Can anyone recommend a software amp that does a good emulation of Brian May's tone?

FatBastard

I have a bunch of amps, including a Roland Blues Cube which is a sort of limited modelling amp and an AC15. What I want to do is to copy signature Brian May's tone while learning a couple of Queen songs. I thought the most effective way for minimal outlay might be the software amp route. Is anyone aware of one that does a pretty good approximation? Several years ago I splurged on a couple of packages that were the main software amps at the time, but predictably I did not use them very much (one was Guitar Rig and I think the the other might have been AmpliTube). If there is one of the mainstream ones that are a pretty good approximation I might update the license (providing the jump in versions is not stupidly expensive).

Quite possibly this guy has the closest: https://www.tcelectronic.com/Categories/Tcelectronic/Computer-Audio/Plug-Ins-&-Add-On-Licenses/TC-THIRTY-POWERCORE/p/HE176#googtrans(en|en)

Im not going to go down that route though, as even I with my nerdy obsessions and no kids don't need another platform. The other way is to use my AC30 and a Strat with the Digitech Red Special pedal I suppose, although they are increasingly rare and pricey from what I have seen. I can only play my AC15 at Bedroom levels too as I live in a terraced house.

Veganic

Someone once asked me if I could get a Brian May tone.
This is what I came up with.

https:// soundcloud.com/veganic1/maybe-maybenot/s-SO4GH

(Edited. Remove the space after the //)

The playing is abysmal but I thought the tone had something at the time given my limited ability / equipment / ears. I did have a guitar that did it better.

You did say approximate. I think the secret to the BM tone is to suck out all the tone at the guitar and then try to add it back in at the amp. Stratish guitar, position 4 (middle and neck). Wind at least one tone control right down. Loads of gain with a Vox amp model and a treble boost. 

This could be my greatest LOL tally to date but nothing ventured...

FatBastard

Thanks for responding. I'd love to hear your demo, but the URL is incorrect. Could yo amend it please so I can listen?

Veganic

Edited.  I think the forum software censored the link?

Limehouse_Blues

Not a software amp as such but the Boss GT1 will get you there. I use the very first patch (hi gain stack) for what i think is a pretty decent BM distorted tone. It's a great little box and you can connect to your computer and build patches easily or on the unit itself.

fretmeister

L6 Native.

FatBastard

Veganic said:

Someone once asked me if I could get a Brian May tone.
This is what I came up with.

https:// soundcloud.com/veganic1/maybe-maybenot/s-SO4GH

(Edited. Remove the space after the //)

The playing is abysmal but I thought the tone had something at the time given my limited ability / equipment / ears. I did have a guitar that did it better.

You did say approximate. I think the secret to the BM tone is to suck out all the tone at the guitar and then try to add it back in at the amp. Stratish guitar, position 4 (middle and neck). Wind at least one tone control right down. Loads of gain with a Vox amp model and a treble boost. 

This could be my greatest LOL tally to date but nothing ventured...

Thanks for that. It's not a million miles away. Interestingly to me it sort of sounds computer processed, even though you did not use software.

Kudos for being vegan too. Always wanted to be, but only way that will happen is if I was with someone who was also vegan and liked to cook which is a no on both counts. Will have to stick to being merely vegetarian.

FatBastard

Limehouse_Blues said:

Not a software amp as such but the Boss GT1 will get you there. I use the very first patch (hi gain stack) for what i think is a pretty decent BM distorted tone. It's a great little box and you can connect to your computer and build patches easily or on the unit itself.

fretmeister said:

L6 Native.

Thanks guys. Sure you are right but am not looking to spend money on a pedal board. I do have a Vox Tonelab EX in a cupboard somewhere. Lovely vintage sounds, but the wah was not quite up to snuff. This should be a reasonable bet for BM since it is Vox after all?

Jalapeno

Any old Treble booster and out of phase pickups does most of the job.

Vox used to make a Deacy amp - that did it all

And Digitech did a Red Special pedal, that was comprehensive

Fryer still do boutique treble boosters for Brian May (ISTR some were battery only) https://fryerguitars.wordpress.com/brian-may-fryer-treble-booster-2/

Fretwired

Cheap - an old Line 6 POD 2 from eBay for £30 (or borrow one) and then go to the Line 6 site and download the edit software and then pop along to this site and download the artists pack. They are pretty good.

http://www.malhavok.com/pod-patches.php

I'm surprised this guy's site is still going.

57Deluxe

several Factors in the BM sound:

Out of phase Burns Tri sonic PUPS
Treble Booster
More than one AC30
Harmonised parts
Phaser

and his fingers... (wanky hair and bat wing sleeves optional)

JayGee

I’ve got one of @juansolo’s little boxes of awesomeness which includes what I believe to be his take on the Catalinbred Galileo (treble boost and solid state implementation of an AC30 preamp and tone stack in one box with simplified controls).

In my hands it’s a great sounding drive with more than a hint of BM about it, in the hands of someone who actually knows what they’re doing  (e.g. https://youtu.be/ZK2UfDS6nn4) it’s uncannily close to the genuine item!

FatBastard

Jalapeno said:

Any old Treble booster and out of phase pickups does most of the job.

Vox used to make a Deacy amp - that did it all

And Digitech did a Red Special pedal, that was comprehensive

Fryer still do boutique treble boosters for Brian May (ISTR some were battery only) https://fryerguitars.wordpress.com/brian-may-fryer-treble-booster-2/

57Deluxe said:

several Factors in the BM sound:

Out of phase Burns Tri sonic PUPS
Treble Booster
More than one AC30
Harmonised parts
Phaser

and his fingers... (wanky hair and bat wing sleeves optional)

Thanks guys. I have read all this stuff before, but I am really not too serious about this. Just wanted to get in the ballpark to learn a song or two, not looking to buy a ton of stuff which is why I was thinking software modelling. I might consider a single inexpensive pedal, or was wondering if I could get the Blues Cube to replicate it (with or without an additional model).

FatBastard

JayGee said:

I’ve got one of @juansolo’s little boxes of awesomeness which includes what I believe to be his take on the Catalinbred Galileo (treble boost and solid state implementation of an AC30 preamp and tone stack in one box with simplified controls).

In my hands it’s a great sounding drive with more than a hint of BM about it, in the hands of someone who actually knows what they’re doing  (e.g. https://youtu.be/ZK2UfDS6nn4) it’s uncannily close to the genuine item!

Hmmm, quite a nice old school tone but to my ears (admittedly not the best), it does not sound THAT close. I think I could get as near using my existing pedals.

Jalapeno

FatBastard said:

Jalapeno said:

Any old Treble booster and out of phase pickups does most of the job.

Vox used to make a Deacy amp - that did it all

And Digitech did a Red Special pedal, that was comprehensive

Fryer still do boutique treble boosters for Brian May (ISTR some were battery only) https://fryerguitars.wordpress.com/brian-may-fryer-treble-booster-2/

57Deluxe said:

several Factors in the BM sound:

Out of phase Burns Tri sonic PUPS
Treble Booster
More than one AC30
Harmonised parts
Phaser

and his fingers... (wanky hair and bat wing sleeves optional)

Thanks guys. I have read all this stuff before, but I am really not too serious about this. Just wanted to get in the ballpark to learn a song or two, not looking to buy a ton of stuff which is why I was thinking software modelling. I might consider a single inexpensive pedal, or was wondering if I could get the Blues Cube to replicate it (with or without an additional model).

just get a cheapo treble booster

FatBastard

Fretwired said:

Cheap - an old Line 6 POD 2 from eBay for £30 (or borrow one) and then go to the Line 6 site and download the edit software and then pop along to this site and download the artists pack. They are pretty good.

http://www.malhavok.com/pod-patches.php

I'm surprised this guy's site is still going.

What can the Pod 2 do that the Spider Stereo amp cannot (or vice versa)? I just ask because some people also recommend the latter and they are cheap used, although I'm not keen on buying another amp. I saw a Pod 2 demo and was kind of meh, until the harmonised guitar part at the end came on, and then it was immediately familiar. £30 seems a bit optimistic though. There is one on Ebay at the moment at £105 buy it now including postage.

FatBastard

Probably I'll give the Guitar Rig a go after Christmas (too busy now). Heard some demos on YouTube which were quite good and at least I don't have to buy anything new.

fretmeister

FatBastard said:

Limehouse_Blues said:

Not a software amp as such but the Boss GT1 will get you there. I use the very first patch (hi gain stack) for what i think is a pretty decent BM distorted tone. It's a great little box and you can connect to your computer and build patches easily or on the unit itself.

fretmeister said:

L6 Native.

Thanks guys. Sure you are right but am not looking to spend money on a pedal board. I do have a Vox Tonelab EX in a cupboard somewhere. Lovely vintage sounds, but the wah was not quite up to snuff. This should be a reasonable bet for BM since it is Vox after all?

Line 6 Native is not a pedal board.

Its a software item that does the same sounds as the helix. It runs on your PC.

i believe you can get a time limited demo of it to try before you buy. 

Fretwired

FatBastard said:

Fretwired said:

Cheap - an old Line 6 POD 2 from eBay for £30 (or borrow one) and then go to the Line 6 site and download the edit software and then pop along to this site and download the artists pack. They are pretty good.

http://www.malhavok.com/pod-patches.php

I'm surprised this guy's site is still going.

What can the Pod 2 do that the Spider Stereo amp cannot (or vice versa)? I just ask because some people also recommend the latter and they are cheap used, although I'm not keen on buying another amp. I saw a Pod 2 demo and was kind of meh, until the harmonised guitar part at the end came on, and then it was immediately familiar. £30 seems a bit optimistic though. There is one on Ebay at the moment at £105 buy it now including postage.

£105 .. that's optimistic. The presets are meh but if you want something to practice with and record then they're good if you download the preset editor and tweak them a bit. They take pedals well and there's plenty of BM patches on the net.

This is at £30 ..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LINE-6-POD-2-0-DIRECT-DESKTOP-MULTI-EFFECTS-PEDAL/113443402408?hash=item1a69c0f2a8:g:avcAAOSwjoFcEEaN:rk:4:pf:0

FatBastard

fretmeister said:

FatBastard said:

Limehouse_Blues said:

Not a software amp as such but the Boss GT1 will get you there. I use the very first patch (hi gain stack) for what i think is a pretty decent BM distorted tone. It's a great little box and you can connect to your computer and build patches easily or on the unit itself.

fretmeister said:

L6 Native.

Thanks guys. Sure you are right but am not looking to spend money on a pedal board. I do have a Vox Tonelab EX in a cupboard somewhere. Lovely vintage sounds, but the wah was not quite up to snuff. This should be a reasonable bet for BM since it is Vox after all?

Line 6 Native is not a pedal board.

Its a software item that does the same sounds as the helix. It runs on your PC.

i believe you can get a time limited demo of it to try before you buy. 

Apologies. I assumed it would require some Line 6 hardware as an interface. I just looked at the cost and $399 (plus $49 for the vintage bundle) is too much for even someone of my disgraceful spending habits. Looks impressive though.

FatBastard

Fretwired said:

FatBastard said:

Fretwired said:

Cheap - an old Line 6 POD 2 from eBay for £30 (or borrow one) and then go to the Line 6 site and download the edit software and then pop along to this site and download the artists pack. They are pretty good.

http://www.malhavok.com/pod-patches.php

I'm surprised this guy's site is still going.

What can the Pod 2 do that the Spider Stereo amp cannot (or vice versa)? I just ask because some people also recommend the latter and they are cheap used, although I'm not keen on buying another amp. I saw a Pod 2 demo and was kind of meh, until the harmonised guitar part at the end came on, and then it was immediately familiar. £30 seems a bit optimistic though. There is one on Ebay at the moment at £105 buy it now including postage.

£105 .. that's optimistic. The presets are meh but if you want something to practice with and record then they're good if you download the preset editor and tweak them a bit. They take pedals well and there's plenty of BM patches on the net.

This is at £30 ..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LINE-6-POD-2-0-DIRECT-DESKTOP-MULTI-EFFECTS-PEDAL/113443402408?hash=item1a69c0f2a8:g:avcAAOSwjoFcEEaN:rk:4:pf:0

Yeh, I saw that one but it is an auction so I doubt it will stay at that price (also £9 delivery).

Out of interest did you say Pod 2 because they'd probably be cheaper than a new Pocket Pod, or because it does vintage sounds better?