Tone library / Queen / One Vision

One Vision amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX

The Queen guitar tone for “One Vision”, dialed in for a Marshall MG30CFX with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, A Kind of Magic (1986) — recorded at Musicland Studios Munich, 1985

Original rig

Brian May Red Special (humbuckers, out-of-phase switching) → Pete Cornish TB83 Treble Booster → 2x Vox AC30 Normal channel (full volume) with Celestion speakers, MXR delay between amps for stereo spread

Thick, harmonically rich overdrive with singing sustain, warm yet cutting mids, zero reverb on rhythm parts
Amp settings — Marshall MG30CFX
CHANNELOD1 (Crunch)BOOSToff
GAIN 7 BASS 4 MID 7 TREBLE 6 PRESENCE 5 REVERB 0 MASTER 6
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain7
Bass4
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Reverb0
Master6
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge+middle TONE7 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Treble Booster / Clean Boost (e.g. TC Electronic Spark Booster, EHX LPB-1)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for the Brian May tone; pushes amp into singing sustain. A basic treble booster clone ($30-50) gets you 80% there.

Level/Gain 7 · Treble/Tone 6 · Bass 4
Why these settings

The MG30CFX is solid-state with a mid-forward Marshall voicing — use OD1 channel to approximate the AC30's power-tube saturation character. Gain pushed to 7 compensates for lacking a treble booster and your Strat's lower-output single coils vs May's humbuckers. Mid at 7 replicates the AC30 Normal channel's hardwired mid-presence. Reverb at 0 is mandatory — Mack explicitly left rhythm guitars completely dry.

PRO TIPMay's secret weapon is pickup phase cancellation — on your Strat, use position 2 or 4 (in-between) and roll tone to 7 to get that hollow, vocal midrange quality. Pick closer to the bridge with the fleshy part of your thumb grazing strings for his signature compressed attack.

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These settings are for a Marshall MG30CFX. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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