Solo Tone
The Air That I Breathe
The Hollies
Guitarrock1970s
Original Gear
GuitarFender American Vintage '52 Telecaster (AVRI Reissue)
AmpVox AC30 (likely 1970s model, possibly with Leslie speaker for solo)
PickupsFender single-coil (Telecaster stock single-coils)
Amp Settings
gain3.5
bass6
mid7
treble6.5
reverb4
presence5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1973/1974. Evidence suggests Tony Hicks used a Telecaster into a Vox AC30, with the solo processed through a Leslie speaker for modulation. No evidence of pedal use; Leslie effect likely achieved via studio Leslie cabinet or similar rotary speaker. No live rig info included.
Tone Character(10)
warm and modulatedsmooth, singing sustainswirling rotary speaker effectslightly overdriven edgeclear Telecaster articulationnot heavily distortedstudio ambiencelush and atmosphericdouble-tracked for thicknessclassic 1970s rock ballad solo sound
Difficulty
The solo is melodic and not technically fast, but requires expressive phrasing, smooth bends, and adapting to the swirling Leslie effect, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.
Sources
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Original Gear
GuitarFender American Vintage '52 Telecaster (AVRI Reissue)
AmpVox AC30 (likely 1970s model, possibly with Leslie speaker for solo)
PickupsFender single-coil (Telecaster stock single-coils)
Amp Settings
gain3.5
bass6
mid7
treble6.5
reverb4
presence5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Studio recording, 1973/1974. Evidence suggests Tony Hicks used a Telecaster into a Vox AC30, with the solo processed through a Leslie speaker for modulation. No evidence of pedal use; Leslie effect likely achieved via studio Leslie cabinet or similar rotary speaker. No live rig info included.
Tone Character(10)
warm and modulatedsmooth, singing sustainswirling rotary speaker effectslightly overdriven edgeclear Telecaster articulationnot heavily distortedstudio ambiencelush and atmosphericdouble-tracked for thicknessclassic 1970s rock ballad solo sound
Difficulty
The solo is melodic and not technically fast, but requires expressive phrasing, smooth bends, and adapting to the swirling Leslie effect, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.
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