Killer Queen amp settings — Hightone Jdj

The Queen guitar tone for “Killer Queen”, dialed in for a Hightone Jdj with a Schecter C6 PRO C6 PRO. Studio version, Sheer Heart Attack (1974) main multi-tracked solo and harmony guitars

Original rig

Red Special (Burns Tri-Sonic pickups wired in series, out-of-phase options) -> Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster -> Vox AC30 (Normal channel cranked)

Mid-focused, singing vintage British chime with rich harmonic upper-mid sustain

Amp settings — Hightone Jdj

CHANNELOverdrive / Lead channel

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

Don’t have a Hightone Jdj? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge+middle TONE9 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Treble Booster (Dallas Rangemaster clone / Brian May style)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for pushing the front end into May's signature singing chime.

Boost 8

Why these settings

The amp is an unrecognized model, so generic core parameters are used while unverified controls like mid and presence are nulled. Schecter Diamond Decimator humbuckers carry significantly more low-end and output than Brian May's single-coils, so bass is rolled back to 4 and treble is boosted to 8 to recreate the biting Vox AC30 and Rangemaster top-end. If you acquire a treble booster later, switch the amp to a clean edge-of-breakup setting with gain at 3 and let the pedal drive the input.

PRO TIPUse an authentic sixpence or rigid metal coin held at a slight angle instead of a plastic plectrum to generate the immediate metallic attack and upper-register chirp that defines Brian May's multi-tracked lead lines.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Hightone Jdj. 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.