Queen – A Kind of Magic
The music gear and equipment used by the artists, producers, engineers, and more involved in the making of the 1986 album A Kind of Magic.
Music from A Kind of Magic
Artists on A Kind of Magic
Gear Used On A Kind of Magic
Explore the instruments, equipment, software, and production tools used in the making of Queen – A Kind of Magic (1986). Click more on each item to see exactly how it was used.
Brian May
Roles:
Studio Equipment used by Brian May on A Kind of Magic
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TC Electronic G-Major II Guitar Effects Processor
Avg price: $623.24
At 9:41 we see shot of the rack before Brian's tech Pete discusses what each item is used for. The TC units appear to be used for any digital effects, all of which takes place before the guitar signal hits the amp and is over driven. In this video Pete point out the units are used primarily for the stereo chorus on May's wet-dry-wet rig, but also perform various delays required for different songs as well as harmony/pitch shift at the 'step up/down effect used on "A Kind of Magic" and "Another One Bites The Dust".
Brian May used the Kurzweil K250 in the recording of "One Vision" and most of the album A Kind of Magic. It is believed that this instrument originally belonged to Freddie Mercury, who used it on his 1985 solo album Mr. Bad Guy. An image from the recording session of A Kind of Magic supports this information.
Guitars used by Brian May on A Kind of Magic
Semi-Hollowbody Electric Guitars
Avg price: $899.99
As evidenced by this photo from a 2017 performance at London's O2 Arena (courtesy Wikipedia), and per this article from Guitariego, dated March 19, 2020.
Though there have been many replicas and reproduction made over the years, original Red Special, the actual guitar he built from scratch with his father when Brian was just a teenager, is still Brian's main guitar.
This is one of the few homemade guitars famous enough to have it's own Wikipedia page.
Freddie Mercury
Roles:
Keyboards and Synthesizers used by Freddie Mercury on A Kind of Magic
Avg price: $19,535.25
In the One Vision and A Kind Of Magic Sessions, you can see what is clearly a Jupiter-8 but with the brand labels taped over for whatever reason. The arpeggio bass at 4:24 in One Vision was done on the Jupiter as that is the only synth they had available to have an on board arpeggiator.
Avg price: $149.00
Queen began using the Fairlight CMI starting in the 1984 album The Works. Freddie Mercury himself used it in his solo album Mr. Bad Guy in 1985 and again in 1986 in the A Kind Of Magic sessions as seen in this 1985 recording session for One Vision
Avg price: $209.50
Freddie Mercury used the Yamaha DX7 during the recording sessions for Queen's album A Kind of Magic and potentially The Miracle. Many stock DX7 presets, such as Syn-Orch, E-Piano-1, and Tubular Bells, can be heard throughout the album, as evidenced by the image provided on Equipboard.
Bass Guitars used by John Deacon on A Kind of Magic
John used this bass for Queen's performance at the Montreux Pop Festival in 1986. The same bass can also be seen in the promotional video for the 1986 Queen single "Friends Will Be Friends" off of the "A Kind Of Magic" album from the same year.
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Avg price: $1,549.00
John Deacon can be seen here with his Fender Precison Bass Elite I. He used on songs such as One Vision and I Want it All.
Drum Sets used by Roger Meddows Taylor on A Kind of Magic
Avg price: $4,243.00
Roger Taylor used this drum kit during Queen "Magic Tour" in 1986. In this video you can see it in 1:13.
Bass drum logo: Queen on A Kind Of Magic font on a black background