Stairway to Heaven 4 different sounds on an aged Jimmy Page Les Paul

[JimmyAce2006]

Ok, I mentioned in another thread that I would post this. The playing is not perfect. But you can get a feel for the different sounds on the Page guitar - and all 3 runs from 2004-2006 have the same wiring & pickups. The out of phase (toggle middle position) is an interesting sound. Single coil is not bad either. I am playing through a Marshall JCM 900 100 watt amp (2x12 combo with a Marshall power brake).

This one has the toggle in the up position (rhythm = neck pickup) for a bluesy sound.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdjtkvsRhus]YouTube - 1 of 4 Stairway To Heaven solo on an aged Jimmy Page Les Paul rhythm pickup[/ame]




This one has the toggle in the down position (treble = bridge pickup).

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmgc2-1Hvts]YouTube - 2 of 4 Stairway To Heaven solo on an aged Jimmy Page Les Paul treble pickup[/ame]




This one has the toggle in the middle position for both pickups. These Page guitars are wired out of phase in that position.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp55dUYcIRw]YouTube - 3 of 4 Stairway To Heaven solo on an aged Jimmy Page Les Paul both pickups & out of phase[/ame]




This one has the toggle in the up position again (treble = bridge pickup), but the push / pull pot is in the up position (single coil).

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD1HVjLeoOM]YouTube - 4 of 4 Stairway To Heaven solo on an aged Jimmy Page Les Paul treble pickup single coil[/ame]

 

[VictorB]

Number 4 really sounds the best to my ears!

Nice playing by the way...

 

[JimmyAce2006]

Thanks!

 

[Texas07R8]

Very very well done Jimmy. And thank you for the perfect examples of the sounds of a Page. I liked them all actually, I'm sure that had a lot to do with your rendition too mate!
Excellent vibrato you have going there too man.

After listening to them it's easy for me, video 4 with the coil tap going is THE TONE.

It sounded more like the album to me, it was easy to hear the tone difference betwen them as well.

Can I ask how you recorded the audio on this video? Camcorder mic, PA, USB?

 

[aidb]

Agree with LZF. No 4 sounds pretty near the original, recorded, version.

 

[JimmyAce2006]

Very very well done Jimmy. And thank you for the perfect examples of the sounds of a Page. I liked them all actually, I'm sure that had a lot to do with your rendition too mate!
Excellent vibrato you have going there too man.

After listening to them it's easy for me, video 4 with the coil tap going is THE TONE.

It sounded more like the album to me, it was easy to hear the tone difference betwen them as well.

Can I ask how you recorded the audio on this video? Camcorder mic, PA, USB?

Thank you for the kind words. My camera, a Canon HG21, has a built in stereo mic.

 

[JimmyAce2006]

Very very well done Jimmy. And thank you for the perfect examples of the sounds of a Page. I liked them all actually, I'm sure that had a lot to do with your rendition too mate!
Excellent vibrato you have going there too man.

After listening to them it's easy for me, video 4 with the coil tap going is THE TONE.

It sounded more like the album to me, it was easy to hear the tone difference betwen them as well.

Can I ask how you recorded the audio on this video? Camcorder mic, PA, USB?

Check out my 68 gold top in this link (if you can stand the P90s hum):

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/vin...lo-vintage-68-gold-top-vintage-68-custom.html

 

[Pooker]

Agree with LZF. No 4 sounds pretty near the original, recorded, version.

Well, being that the Stairway solo was recording with a telecaster, it would make sense that the single coil gets closest to the tone.

Nice playing, BTW

 

[generalwar]

Well, being that the Stairway solo was recording with a telecaster, it would make sense that the single coil gets closest to the tone.

Nice playing, BTW

I thought he used his double neck SG for stairway?

Nice playing Jimmy those solos aren't easy to learn or play..

 

[LongBeach]

2 or 4 for me, its a toss up. great job & thanks for sharing

 

[JPP373]

Really Cool Post and Thanks for sharing..Which sounds best is subjective obviously. However, No.1 sounds soft..No.2 sounds Awesome and Nails That Haunting Eerie Sound of the Original. No.3 is Flat. No.4 sounds damn close but lacks those aforementioned special sounds. In the end i did want to listen to No. 2 over and over like the Original

 

[VictorB]

I thought he used his double neck SG for stairway?

Nice playing Jimmy those solos aren't easy to learn or play..

He used his Tele and Supro amp in the studio for this solo.

 

[EEF13]

I really liked 3

 

[qwank]

I think #2 sounds the closest to the original. i think #1 would sound great if you played it like that at a live gig.

 

[Ermghoti]

I thought he used his double neck SG for stairway?

Page has indicated that he didn't have a double-neck until after Stairway had been recorded. I think he's said the 6/12 hadn't been offered when the song was written, and that they had put no thought into how the song would be performed live until later.

 

[BOSSRHINO44]

#4 for sure m8!

 

[freddarl82]

Yup, I've also read interviews where he said he used a Tele on the Stairway solo. He also recalled using the Tele for most, if not all, of Led Zep I. Sorry if that's blasphemy here on MLP Forums!

But really, if you look at many of the OLD pics (i.e. playing clubs and small venues in Europe in the early days), he's often on a Tele. Also, if you search YouTube for videos of "Ten Years Gone," most of them have him playing a black Tele.

 

[mrpesca]

Wow, I'm going to actually agree with Eef. I liked #3. They all have a slightly different flavor which I guess is the whole point of the coil tapping and push-pull switches. Nice demo. Thanks.

 

[JimmyAce2006]

I thought he used his double neck SG for stairway?

Nice playing Jimmy those solos aren't easy to learn or play..

He did not even own the double neck until after Stairway was recorded. He played that old telecaster that no longer exists (at least not all of it and not in that form). It was the one he hand painted.

 

[JimmyAce2006]

Really Cool Post and Thanks for sharing..Which sounds best is subjective obviously. However, No.1 sounds soft..No.2 sounds Awesome and Nails That Haunting Eerie Sound of the Original. No.3 is Flat. No.4 sounds damn close but lacks those aforementioned special sounds. In the end i did want to listen to No. 2 over and over like the Original

Thanks for your input my friend. I prefer #2 as well because it has more punch than #4. I guess the sound of #4 to get a closer tone to the original, but #2 for overall "live" sound. #1 for those moments that you want to change gears & sound bluesy. For this particular song, I don't prefer #3. However, it does sound cool for other songs. Page loves that sound - like Peter Green. You can really hear some twang in that one, especially towards the end.