tbonesullivan Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 So, after having finally bought Queen, Queen II, A Night at the Opera, and a Day at the races (already owned news of the world) I've been on a MAJOR Brian May Kick. And as usual, when looking for a way to get THAT sound, I come up blank. There was that Vox Brian May studio preamp modeled after the Deacy Amp, but it is long discontinued. There was the Brian May red special pedal from digitech, but that is also discontinued. Then there is a company called Doxy making pedals, cabinets, and treble boosters in the Deacy Amp style, but they are over in France, and I don't want to go through the hassle of importing one. So, does anyone know of an easy way to get my hands on a deacy-style amp in the US without building one myself? I can get the Brian May guitar without much issue, but without the amp it's not the same. I've also heard lots of demos with non brian may guitars through the doxy amps, and they still have that lovely germanium diode sustain and smooth sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Better send a message to the amp clone guru, Mr. KBP810... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
y2kc Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 In my small record collection I have an lp of Brian May and Eddie Van Halen with a bass player and drummer doing a tribute to the Bluesbreaker album. I found it in the "cut out" bin. Remember "cut out" bins? I would say most of their sound comes from their fingers.Wicked talent. Good luck y2kc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonesullivan Posted March 19, 2013 Author Share Posted March 19, 2013 maybe, but EVH and Brian May both have very distinctive sounds, as well as equipment that they use to get those sounds. I don't want to be able to play like Brian May, but the sound of a deacy amp is really like nothing else. Part of it is the guitar, but part is also the amp. The guys who make the doxy amp have a ton of demos up of their various "doxy" iterations, and even with a MM silhouette guitar they get some really smooth tones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Flying Bird Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Man, I thought they had cloned Brian May. Vox makes a tiny little amp with a mid booster that is supposed to imitate the Brian May sound. Heck, he signed off on it. I have one and the boost circuit run through an Ampeg Jett is the best tone I have ever heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 IMO Brian May's gtr sound sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom ( I'm not saying it sounds like **** haha ) ...it doesn't sound like the traditional way someone would mic an amp at all, so I bet that is a big part of it *edit* ps didn't he use a rangemaster into a vox amp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthpawGuy Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Check out the first clip, his treble booster is on the guitar strap,( before the wireless ?), first in the chain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretless Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 I had the Vox Brian May mini amp , on it's own it was yuk but through another amp from the treble booster it was good fun . Watch Brian with his sig guitar , soon as he starts going into phase switching his sound really comes out . I do still have a Mini May though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonesullivan Posted March 19, 2013 Author Share Posted March 19, 2013 IMO Brian May's gtr sound sounds like it was recorded in a bathroom ( I'm not saying it sounds like **** haha ) ...it doesn't sound like the traditional way someone would mic an amp at all, so I bet that is a big part of it *edit* ps didn't he use a rangemaster into a vox amp? The speaker I believe has a tweater, and also a speaker with a "whizzer cone". It was originally built out of a HIFI speaker cabinet, with an amplifier board taken out of a dumpster by John Deacon. THe ultimate in LO FI construction. Then a treble booster was usually used to help push it to over drive. I've heard that during recording, they would put it inside a box, garbage can, cover it with blankets, etc etc etc to get certain sounds. also with the speakers the wya they were mic positioning was crucial. But, aside from all that, there was the super smooth germanium diode clipping that was used. I've also always been mystified by the Brian May guitars currently being offered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koula901 Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 In my foolish ignorance I would say, wouldn't a single coil guitar with tons if distortion get you there, tweak tone knobs to taste? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 ah I never knew he used the two pups out of phase like that, makes sense!! thx tbone! very interesting! good luck with your tone search Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonesullivan Posted March 20, 2013 Author Share Posted March 20, 2013 ah I never knew he used the two pups out of phase like that, makes sense!! thx tbone! very interesting! good luck with your tone search The guitar itself is quite different from a standard single coil guitar. The pickups are all wired in series, and every pickup has a phase switch. So, if you put together two pickups you get almost a humbucker type tone. When you put one out of phase though, you get a very scooped airy tone. I've heard the middle and bridge pickups together in series is pretty close to a humbucker in sound. Of course, the guitar is a 24" scale, with a big fat neck. Though, I have heard that the original red special has a neck that is like a baseball bat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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