“I am beyond blown away that this is now in my possession”: Joe Bonamassa is now the proud owner of the treble booster that blew a young Brian May’s mind and made Rory Gallagher’s Stratocaster sing

If you notice anything extra special about Joe Bonamassa’s electric guitar tone when he steps up onstage in Cork, Ireland, this coming July to honour the late Irish blues guitar icon Rory Gallagher, that’ll be the holy grail treble booster that blew a young Brian May’s mind back in 1969, and, you could argue, changed the face of rock history.

Bonamassa is now the owner of Rory’s number one Dallas Rangemaster treblebooster, one of the most iconic guitar effects units of all time.

It had been scheduled to go to auction alongside a trove of Gallagher’s gear, but, taking to Instagram, Bonamassa reveals that the Gallagher family surprised him with it before his show at the Beacon in New York City last night (27 February). To put it mildly, Bonamassa has some cool pieces in his collection, but this took him aback – and best of all, this old grey box is in fine working order.

“There are moments in my life when I need to step back pinch myself,” writes Bonamassa. “Tonight before our show [at the Beacon Theater] in New York my friend Daniel Gallagher, with his father Donal’s blessing, gifted me Rory’s number one Rangemaster. I had noticed it had gone missing from the auction a few months back and I am beyond blown away that this is now in my possession.”

This box, which was designed to sit on top of a guitar amp rather than on your pedalboard (there is no footswitch) was Gallagher’s secret sauce – except it wasn’t such a secret. Gallagher would tell people what was what, people such as Brian May. Tony Iommi would similarly use one to great effect with Black Sabbath.

Watching Gallagher use his Vox AC30 tube amp combo and discovering that it a Rangemaster was working its magic in the sound too was the great gear epiphany that would become the bedrock for May’s sound with Queen.

Speaking to Guitarist, May says he stayed behind after one of Gallagher’s London shows to ask him just how he got that sound. “Easy,” came the reply.

Bonamassa borrows Rory Gallagher's Stratocaster to play Sloe Gin at the Royal Albert Hall - YouTube

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“[The AC30 and Dallas Rangemaster treble booster] was there from the moment I saw Rory Gallagher,” said May. “I managed to stay behind at [legendary London venue] The Marquee when everyone had gone home. “I asked him, ‘Rory, how do you get that sound?’ And he said, ‘Well, it’s easy, I have the AC30 and this little box, and I turn it up and it sings for me.’

“The next day, I went to a guitar shop and found two secondhand AC30s for £30 each. I found a treble booster. I plugged in with my guitar, turned all the way up and it just melted my stomach. That’s my sound.”

The ingredients might be similar but there is no mistaking Gallagher for May or vice versa. Some of that would have to go down to May’s use of a six-pence for a guitar pick – not to mention his, Red Special, the sui generis electric he made at home with his father. But also, as was often the case with vintage effects May’s Rangemaster sounded a little different. He describes Gallagher’s – now Bonamassa’s – as a little brighter?

Rory Gallagher - Cradle Rock (Irish Tour '74) - YouTube

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If you’re looking for an idea of how that sounds on record, Bonamassa suggest you check out the live album that collects the highlights from Gallagher’s 1974 performances in Belfast, Dublin and Cork, which were captured using Ronnie Lane’s Mobile Studio.

“We plugged it in and it turned that tweed Vibrolux into Irish Tour 74,” writes Bonamassa. “I am so honoured you will see it onstage again in Cork! Humbled and blessed. Thank you so much.”

Joe Bonamassa will play three nights at The Marquee, Cork, from 1st July. The third date was added after the first two nights sold out. See Ticketmaster for ticket details.