Queen - Khashoggis Ship - Guitar Tutorial (Guitar Tab)

1,969 views · Published 4 May 2016 · 8:54 · Indexed 22 September 2026

Channel: James Rundle · 2016 · Music

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QUEEN - KHASHOGGI'S SHIP - GUITAR TUTORIAL WITH GUITAR TAB
Guitar Play Along Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vznkjXOdLM0

Guitar Tab Sheets https://queen-corner.blogspot.com/2020/04/queen-khashoggis-ship-guitar-tab.html

Queen - Khashoggi's Ship | Guitar Lesson & Tutorial

Get ready to rock! In this tutorial, I’m breaking down the raw, high-energy guitar work for "Khashoggi's Ship," the hard-hitting second track from Queen’s 1989 album, The Miracle.

This song is a return to Queen’s classic "no-nonsense" rock style, featuring a gritty, driving main riff and some fantastic, bluesy lead fills from Brian May. I’ll show you how to master the rhythmic punch of the verses and how to nail those signature Brian May "screaming" guitar lines that bridge the gap between the verses and the chorus.

🎸 In this lesson, we cover:

• The heavy, syncopated main rhythm riff.

• How to play the aggressive power chord transitions.

• A breakdown of the bluesy lead fills and melodic flourishes.

• Tone tips: How to get that late-80s "Miracle" crunch using your Red Special (or any guitar!).
🎵 Song Facts: "Khashoggi's Ship"

• The Party Anthem: The song is a direct continuation of the album’s opening track, "Party," with the two songs cross-fading into each other. It describes a wild, decadently famous party on a luxury yacht.

• The Real Ship: The song refers to the Nabila, a famous superyacht owned at the time by Saudi billionaire Adnan Khashoggi. It was one of the largest and most luxurious ships in the world during the 1980s.

• Bond Connection: Khashoggi’s ship was so iconic that it was actually used as the villain’s base (the Disco Volante) in the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again.

• Collaborative Writing: While it has a classic rock feel, the track was a true four-way collaboration, with all members of Queen receiving equal writing credit—a practice they adopted for the entire The Miracle album.

• Classic Brian May Tone: This track features Brian using his "Deacy" amp and AC30 combination to create a very organic, biting distortion that cuts through the heavy drum production.
Gear Setup:

• Pickup Setting: Bridge and Middle in phase (for that aggressive, biting rock tone).

• Tone: High gain with plenty of treble to capture the "shimmering" harmonics of the riff.

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