Brian May recalls the time he tried to play through a Marshall stack: “It sounded so awful. I could hardly play”
Despite Brian May having soared to stardom with Queen during the golden era of the Marshall stack, there’s a reason why he never decided to use one himself.
A number of rock bands opted for a Marshall stack during the ‘70s and ‘80s – from Motörhead and Slayer to AC/DC and Metallica. At one fateful gig where all artists were playing through the same gear, May decided to try one for himself, and ruled that he just couldn’t get along with them.
READ MORE: “That was a life-changing experience, because of the fear”: Brian May remembers his most memorable gig
In an interview with Guitarist for its new print edition, May says, “I remember, we played one show at Olympia. Top of the bill was Jimi Hendrix and everybody essentially played through the same gear. So I plugged into a Marshall stack with my guitar and treble booster. Turned it all the way up – and it sounded so awful. I could hardly play. I didn’t know what to do. It sounded like an angry wasp. It didn’t have any depth or articulation, I couldn’t play chords. It was a really hard experience for me.”
He adds, “After we’d played, I stayed behind backstage and I looked through between the amps as Jimi came on stage, plugged into that same amp – and it sounded like cataclysm. I think he had some kind of voodoo magic, but he made that amp sound like an orchestra. And for me, it just didn’t work. So I never got on with Marshalls. I knew Jim Marshall and got on with him very well, but I could never quite tell him, ‘Sorry, I can’t quite get to grips with your amps…”
May’s live rig instead utilised the Vox AC30, and for studio use he opted for the famous Deacy – a small yet mighty amp created by Queen bassist John Deacon. May used it on tracks such as 1974’s Killer Queen, as he found it sat differently in the mix compared to an AC30.
In other May news, he’s currently taking life slow and steady following a minor stroke last summer. Despite temporarily losing control of his left arm, May is still able to play guitar and remains stable and healthy.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
