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Solo on stairway to heaven


rlowe

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  • 2 weeks later...

I too would love to hear what others think. In a 1977 Guitar Player interview Jimmy Stated the following... "The “Stairway To Heaven” solo was done when I pulled out the Telecaster, which I hadn’t used for a long time, plugged it into the Supro, and away it went again. That’s a different sound entirely from any of the rest of the first album."

Has Jimmy lated stated something contrary yes. So has Andy Johns. Andy John's claims Page used "The Cherry Sunburst Gibo on the solo" and a Telecaster on the Rocking outro. Hear his comments here:

But I believe it was a Telecaster and a Supro.

As for Footpedal? Hum... It may have been just the tone of the Supro but could have also been the MK II Tonebender.

Assuming it was a Supro, which model Supro was it? There are several contenders. Based on Jimmy stating it was a small supro with a 12" speaker sends people down the path of a 1624TN.

There are 6973 tube versions as well as 6L6 version. Some argue that the 6L6 version sounds more like the first album and Stairway solo because the 6973 is brighter. While others say the contrary.

Jimmy Page donating a Supro amp to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as "the Stairway Amp" also confuses things to say the least. This amp has been identified as a Supro 1690TN Coronado. But it was modified from its 2 x 10" speaker config to a 12" speaker version with a custom baffleboard. I personally don't think this is the amp due to owning this amp and not hearing a close match.

Another Supro that was small and also "rumored to be a favorite of Jimmy's" is the Supro Super 1606. This amp is much smaller but was Valco's version of the Fender Champ. These amps have been go to amps over the years by many producers and guitar player for how great they sound recorded. My feeling is that its a toss up between the Supro 1624TN (6L6) and the Supro Super 1606. In the movie It might get loud, Jimmy does have some Supro's below the line of sight that look like a Supro 1624TN. One thing is for sure... he has been mysterious about this and understandably so.

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  • 5 weeks later...
  • 3 years later...

" The extended Jimmy Page guitar solo in the song's final section was played for the recording on a 1959 Fender Telecaster given to him by Jeff Beck (an instrument he used extensively with the Yardbirds)[ plugged into a Supro amplifier,[19]although in an interview he gave to Guitar World magazine, Page also claimed, "It could have been a Marshall, but I can't remember".[10] Three different improvised solos were recorded, with Page agonising about deciding which to keep. Page later revealed, "I did have the first phrase worked out, and then there was the link phrase. I did check them out beforehand before the tape ran." The other guitar parts were played using a Harmony Sovereign H1260 acoustic guitar and a Fender Electric XII guitar (a 12-string guitar that was plugged directly to the soundboard); these can be heard on the left and right recording channels respectively. For live versions, Page switched to a Heritage Cherry Gibson EDS-1275 6/12 Doubleneck guitar. The final progression is a i-VII-VI (natural minor) progression (Am-G-F), a mainstay of rock music. " - Wiki

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This is a really cool topic, however I do believe rennie when he says he just used a Fender Mustang 3 with the various

settings. The Supro's are unique amps, as is the bit of Tele ?? twang heard in the solo. But Although realizing this thread

is mainly about the Stairway solo gear, realize that your fingers and brain are what will get you closest to Jimmy's

phrasing and tone here. I've been to countless bars with a Strat player going thru a Marshall getting a great "Heartbreaker"( all single coils, no pedals), and a Peavey EVH Wolfgang going into a Fender Twin getting a great "Rock'n'Roll" sound. Great to know what Jimmy may have used, but it's not like someone plugging a Rick into a

Fender Bassman and somehow achieving a thrash metal sound. No doubt that the Stairway solo sound and tone are

worthwhile studies in many ways, of course they are.

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  • 2 weeks later...
20 minutes ago, NorthBoundSuarez said:

If I am not mistaken, the "Stairway" solo was done in one take, correct?

I thought it was 3 but I don't know if that's 3 takes of this version to get it right or 3 takes of 3 different solos.

Like there's the writing part and then the recording of it.

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  • 1 month later...

I had a bootleg  that  was entirely  Jimmy supposedly noodling around trying to figure out the song. I used to tease my friend when she wanted to do something that we could spend the evening just listening this and she would tell me hell no.

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3 hours ago, Tremelo said:

Slightly off topic, but it just recently occurred to me Zeppelin wrote Stairway only 2 years in. That's pretty amazing.  I guess being the fourth album its easier to assume it was much later if you don't think about it.

Amazing they did those 4 albums in just over 2 years. Man, their sleeve delays caused a few issues, makes it seem a bit more spread out. And think of the leftovers written in that period that made it to HOTH, PG and Coda.

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