on Treble Boosters...
It's one of the best Guitar amps out there, but for more than just Queen songs. Much more.
slightly off topic, but does anyone have tips on how to attempt to replicate Brian's sound in GarageBand on a Mac? I know it's hardly pro gear but there's a Vox AC30 style amp, I have a Guild BHM so for an approximation any tips would be appreciated.
If you have spent the money on an AC30 then buying a £120 booster pedal shouldn't be to much of an issue if you are really after the BM sound, the fryer pedals are great and even with a strat will sound pretty close to the BM sound if you use one, it will make you sound close to Rory Gallagher who was the person who gave Brian the idea of using this combo in the first place.
I have been looking into the fryer pedals. Which one would you recommend? The plus, delux or touring model? I know Brian currently uses the touring, however most reviews say the deluxe gives you the classic 70's tones.
There is little to chose between them to be honest the sound is very close. I have the Touring which i use a lot because it's just a little softer, I also have the deluxe, slightly harsher but still great.
Or you can go buy a booster with a control knob on which will allow you to adjust the amount of boost.
For a pure BM tone your best bet would be an AC30 and a Fryer pedal, I would go for the Touring to be honest.