Tone library / Queen / Bohemian rhapsody

Bohemian rhapsody amp settings — Marshall Code 50

The Queen guitar tone for “Bohemian rhapsody”, dialed in for a Marshall Code 50 with a PRS Silver Sky. Studio version, A Night at the Opera (1975) — main guitar solo

Original rig

Red Special (Burns Tri-Sonic pickups in series, neck + middle out-of-phase) + Dallas Rangemaster treble booster + cranked Vox AC30 Normal channel

Saturated, singing, nasal out-of-phase midrange with smooth top-end sustain

Amp settings — Marshall Code 50

CHANNELBritish Class A (Preamp) + Classic Marshall 100W (Power Amp) + 1960V 4x12 (Cab)BOOSTon

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	4
Mid	8
Treble	6
Presence	7
Reverb	2
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPneck+middle TONE7 VOLUME9

Signal chain

01Onboard Compressor (Marshall Code Stomp)

Engage internal Stomp slot as a clean punch/treble booster in front of the Class A preamp

Tone 6 · Attack 3 · Release 5 · Level 8

Why these settings

The Marshall Code 50 is a modeling amp, so we select the 'British Class A' preamp model to mimic Brian May's cranked Vox AC30 and engage the onboard boost to replicate the Dallas Rangemaster. Because the Silver Sky's single coils are wired in parallel rather than May's hot series/out-of-phase wiring, mids are bumped to 8 and the guitar tone knob is pulled back to 7 to recreate the thick, vocal honk without ice-pick frequencies. Reverb is set low to capture the dry, upfront character of the Trident Studios tracking room.

PRO TIPBrian May famously used an old British sixpence coin as a pick; use a heavy rigid pick or an actual ridged coin held at an angle to get that signature raspy, metallic attack at the onset of each note.

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