“Brian’s not going to use a Fractal rackmount and in-ears; he wants to hear three screaming AC30s behind him thumping him in the back” By Simon Bradley 3 days ago Brian May’s long-standing tech Pete Malandrone takes us on an intimate tour of the Queen guitarist’s current touring rig
Entertaining and informative interview with Pete Malandrone, Brian May’s Guitar Tech…
MUSIC RADAR
9 October 2020
EXTRACT:
Pete Malandrone has been Brian May’s guitar tech, estate manager and right-hand man for the past 20 years or so and, with Queen’s touring life now fully invigorated following the recruitment of American vocalist Adam Lambert in 2012, the pressure on the amiable Londoner to keep the legendary guitarist’s stage equipment up and running has rarely been more intense.
“Not many players have an instantly-recognisable sound.” He assures us. “You can tell Brian a mile off, and that’s why he’s a brilliant guitarist and why people love him so much. You know, it’s him, his guitar, a treble booster, an AC30, a bit of chorus and that’s it. It’s not changed for a million years!”
Brian has used Vox AC30s for over fifty years after being inspired by both the music and guitar tone of Rory Gallagher. The Irishman used a Dallas Rangemaster treble booster to send his AC30 into a thick and saturated overdrive, by chance producing just the sound the young May was looking for and he’s used various incarnations of this deceptively simple set-up ever since.
