Heartbreaker Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Studio recording, 1969. Jimmy Page used his 'Dragon' Telecaster into a Supro Coronado 1690T amp for the main riff section of 'Heartbreaker.' No evidence of Les Paul or Marshall for this section; those were used for other tracks or live. The Telecaster was used with the bridge pickup for the riff. Sola Sound Tone Bender Professional Mk II fuzz pedal was used for the riff, not just the solo. No evidence of modulation or time-based effects in the riff section.
Amp Settings
Effects Chain
- Sola Sound Tone Bender Professional Mk II · fuzz
Fender Telecaster 'Dragon' → Sola Sound Tone Bender Professional Mk II → Supro Coronado 1690T (spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- aggressive and biting
- mid-forward crunch
- tight and percussive
- raw and uncompressed
- slightly fuzzy edge
- articulate single-coil attack
- British blues-rock flavor
- dynamic response to picking
- punchy low end
- minimal ambience
Notes & Caveats
- Amp settings are sourced from Guitar World and are likely approximations but match known Supro/Tele/Page setups for Led Zeppelin I/II era.
- No evidence found for use of delay, chorus, flanger, phaser, or wah in the riff section; only fuzz is confirmed.
- Presence setting is estimated (Supro amps do not have a dedicated presence knob; value inferred for completeness).
- Guitar knob settings are estimated based on typical Page usage and era.
- Some sources mention a fully-cocked wah for other tracks, but not for 'Heartbreaker' riff.
- If you find sources claiming Les Paul/Marshall for this section, they refer to live or other songs, not the studio riff.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Jimmy Page used a Les Paul into a cranked Marshall Super Bass, yielding a crunchy, mid-forward British rock tone with strong presence and little to no reverb, matching the dry, aggressive sound of the 'Heartbreaker' riff section.