Solo Tone

Highway Star

Deep Purple

Guitarrock1970s

Original Gear

Guitar1971 Fender Stratocaster (maple neck, scalloped fretboard, stock single coils)

AmpMarshall Major 200W head (model 1967), into Marshall 4x12 cabinet

PickupsFender single-coil pickups (stock 1971 Stratocaster)

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb0

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1971-1972 for Machine Head album. Blackmore used his maple-neck Stratocaster with stock single coils, plugged into a Marshall Major head. No evidence of pedals or outboard effects on the studio solo. No effects loop; amp reverb not present on Marshall Major. Pickup selector likely in bridge position for solo. No evidence of fuzz or modulation effects in the solo section.

Tone Character(10)

bright and articulateclassic British crunchsinging sustaintight and percussivedynamic and touch-sensitiveaggressive pick attackslightly scooped midsfast alternate picking clarityminimal compressionno audible modulation or time-based effects

Difficulty

The solo is technically demanding due to its fast tempo, extended scalar runs, and need for precise alternate picking and articulation, making it challenging even for advanced players.

Sources

Guitars Used In The 50 Best Guitar Solos | Equipboard Ritchie Blackmore on the difference between Gibson & Fender At Your Fingertips - Premier Guitar [play] Forget the solo, Ritchie Blackmore's isolated Highway Star ...

This tone has been researched 2 times by the community

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