Stairway to Heaven

The recording

Page begins the song with a finger‑picked arpeggio on a late‑1950s Fender Telecaster, using the bridge pickup and a clean Supro Coronado combo for a warm, slightly compressed tone. As the arrangement builds, he switches to a 1962 Gibson Les Paul Standard, employing the bridge pickup and a cranked Marshall Super Lead 100‑watt head to produce the soaring, sustaining solo. The dramatic tone shift is achieved by changing guitars and amps mid‑song, with careful mic placement and natural tube breakup rather than studio effects.

Tuning Standard (EADGBE)

Reported gear

Late‑1950s Fender Telecaster

Guitar

Jimmy Page used a late‑1950s Fender Telecaster (often called the ‘Dragon’ Tele) for the clean arpeggiated intro, picking with the bridge pickup for a bright tone.

1962 Gibson Les Paul Standard

Guitar

For the soaring solo, Page switched to his 1962 Gibson Les Paul Standard, using the bridge pickup to achieve a thick, singing lead tone.

Supro Coronado (combo)

Amp

The Tele was run through a Supro Coronado combo amp cranked just enough to give a warm, clean tone with subtle natural compression.

1965 Marshall Super Lead 100‑watt head

Amp

The solo tone was driven by a cranked Marshall Super Lead 100‑watt head, delivering saturated sustain and aggressive attack.

Alternatives

Fender Player Telecaster

Modern equivalent · for the Late‑1950s Fender Telecaster

$650 to $800

Supro Super 100 Reissue

Reissue · for the Supro Coronado (combo)

$500 to $700

Epiphone Les Paul Standard PlusTop Pro

Budget alternative · for the 1962 Gibson Les Paul Standard

$500 to $650

Marshall JVM410H

Modern equivalent · for the 1965 Marshall Super Lead 100‑watt head

$1,200 to $1,500

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Use a thumb‑over grip and pick the intro arpeggios with a soft pick, targeting the bridge pickup for a bright clean tone.
2. 2.Switch to the bridge pickup on a Les Paul and roll the volume knob back slightly for smoother sustain during the solo.
3. 3.Set your amp to a clean, low‑gain setting for the intro and then crank the gain on a high‑output amp for the solo, mimicking the Supro→Marshall switch.
4. 4.Employ finger‑style picking on the verses and use a pick with moderate attack on the solo for articulation.
5. 5.Let the natural tube compression of the amp shape the tone rather than relying on pedals.