ToneAdapt

Loading...

Riff Tone

Black Dog

Led Zeppelin

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1958 or 1959, Page's #1 or Black Beauty, but Telecaster sometimes debated)

AmpDirect Input (no amp), signal processed through two UREI 1176 compressors

PickupsGibson PAF humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6

treble7

reverb0

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1971. For the riff section of 'Black Dog', Jimmy Page recorded the guitar direct into the mixing desk, running through two 1176 compressors for distortion and compression, not a traditional amp. No evidence of a clean amp tone or amp reverb for the riff. The tone is double- or triple-tracked. No evidence of pedals or time-based effects for the clean section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussiveclean but aggressive attackbright and articulatesnarling, almost fuzz-like edgecompressed dynamicsdry (no reverb)double-tracked for widthclear note separationslight grit from compressor saturationno audible time-based or modulation effects

Difficulty

The riff requires advanced rhythmic accuracy, clean picking, and tight double-tracking to match the original's percussive, syncopated feel. The timing and articulation are challenging even though the part is not fast.

Sources

Video: Recreating the 'Black Dog' Guitar Tone With a Stack of 1176s Black Dog Tone | Guitar Forum - The Gear Page Led zep - black dog guitar tone - The Gear Page

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1958 or 1959, Page's #1 or Black Beauty, but Telecaster sometimes debated)

AmpDirect Input (no amp), signal processed through two UREI 1176 compressors

PickupsGibson PAF humbuckers

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6

treble7

reverb0

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Sources

Video: Recreating the 'Black Dog' Guitar Tone With a Stack of 1176s Black Dog Tone | Guitar Forum - The Gear Page Led zep - black dog guitar tone - The Gear Page

Notes

Studio recording, 1971. For the riff section of 'Black Dog', Jimmy Page recorded the guitar direct into the mixing desk, running through two 1176 compressors for distortion and compression, not a traditional amp. No evidence of a clean amp tone or amp reverb for the riff. The tone is double- or triple-tracked. No evidence of pedals or time-based effects for the clean section.

Tone Character(10)

tight and percussiveclean but aggressive attackbright and articulatesnarling, almost fuzz-like edgecompressed dynamicsdry (no reverb)double-tracked for widthclear note separationslight grit from compressor saturationno audible time-based or modulation effects

Difficulty

The riff requires advanced rhythmic accuracy, clean picking, and tight double-tracking to match the original's percussive, syncopated feel. The timing and articulation are challenging even though the part is not fast.

Create Free Account

Black Dog settings for your amp

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use on these amps.

More Led Zeppelin tones

Led Zeppelin gear & all tones →

Black Dog by Led Zeppelin — Riff Tone Settings | ToneAdapt