Stairway to Heaven (Live) amp settings — Boss Katana 50 MkII
The Led Zeppelin guitar tone for “Stairway to Heaven (Live)”, dialed in for a Boss Katana 50 MkII with a Gibson Les Paul Modern. Live performance era, 1973-1977 tours (e.g., The Song Remains the Same, 1976)
1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard → Marshall Super Lead 1959 100W (cranked, no master volume) → 4x12 cabs with Celestion G12M Greenbacks. No pedals — all gain from power amp saturation.
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 6 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Reverb | 1 |
| Master | 5 |
The Brown amp type on the Katana voices a plexi-style Marshall, which is exactly what Page used live. Mids pushed to 7 to capture that vocal, horn-like sustain Page gets from a cranked non-master-volume Marshall. Presence dropped to 4 because the Katana's presence can get fizzy at higher settings, whereas Page's tone has smooth top-end bloom without harshness. Treble at 6 rather than Page's reported 8 because your Les Paul Modern's hotter pickups and the Katana's brighter voicing would create ice-pick highs otherwise.
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These settings are for a Boss Katana 50 MkII. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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