“Getting a Germanium Boy into Brian May’s hands pronto is a top priority”: Dirty Boy’s pedals are loved by the likes of John Frusciante and Neal Schon – is the Queen guitarist next?

(Image credit: Dirty Boy)

If you’re the type that peruses the internet late at night in search of boutique pedals to add to your board, you’ve probably come across Dirty Boy Pedals, which first cropped up in the early 2000s.

But if you’re new to the brand – which was formed by Alex Saraceno, father of American rock guitarist, Blues Saraceno – that’s even better, as Dirty Boy’s CEO, Madrid-born Danny Gomez, has big plans.

“Our connection began in 2003,” he adds. “Since then, we’ve maintained a close relationship, and I’ve had the honor of becoming one of the first artists under his Brian May Guitars brand. In 2022, we released a book, Brian May’s Red Special, detailing how he built his iconic Red Special guitar with his father.”

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Gomez’s goals are lofty, considering how competitive today’s gear market is, but with the blessing of the Saraceno family, Dirty Boy’s new era might have a shot. Plus, he has one last trick up his sleeve.

“Getting a Germanium Boy into Brian May’s hands pronto is a top priority,” he says. “Treble boosters like the Germanium Boy are his go-to for coaxing those legendary tones out of the Red Special. And with his history of using my previous designs, like the original T.A.E. and the ’64 version – both amps based on his beloved Vox AC30 – I’m confident the Germanium Boy will find its place among Brian’s arsenal of sonic tools.”

Find out more at Dirty Boy.This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

Andrew Daly is an iced-coffee-addicted, oddball Telecaster-playing, alfredo pasta-loving journalist from Long Island, NY, who, in addition to being a contributing writer for Guitar World, scribes for Bass Player, Guitar Player, Guitarist, and MusicRadar. Andrew has interviewed favorites like Ace Frehley, Johnny Marr, Vito Bratta, Bruce Kulick, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Morello, Rich Robinson, and Paul Stanley, while his all-time favorite (rhythm player), Keith Richards, continues to elude him.