Back to the Light album cover - Brian May
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Love Token" by Brian May - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Love Token"

Suggested rig · the original isn't documented.

The settings

Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning

Amp settings

Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.

Gain7
Bass5.5
Mid6.5
Treble6.5
Presence6
Volume8

On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.

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Guitar setup

How the artist had their guitar configured for this take.

Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone10
Volume10
Recording notes

From Back to the Light (1992). Back to the Light is the debut solo studio album by English musician Brian May, the guitarist of Queen. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a Brian May Guitars Red Special through a Vox AC30HW2 Hand-Wired (Greenback), the rig we use for Brian May's other songs from Back to the Light, stands in. Set the amp to a driven, high-gain crunch and use the bridge pickup.

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Love Token" Tone

  1. What guitar did Brian May use on "Love Token"?

    The guitar on "Love Token" (released 1992) isn't documented; the Brian May Guitars Red Special above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar.

  2. What amp settings does "Love Token" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 7, Bass 5.5, Mid 6.5, Treble 6.5, Presence 6, Volume 8. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale; match them on your amp first, then nudge to taste. ToneMirror can translate these positions for whatever amp you actually own.

  3. Can I play "Love Token" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Love Token" tone on a Katana, a Helix, a tube combo, or anything else. The translation accounts for EQ curve, gain structure, and pickup type so the result actually sounds like the record, not just the same knob numbers on different gear.

Related tones

Tone references for "Love Token" by Brian May are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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