Brian May Pedalboard
Full effects breakdown — core pedals, signal chain order, and budget alternatives
Brian May's signal chain centres on 2 essential effects: Boost (Dallas Rangemaster treble booster), Delay. The resulting sound: The Red Special (three Burns Tri-Sonic pickups, out-of-phase switching) into a Dallas Rangemaster treble booster into Vox AC30s. The boost increases the signal level before the amp input, pushing the preamp harder for a natural, amp-driven breakup rather than pedal distortion — the boost adds volume and presence, not harmonic distortion.
Essential Pedals
These effects are non-negotiable for Brian May's tone. Skip any one and the signature sound is lost.
Optional / Contextual Effects
Brian May uses these situationally — great to have but not required for the core sound.
£1,000 Pedalboard Breakdown
Specific gear recommendations at the £1,000 budget tier.
Pedalboard at Every Budget
The effects chain scales with budget — budget tiers keep the essential categories intact with less expensive alternatives.
- BoostElectro-Harmonix LPB-1 Linear Power Booster
- EQMXR M108S 10-Band EQ
- ModulationWalrus Audio Julia
- DelayStrymon Timeline
Signal Chain Order
Delay last in the chain (or in the effects loop) ensures the repeats are clean reproductions of the effected signal. Running delay before drive would create driven, distorted repeats that accumulate into an indistinct wall.
- Guitar
- Delay (after modulation, before reverb)
- Amp
Related Gear
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FAQ
Brian May Pedalboard — Common Questions
Brian May's pedalboard includes: Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 Linear Power Booster. The core effects in Brian May's sound are Boost, Delay.
The standard signal chain for Brian May's pedalboard follows the professional convention: guitar → tuner → wah (if used) → compression → overdrive/distortion → amp → modulation (chorus/flanger) → delay → reverb. Delay last in the chain (or in the effects loop) ensures the repeats are clean reproductions of the effected signal. Running delay before drive would create driven, distorted repeats that accumulate into an indistinct wall.
Brian May uses the Electro-Harmonix LPB-1 Linear Power Booster as the main overdrive pedal. This pedal is placed before the amp input in the signal chain.
Building a Brian May-style pedalboard depends on budget. At £200 you can cover the essentials (~£228 for the full rig). At £500 the pedalboard includes . At £1,000 (full rig: ~£927) all the key pedals are covered.
Brian May's delay is handled by a dedicated delay pedal placed at the end of the signal chain (or in the amp's effects loop). Common choices include the Boss DD series, TC Electronic Flashback, or MXR Carbon Copy.