Don't Stop Me Now amp settings — Fender Champion 25 II
The Queen guitar tone for “Don't Stop Me Now”, dialed in for a Fender Champion 25 II with a squier Stratosonic Paranormal. Studio version, Jazz album (1978), recorded at Super Bear Studios, France
Brian May Red Special (out-of-phase single coils) → Dallas Rangemaster treble booster → Deacy amp (small solid-state) or Vox AC30 Top Boost, Echoplex tape delay
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 6 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Mid | 6 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Presence | 0 |
| Reverb | 2 |
| Master | 7 |
01Treble Booster (e.g., TC Electronic Spark Booster, EHX LPB-1, or Catalinbread Naga Viper)
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. This is essential for Brian May's tone; it pushes the amp into smooth compression. A basic clean boost or treble booster clone (~$30-50) gets you 80% there.
The Champion 25 is a solid-state practice amp with Fender's naturally bright, scooped voicing — it cannot replicate AC30 tube compression or the Deacy's germanium warmth. I dropped treble to 5 (vs the 6 reference) because the Champion's treble is harsh at higher settings without tube saturation. Gain at 6 gives mild breakup; the missing treble booster is critical for May's singing sustain — without it, you will get a cleaner, thinner tone. Use the middle pickup with tone rolled to 6 to approximate out-of-phase hollowness.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Fender Champion 25 II. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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