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1971 Tuning


Boris The Spider

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Led Zeppelin has been my favorite band for half my life, but admittedly, I'm just now starting to delve into the bootleg world. While listening to some '71 shows, I noticed the recordings are 1/2 step down from normal. Was this the band tuning down to make it easier on Plant? Or is this the tapes being slowed down in playback?

 

For example, but not the only example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SajdWieQb8

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From listening to Plant speaking at the beginning of the song it sounds like the tape playback is slow.
I'm also relying on the premise that I'm not sure that they would have had tuners on those early tours (they were expensive, big and unreliable back then), so they would have most likely tuned the guitars to the organ/piano.  Playing the keyboard songs down a 1/2 step would have been a bit of a headache for Jonesy, so I doubt that would have happened.

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Definitely a slow tape/recording.  Happens a lot with boots that they run fast or slow.   I always like to check live recordings with a tuned guitar that I keep nearby.

Zep did not tune down for Plant until the O2 Arena show in 2007.  I think 7-8 songs were lower that night.

Heck in the 70s No Quarter was played in D , which was a half step up from the studio recording, which was slowed down to C#.

Edited by ledsox
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That's an interesting point. Not 100% positive, but not sure Page EVEN had a backup , even though

it's 71'. And Hendrix did everything humanly possible to throw his Strat WAY out, let alone going berserk

on the whammy bar. He probably had backups but every guitar "feels" different, not every Strat sounds

and plays the same.  And then you get the spacey, odd , rambling or unexpected chatter. These days

the in-between chatter often sounds rehearsed. Ah, the 60's an 70's !!!!

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Many times it's transfer from Cassette or Vinyl that is not synchronized right.  Although there are people out there who purposely slow it down for a reason, which will open other doors of discussion.

You'll see the name Dadgad around things.  The definition relates to tuning and alternative guitar tuning.  He could very well be Sabotaging the entire Led Zeppelin community to his very own liking. And that's the truth !!

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Well DADGAD mainly refers to Jimmy's guitar tuning on several songs, but 71', only WS/BMS. Although

maybe I'm imagining this, there may have been a boot label called DADGAD. Also with bootmeisters

if a tape/boot sounds tinny, If you slow it down it will sound more full and less tinny. If a show is lacking

in high frequencies, speeding it up will enhance the treble, etc.,. This stuff is actually not that easy to

do, some boots sound bizarre , worse than their original sound .

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