Tone library / Queen / I Want to Break Free

I Want to Break Free amp settings — Boss Katana 100 MkII

The Queen guitar tone for “I Want to Break Free”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 100 MkII with a Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s. Studio version, The Works (1984) - rhythm comping / live guitar lead arrangement

Original rig

Brian May Red Special (Burns Tri-Sonic pickups) + Vox AC30 (Normal channel cranked) + Fryer/Pete Cornish Treble Booster (note: album solo was played on a Roland Jupiter-8 synth by Fred Mandel)

Warm, chiming mid-forward Vox crunch with vocal upper-mid bite

Amp settings — Boss Katana 100 MkII

CHANNELCrunch amp typeBRIGHToffBOOSTon

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	4
Bass	6
Mid	7
Treble	6
Presence	6
Reverb	2
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge+middle TONE8 VOLUME9

Signal chain

01Onboard Booster (Boss Booster / Treble Boost type)

Enable Katana internal Booster block set to Treble Boost

Drive 4 · Tone 7 · Level 7

Why these settings

The Katana Crunch voice delivers the Vox AC30 breakup, while the onboard treble boost emulates Brian May pushing the front end. Because your Les Paul Standard 50s has warmer humbuckers than May's series-wired single coils, we dial mids and presence up to keep the articulation clear without getting muddy. Using both pickups with the volume slightly rolled back mimics the out-of-phase vocal chime of the Red Special.

PRO TIPBrian May famously picks using a British sixpence coin held lightly against the strings; using a rigid metal pick or rigid heavy coin creates the authentic scratchy attack.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Boss Katana 100 MkII. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.