Any guitarists in here playing a red special copy?
I play mine into a vox modelling amp and with some experimenting I can get a reasonable approximation of Brian’s tones. But will a treble booster help? I know that his TB is an essential part of his rig but I don’t play live and my band is a Digitech Trio ( ??)
I’ve played guitar for years but am only just now finding the time to spend time improving and developing.
Any advice or comments welcome and apologies if this has been answered before - I’ve done a new thread because the pedal that was recommended to me isn’t available any more and you guys might be more up to date
Thanks
Sure - a Vox AC30 with a treble booster will get you reasonably close.
But that's gear. Ultimately it's all in your fingers, and in your head. If you know Brian's style, you can play a Gibson SG into a practice amp and sound like him.
And I can count on one hand the number of guys I've ever seen do that.
If you really want to sound like Brian, spend a few years studying him. Listen to his bends, his vibrato, his melodic approach, his phrasing. Read and watch interviews where he talks about his playing.
And this, in case you want to dig deeper - and this is deep: link
Good luck !
Wizzard's reply is full of good advise.
If you can find a Digitech Brian May pedal you could plug into any amp and get some good BM sounds. Very useful for playing at home without loads of volume. It also has two delays as an on board effect.
If your going to use a Vox AC 30 be prepared for excessive volume. Brian uses his AC 30 at full volume with the added treble booster driving the amp even harder. It should be noted that Brian's AC 30's have most of the wiring removed as he only uses the volume pot.
A Vox Pathfinder amp and booster will get a close sound at less volume
I have a number of Red Specials, a Super, a Burns, and two Dansan 100% authentic build copies
I have a range of TBs from Rangemaster (new version) to Pete Cornish boosters and Fryer and KAT
I use the same wireless sennhieser system and a TC Electronics GM2 for processing together with 3 AC30's plus fOXX Phaser and Boss CE-1 chorus
His style of playing is very unique, I'd advise listening to some of the 'guitar only' version of the tracks on YouTube, there you can hear the little squeaks and cracks his fingers make
Burns guitar to the digitech pedal, through a Y switch into two Vox VBM1s, each output to a Vox 2x12 cabinet.
Immense. I don't know how precisely Brian-like it sounds to anyone else, but it gets me closer than I ever expected to, and still sounds good playing just about anything AC/DC / Stones / ZZ Top.
Thanks all for your considered replies.
I’ve looked for the digitech RS pedal but of course it’s no longer in production and hard to find. In its absence can you reccomend a reasonable price treble booster that will approximate? My early guitar playing from years ago was all completely acoustic so the addition of amps and pedals rather than playing is what’s new to me.
My vox modelling amp will model an AC30 and I’ve discovered settings that are broadly similar to the sound I want.
Also anyone know if I can get Brian’s hands from somewhere?
Sheer Brass Neck wrote:link
I just read this. I think I am going to cry.
Good crying, I hope.
Because us plebs will just never figure it out.
I have seen most of the greats, and there is just nobody like Brian. He is in his own universe.
^^^
Bob, I know that you are a sublime musician and utterly respectful of talent. Just reading that it sort of crystallized what I feel about Brian May as a person and a player. Brian is obviously super analytical but I feel his playing comes from his humanity, and Tristan nailed it. I know that Tristan is a guitarist first but that was a fantastical clear written/spoken piece about who Brian is. Thanks for sharing that.