“There’s a great simulator that really does a very good job of simulating my sound”: Brian May reveals which affordable amp-in-a-box gets closest to nailing his iconic Queen tone – but it’s one you might not expect

Brian May’s combination of his Red Special electric guitar and Vox AC30 guitar amp has helped create one of music’s most coveted guitar tones, which is the muse of many tone-chasers the guitar world over.

Many have tried to harness May’s Queen sound through analog means, but in the age of pedal amps and digital modelers, there's no shortage of products promising to deliver that vintage guitar tone at a fraction of the price.

Indeed, there are a handful of affordable amp-in-a-box stompboxes and modelers dedicated to delivering May’s guitar tone – and in the new issue of Guitar World, May himself revealed which particular pedal gets the closest to replicating that iconic sound.

However, it’s not one that can be found in the Line 6, Neural DSP, Fractal or Fender range – instead, it’s something a little more niche, and significantly more affordable.

“I’ve tried modelers, and there are some very good ones now. There’s a great simulator; it’s a pedal that really does a very good job of simulating my sound,” says May of the Catalinbread Galileo.

Now, strictly speaking, the Galileo isn’t an out-and-out amp modeler in the same way that the aforementioned crop of multi-effects are. Rather, the Galileo is a purpose-built “Queen in a box” overdrive pedal that looks to bottle “his entire rig” into a tiny stompbox.

And, at $180, the Galileo is significantly more attainable than a Red Special, vintage AC30 and Treble Booster, all of which are at the core of May’s sound.

That’s not to say the Galileo could ever replace his current rig, though. As May goes on to explain, the Galileo – or any amp modeler, for that matter – lacks a certain tangibility that makes them inferior to a proper amp-and-pedal setup.

“There’s nothing quite like the original when it comes down to it,” he continues. “In the heat of the battle, all those tiny little peculiarities count, and when I’m at top level and top volume, there’s nothing quite like those amps.

Catalinbread Galileo MKII - YouTube

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“They have a personality of their own, and I couldn’t swap it for anything. And I wouldn’t like to be on stage with the amps someplace else.

“I need my amps to interact with my guitar – physically, in the air – and interact with me because I feel it in my body as well. I don't think I could do the modeling thing live on stage.”

Read the full interview with Brian May in the new issue of Guitar World, which you can pick up at Magazines Direct.

The interview also sees May discuss his new partnership with Gibson, which the guitar icon says could lead to Gibson-built Red Specials in the future.