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REO Speedwagon

3 guitar songs · Tabs, Lessons & Tone Guide Rock

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Band Overview

History and Guitar Legacy

REO Speedwagon formed in Champaign, Illinois in 1967, grinding through Midwest bars before breaking through with arena rock in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their 1980 album Hi Infidelity sold over 10 million copies, establishing them as melodic Hard Rock and power ballad leaders. The band's guitar sound evolved from boogie-driven hard rock with aggressive riffing to polished, radio-ready ballads requiring clean tone control and tasteful lead work.

Playing Style and Techniques

Gary Richrath defined REO's guitar identity from 1970 to 1989 as a Les Paul player who shifted seamlessly from searing pentatonic leads to sensitive arpeggiated passages. His vibrato was wide and expressive, his bends precise and vocal, with muscular rhythm playing that anchored even the softest ballads. Successor Dave Amato brought a more polished, technically refined approach while maintaining the band's foundational rock character and legacy.

Why Guitarists Study REO Speedwagon

REO Speedwagon teaches essential intermediate skills through their catalog. Power ballads like Can't Fight This Feeling and Keep On Loving You demonstrate clean arpeggiation, dynamic control, and how to build from delicate verses to explosive choruses. Tracks like Take It On The Run blend driving rhythm work with melodic lead lines. The solos use accessible pentatonic and blues vocabulary, proving that tone, feel, and dynamics matter more than speed.

Difficulty and Learning Path

REO Speedwagon sits perfectly for intermediate guitarists who have moved past beginner basics but aren't ready for shred complexity. Their pentatonic and blues-based solos are achievable yet musically satisfying for developing players. Learning their material teaches tone control, rhythmic musicality, and how to support a song's emotional arc rather than dominate it, making them an excellent study in restraint and professional playing.

What Makes REO Speedwagon Essential for Guitar Players

  • Gary Richrath's lead style is rooted in blues-pentatonic phrasing with wide, vocal-like vibrato, study his bends on "Keep On Loving You" to understand how sustain and finger pressure create emotional impact without relying on speed.
  • REO Speedwagon's power ballads are built on clean arpeggiated chord progressions, often using open-position and partial barre chord voicings. Songs like "Can't Fight This Feeling" are perfect for developing your right-hand fingerpicking accuracy alongside pick dynamics.
  • The rhythm guitar work on "Take It On The Run" features a driving, palm-muted eighth-note pattern under the verses that snaps into open strumming on the chorus, a classic arena rock technique that teaches dynamic contrast and tight rhythm control.
  • Richrath's solos typically build in intensity using a mix of hammer-ons, pull-offs, and string bends over two to three positions of the pentatonic scale. They're not technically extreme, but they demand excellent phrasing and timing, great for intermediate players working on making fewer notes sound bigger.
  • The band frequently uses layered guitar parts in the studio, a clean rhythm track underneath a slightly overdriven lead. Learning to distinguish and replicate these layers teaches arrangement awareness and how to sit in a mix without overplaying.

Did You Know?

Gary Richrath was so committed to his Les Paul tone that he reportedly went through multiple Gibsons searching for instruments with the exact resonance and sustain he wanted, he was known to reject guitars that didn't 'sing' acoustically before even plugging them in.

The iconic opening guitar riff of "Take It On The Run" was one of the last parts written for the song, the band almost released it with a completely different intro arrangement before Richrath came up with the melodic hook.

"Hi Infidelity" was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, the same studio where the Eagles, Bee Gees, and Derek and the Dominos tracked their landmark albums. The room's natural acoustics contributed to the warm, spacious guitar tones on the record.

Dave Amato, who replaced Richrath, previously played with Ted Nugent and Cher, he brought a more technically polished approach but made a conscious effort to learn Richrath's exact phrasing, vibrato style, and tone settings out of respect for the original recordings.

Despite being known for ballads, REO Speedwagon's early albums (1971–1978) feature aggressive, almost proto-metal guitar work, tracks like "Ridin' the Storm Out" showcase a much heavier, Marshall-driven side of Richrath's playing that surprises fans who only know the hits.

Richrath rarely used effects pedals in the studio during the band's peak era, most of his overdrive came from cranking tube amps and controlling dynamics with his guitar's volume knob, a technique worth studying for any guitarist chasing organic breakup.

The guitar solo in "Keep On Loving You" is often cited by guitar teachers as one of the best examples of melodic soloing in '80s rock, every note serves the song's emotional arc rather than showcasing technical ability.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Hi Infidelity album cover
Hi Infidelity 1980

This is THE album for learning REO Speedwagon guitar. "Keep On Loving You" teaches clean-to-distortion dynamics and melodic soloing, "Take It On The Run" offers a masterclass in driving rhythm guitar with a singable lead hook, and deep cuts like "Don't Let Him Go" feature tight palm-muted riffing and catchy chord progressions. The guitar tones here are warm, punchy, and achievable with a humbucker guitar into a cranked tube amp.

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You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish album cover
You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish 1978

This is where REO's harder edge shines. "Roll with the Changes" features layered rhythm guitars and a triumphant solo section that teaches position shifting and confident bending. "Time for Me to Fly" is an acoustic-driven track that develops fingerpicking and strumming dynamics. This album shows Richrath at his most versatile, essential for guitarists who want to go beyond the ballads.

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Ridin' the Storm Out album cover
Ridin' the Storm Out 1973

The title track is arguably the heaviest thing REO ever recorded, crunchy power chords, aggressive alternate picking, and a wah-inflected solo that channels early '70s hard rock energy. This album reveals Richrath's raw, unpolished side before the band went radio-friendly. Great for players who want to practice heavier rhythm techniques and blues-rock lead vocabulary in a classic rock context.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Gary Richrath was a dedicated Gibson Les Paul player, primarily Les Paul Standards and Customs from the late '60s and '70s with stock PAF-style humbuckers. He occasionally used a Fender Stratocaster for cleaner passages, but the Les Paul was his signature voice. Dave Amato expanded the palette with Hamer guitars, Gibson Les Pauls, and various Fender models, but live performances of classic REO material still lean heavily on Les Paul-style instruments for authenticity.

Amp

Richrath's tone was built on cranked Marshall amplifiers, primarily JMP and early JCM800 heads driving 4x12 cabinets. He pushed the preamp hard for natural tube saturation, keeping the master volume high enough to get power tube compression. The result was a thick, singing midrange with enough grit for leads and enough clarity for clean passages when he rolled back his guitar's volume knob. Amato has used a combination of Marshall and Soldano amps to replicate and modernize that tone.

Pickups

Richrath relied on stock Gibson PAF-style humbuckers, moderate output around 7.5–8.5k ohms in the bridge position, which gave him a warm, dynamic response that cleaned up beautifully with volume roll-offs and bit hard when he dug in with his pick. The lower output compared to modern hot-rodded humbuckers is key to REO's tone, it lets the amp's character come through rather than compressing the signal at the guitar.

Effects & Chain

Richrath was a minimalist when it came to pedals, his core tone was guitar straight into a cranked Marshall. He occasionally used a wah pedal (Cry Baby style) for lead accents, most noticeably on early tracks like "Ridin' the Storm Out." Some studio tracks feature subtle chorus or delay for spatial depth, but live he kept the signal chain short and relied on amp gain and volume knob manipulation for his dynamic range. Amato has added modern conveniences like rack-mounted delay and reverb units, but the philosophy remains amp-driven tone first.

Recommended Gear

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Gary Richrath occasionally switched to Fender Stratocasters for cleaner passages, using their brightness and articulation to contrast with his signature Les Paul heaviness. The Strat's single-coils provided clarity without sacrificing the midrange warmth that defined REO's rock ballads.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Richrath's primary instrument, the Les Paul Standard's stock PAF humbuckers and thick body delivered the warm, singing midrange tone that became REO Speedwagon's signature sound. Its dynamic response cleaned up beautifully with volume roll-offs, enabling both delicate passages and screaming leads.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Richrath favored late '60s and '70s Les Paul Customs for their slightly higher output and resonant character, pushing his cranked Marshalls into thick, natural tube saturation. The Custom's weight and sustain made it ideal for the power ballads that defined REO's catalog.

Marshall JCM800
Amp

Marshall JCM800

The JCM800's preamp compression and power tube saturation created REO's thick, singing midrange tone when driven hard, with enough headroom to capture both gritty leads and clean passages via volume knob manipulation. This amp remains the backbone of REO's live sound decades later.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Richrath used the Cry Baby sparingly but memorably, adding expressive lead accents on early tracks like 'Ridin' the Storm Out' without compromising his minimalist, amp-driven philosophy. The wah's dynamic sweep complemented his natural playing dynamics perfectly.

How to Practice REO Speedwagon on GuitarZone

Every REO Speedwagon song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Take It On The Run - Guitar LessonPractice Can't Fight This Feeling - Guitar LessonPractice Keep On Loving You - Guitar Lesson