Song Rig

Fat Bottomed Girls

Brian May · Jazz · 1978

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

One of the most satisfying rhythm tones Brian May recorded — the opening riff is pure Red Special into AC30 crunch, with more sustained drive than Somebody to Love. The chorus sections layer an electric 12-string overdub that broadens the sound. The tone sits in a sweet spot between clean and dirty that the Red Special/AC30/Rangemaster chain defines better than almost any other amp combination.

Signal Chain

1Red Special
2Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
3Vox AC30 Top Boost
4Electric 12-string (chorus overdub)

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume7

Bass5

Mid6

Treble7

Presence7

Slightly more gain than the Somebody to Love setting — the main riff needs more sustained drive to sit in the mix. The 12-string overdub adds thickness and brightness to the chorus sections. EL84 compression squashes the attack in a pleasant way that adds to the rhythmic feel.

Technique

How to Play It

The main riff uses downstrokes exclusively — the "chug" quality depends on strict downpicking even at this tempo. Brian holds the pick lightly between thumb and the side of the index finger rather than a firm three-point grip, which gives the slightly soft attack characteristic of his rhythms. The 12-string chorus overdub requires a separate instrument or use a chorus pedal at moderate settings.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Bridge humbucker guitar + Rangemaster treble booster (or EHX English Muff'n) into Vox AC30 or AC15. The EL84 voicing is important — Marshall EL34 amps give a different, less "chimey" character. A Boss CE-5 with very light settings can approximate the 12-string overdub.

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