Led Zeppelin – The Complete Jimmy Page Gear Guide

Well…since Led Zeppelin is a very topical subject right now, makes sense publishing an online guide to Jimmy Page’s gear…since he’s one of the best and most influential guitarists ever.  Find out more about his pedals and setup…

The enduring image of Jimmy Page is of him with a low slung Gibson Les Paul or EDS-1275 Double Neck and Marshall amps. But the first Zeppelin album, along with the solo from “Stairway To Heaven”, was recorded with a 1958 Fender Telecaster that was a gift from his Yardbirds band mate Jeff Beck and a Supro amp.

At this time he was also using a “Black Beauty” Les Paul with 3 humbuckers and a Bigsby vibrato (which was stolen in 1971) but it wasn’t til the recording of their second album (Led Zeppelin II) he moved to the Les Pauls and Marshalls killer combo he’s better remembered for. You can actually watch some good You Tube footage of the Yardbirds where Page plays the 58 Tele. click image…

Let’s have a good look at his gear now, chronologically.

EARLY DAYS GEAR:

Page’s first ever guitar: 1957 Selmer Grazioso, a Stratocaster copy. From an October 1974 Interview
“My first guitar worth talking about was a Stratocaster. Then I had something called a Grazzioso–don’t know where it came from. It was probably a Czechoslovakian version of Fender, that’s what it looked like anyway.”

The Black Beauty Les Paul was purchased in 1962 for £185. Used for most of Jimmy’s sessionwork (1963-1966), and was taken on tour from Jan. 1970 through April 1971, when it was stolen at the airport between Sept. 3 or 4, 1971. Jimmy Page placed an ad in Rolling Stone with reward, but it was never recovered.

Great looking guitar, truly deserves the “beauty” on its name. Epiphone makes a very popular version of it, though without bigsby. View Epiphone Black Beauty

But, even better: Gibson Custom has released the Jimmy Page Signature Black Beauty, which comes in 3 versions:

• Gibson Custom Shop Jimmy Page Custom VOS w/ Bigsby
• Gibson Custom Shop Jimmy Page Custom VOS w/ Stoptail
• Gibson Custom Shop Jimmy Page Custom – Hand Signed run of 25

His only FX pedal was the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzztone.

YARDBIRDS DAYS:

Its here that the Jimmy Page legend truly starts, when he became one of the original “Guitar Heroes” of the Swingin’ London, and where the seeds of Led Zeppelin were first planted. Gear such as guitars and FX pedals used then were to be later used inLed Zeppelin.

1960s Epiphone Rivoli Bass EB232: this cool semi-hollow bass probably didn’t belong to Page, as it was played by all the other Yardbirds bassists before and after him. Today, for those who want a similar bass, a good option is the Epiphone Jack Casidy signature model.

 

1967 Vox Phantom XII: Studio-only guitar. Used on Little Games with Yardbirds, Thank You from Led Zeppelin II.

1959 Fender Telecaster: Page’s first “classic” guitar. It was a gift from Jeff Beck in 1966, and originally decorated with 4 silver circles, which were  stripped down and handpainted by Jimmy Page in late 1966. Then, it was stripped down again, painted “Botswana Brown” and fitted with a Parsons B-Bender in 1976. Temporarily swapped rosewood neck to maple neck in April-May 1977.

Specs:

Body: Single-cutaway slab ash
Finish:(originally) Olympic White
Neck: One-piece, rounded “U” shape maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
Frets: 21
Bridge: Three paired brass adjustable bridge saddles
Pickguard: White
Pickups: Flat pole in bridge position / chrome-covered at neck position
Controls: Two chrome knobs (volume and “blend”) / three-position toggle switch

Parsons B-bender – a device that allows for “pedal-steel” effects. The device is set into the body and connects the upper guitar strap knob to the B string. One pulls on the strap, causing the bender to pull on the B string thereby raising its pitch.

1959 Danelectro – Used in the Yardbirds with White Summer (Apr. 1967-Jul. 1968) and in Led Zeppelin and beyond on White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Kashmir and In My Time Of Dying. Created from parts from two guitars. The Danelectro DC 59 was reissued recently, and is definitely great value for money (retailing £169!!!)

Specs:

Body: Double cutaway, masonite top and bottom, plywood frame
Finish: Ebony
Neck: Hard maple with rosewood fingerboard
Frets: 21
Bridge: Quan Badass
Tuners: Vintage “D” style
Pickups: Lipstick style, brass with chrome plating
Controls: Dual concentric tone and volume

From a July 1977 Interview
“…I did use it in the latter days. I used it onstage for ‘White Summer’. I used a special tuning for that; the low string down to B then A, D, G, A, and D. It’s like a modal tuning; a sitar tuning in fact. “

Amplification

Vox AC-30 – From a July 1977 Interview:“(I used Vox) AC-30 (amps). They’ve held up consistently well. …..You could get these one’s with special treble boosters on the back which is what I had.”

Fender Dual Showman

Jimmy Page’s use of black face Fender Dual Showman amplifiers and Fender 2×15 cabinets in mid to late 1967.

Effects

Sola Sound Tonebender MKII

Used from 1966 to 1971

Re-worked by Roger Mayer to boost output and midrange

Vox Wah-Wah Pedal

Used from 1966 to present

Modified by Roger Mayer

Getting the Yardbirds days tone on the cheap:

A Fender Highway 1 is a good, affordable option for Page-wannabes…as well as the Fender 60’s Reissue Telecaster or the Classic Player Baja Telecaster, despite the latter maple fretboard.

FX: the Vox Wah reissue is still a great choice, of course, and the Vox AC-15 is great and much cheaper than the AC-30 if you can’t afford it. Best getting a simple, no-nonsense fuzz, such as the BBE Fuzz. Tonebenders (originals and copy) are very expensive, but if you can get one, great! It’s good to point out the new Boss FZ-5 fuzz, which is said to nail the maestro fuzz sound very well…worth a look! I got a Vox Tonebender (reissue) fuzz and it’s great, but the Electro Harmonix Double Muff sounds better (again, it’s a very simple fuzz with just two knobs, which in “mode 2” works just like those classic fuzzboxes: one knob controls volume, the other controls fuzz. It’s so unbelievably cheap, but so great, definitely the best option for fuzzboxes these days!)

LED ZEPPELIN GEAR: the stuff legend is made of…

Guitars   

 

 

1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard (No. 1)

Purchased from Joe Walsh in April 1969 for £500.

Used on-stage since April 1969 (Fillmore shows) and in-studio from Led Zeppelin II on

Might be a 1958 model

Specs:

Body: Single sharp cutaway Mahogany, bound carved maple top
Finish: Cherry Sunburst
Neck: Mahogany w/ rosewood fingerboard and pearl trapezoid inlays, shaved to an eliptical profile (prior to JP’s ownership)
Frets: 22
Headstock: Blackface w/ holly veneer/pearl logo inlay
Tuners: Gold Grovers
Hardware: Nickel
Pickups: 2 covered humbucker PAF, original bridge PAF changed, firstly to a T-top, then later to a custom wound Duncan, and has been covered/uncovered at various times
Controls: 2 volume/2 tone, Pull-pot switching,although there is heavy debate as to whether the pull pot on #1 is really for coil split (as on the signature model) or for phase switching & 3-position switch

1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard (No. 2)

Serial number is 91703.

Features a pair of spring-loaded buttons painted white under the scratch plate offering new pickup configurations. One of the buttons puts the pickup into series or parallel and the other offers regular or out-of-phase tones. Installed in 1980.[diagram]

Specs:

Body: Single sharp cutaway Mahogany, bound carved maple top
Neck: Mahogany w/ rosewood fingerboard and pearl trapezoid inlays, shaved to replicate the profile of No. 1
Finish: Cherry Sunburst
Frets: 22
Headstock: Blackface w/ holly veneer/pearl logo inlay
Tuners: Nickel Grovers
Hardware: Nickel
Pickups: 2 Double-white covered humbucker PAF, Pickup covers on-again/off-again over the years, usually (but not always)in opposition to No. 1
Controls: 2 volume/2 tone, 3-position switch

This is the guitar that Roger Giffin copied when in at Gibson’s custom shop that became Jimmy’s Signature Les Paul series (pic middle right). On the now discontinued signature guitars the series/parallel and phase switches were moved to push/pull pots and having a compound radius fingerboard. Gibson Custom makes remarkable reissues of the Les Paul ’58 and Les Paul ’59. Worth every penny! The best choices for the true Page sound…

Gibson EDS-1275 Doubleneck

Used on-stage from March 1971 to the present.

Serial number is 911117.

Specs:

Body: Mahogany
Finish: Heritage cherry
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood with trapezoid inlays
Frets: 21
Bridge: Tune-o-matic
Tuners: Kluson tulip-style
Pickups: Two 490R Alnico magnet humbuckers and two 490T Alnico magnet humbuckers
Controls: 2 Volume/2 Tone, Two three-position toggle switches (One for pickup selection for the necks, located on lower horn and one as a neck selector [upper, lower, or both], located between bridges)

1973 Gibson Les Paul Standard

Used on-stage from July 1973 to the present.

A Parsons/White B-Bender was added post-Zeppelin and Jimmy thought it ruined the tone because of all the wood that was removed

Specs:

Body: Single sharp cutaway solid mahogany, bound carved maple top
Finish: Cherry red(custom color)
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood w/ pearl trapezoid inlay
Frets: 22
Headstock: Blackface with pearl logo inlay
Tuners: Kluson, 3-per-side
Hardware: Nickel
Pickguard: Raised cream acrylic
Pickups: 2 Seymour Duncans
Controls: 2 volume/2 tone controls, 3-position switch

1964 Fender Stratocaster

Used on-stage for Over The Hills And Far Away on some dates at Earls Court and In The Evening at Knebworth and the 1980 European Tour.

Specs:

Body: Asymmetrical double-cutaway ash body, contoured back and lower bass bout
Finish: Lake Placid Blue (metallic)
Fretboard: Brazilian rosewood with clay dots
Frets: 22
Tuners: Single-line Kluson
Pickups: 3- L-Series 3 single-coil pickups
Controls: 1 Volume/2 tone controls, 3-position switch

1957 Fender Stratocaster

Seen at Sol Studios

Used in a jam at a Bad Company concert on May 23, 1976

1966 Fender Telecaster

Used on-stage on All My Love on the 1980 European Tour

Specs:

Body: Single-cutaway slab ash with Olympic White finish
Neck: One-piece, rounded “U” shape maple neck and fingerboard
Frets: 21
Bridge: Three paired brass adjustable bridge saddles
Pickguard: Blond
Pickups: Flat pole in bridge position / chrome-covered at neck position
Controls: Two chrome knobs (volume and “blend”) / three-position toggle switch

1965 Fender XII

Used in-studio on Thank You and Stairway To Heaven

Specs:

Body: Solid, 3-piece alder
Finish: Sunburst
Neck: One piece maple, bolt-on
Fingerboard: Brazilian rosewood, pearloid dot markers
Frets: 21
Bridge: Leo Fender bridge design with an individual saddle for each string, allowing for precise intonation
Tuners: Chrome, enclosed Fender
Pickups: Two Fender split-coil
Controls: Volume/Tone, 4-way rotary selector

1977 Gibson RD Artist

Used on-stage on Misty Mountain Hop at Knebworth in Aug. 1979

Specs:

Body: Single cutaway asymmetrical hourglass style maple
Finish: Natural
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony with block inlay
Frets: 22
Headstock: Multibound with pearl stylized f-hole/logo inlay
Hardware: Gold
Pickups: 2 Covered Humbuckers
Controls: Active 2 volume/2 tone, mini switch

Gibson ES5 Switchmaster Hollowbody

Seen at Manticore Studios in Jan. 1977

Used in Death Wish II soundtrack in 1982

note: Jimmy Page used a white ES5 at the O2 arena, for “In My Time Of Dying”.

Gibson J-200 

Borrowed from Big Jim Sullivan

Used in-studio on Led Zeppelin

Used on White Summer/Black Mountain Side on the Julie Felix Show Apr. 26, 1970

Specs:

Body: Spruce top, figured maple back, sides and neck
Finish: Vintage Sunburst
Frets: 14/20 fret bound rosewood fingerboard with pearl crown inlay
Bridge: Rosewood “closed” moustache with pearl block inlays, black pearl dot pins; Tune-o-matic adjustable metal bridge
Headstock: Bound with pearl plant/logo inlay
Pickguard: Black with engraved floral pattern
Tuners: Three-per-side gold Grover with pearl buttons

Harmony Sovereign H-1260

Used in-studio on Led Zeppelin III and Untitled and on-stage from June 1970 to June 1972

Giannini GWSCRA12-P Craviola

Seen on-stage from Aug. 1970 to June 1972

Specs:

Body: Sitka Spruce top and Rosewood sides and back
Fingerboard: Ebony with Herringbone inlay dots
Frets: 21
Headstock: Rosewood
Tuners: Gold-plated

1971 Martin D28

Used in-studio and on-stage from March 1971 on.

Fitted with a Barcus-Berry DISQOS Soundboard Transducer pickup

Specs:

Body: Sitka Spruce top and E. Indian Rosewood sides and back
Fingerboard: Ebony with Herringbone inlay dots
Frets: 20
Headstock: E. Indian Rosewood / Raised Gold Foil Logo
Tuners: Gotoh Chrome w/ Large Knobs

1962 Gibson Everly Brothers Acoustic Guitar

Given as a gift by Ron Wood in 1974

Was not used in-studio or on-stage

Specs:

Body: spruce top and maple back/sides
Finish: Black
Neck: Mahogany with Pearl star inlays on a rosewood fingerboard
Pickguard: Dual extended tortoise

1956 Gretsch Chet Atkins Model 6120 Archtop

Specs:

Body: Single cutaway 16″ x 2.75″ maple body with f-holes with black and white binding
Finish: Gretsch orange paint
Neck: Rosewood fretboard with “Neo-Classic” half-moon markers; “zero” fret
Nut: Bone nut
Bridge: Nickel-plated ‘V’-shaped Bigsby B-6 tailpiece with pivoting arm vibrola and compensated aluminum Bigsby bridge
Tuners: Grover StaTite
Pickguard: Gold, with Gretsch and Chet Atkins signpost in black
Pickups: Two Filter’Tron pickups
Controls: volume control for each pickup, master volume, tone and pickup-selector switch

1920 Gibson A2 Mandolin

Used onstage from April 1977 to July 1977 for The Battle Of Evermore

Specs:

Body: Carved spruce top, birch sides and carved back
Finish: Sheraton Brown
Neck: 3-piece mahogany / walnut joins body at 10th fret
Fingerboard: Rosewood with pearl dot inlays
Frets: 20
Headstock: Paddle-shaped peghead has “The Gibson” logo inlaid in pearl
Bridge: Ebony
Tuners: Open-gear 4-in-a-line with oval ivoroid buttons
Pickguard: Tortoise (removed)

Alembic Series I Bass

Used in-studio

Fender Precision Bass Used in-studio

Vega 5-String Banjo

Owned by John Paul Jones

Used in-studio on Gallows Pole

Fender 10-String 800 Pedal Steel

Used in-studio on Your Time Is Gonna Come and Tangerine

Amplification

Supro 1690T Coronado

Jimmy’s in-studio “secret weapon”. Used on the first album and randomly with other studio albums

Modified with an on/off switch for tremolo, boosting gain

Features 1×12″ speaker, modified from the original 2×10″ configuration

1965 Fender Super Reverb

Specs:

Output: 40 watts
Speakers: 2×10″ Fender
Tubes: 6L6 and 12AX7
Effects: Reverb, Tremolo
Inputs: 4
Footswitch: On/Off for effects
Covering: Black tolex with silver grille-cloth

1967 Arbiter Power One Hundred

Specs:

Output: 100 watts
Inputs: 4
Controls: Individual volume for each channel, Bass, Treble, Master Volume, Bypass switch, On/Off Switch

1966 Hiwatt Custom 50

Specs:

Output: 100 watts
Inputs: 4
Controls: Individual volume, treble and bass for each channel, On/Off switch

Hiwatt Custom 100 DR118

Used on-stage from Jan. 1970 through Sept. 1971

Controls: Normal Volume, Brilliance Volume, Bass, Treble, Middle, Presence, Master Volume

Univox UX-1501

Used on the Summer US 1972 Tour

Specs:

Watts: 140
Inputs: 2 Guitar, 2 Bass, 2 Mixer
Controls: 2 Volume and Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence
Switches: Power, Standby and Hi-Boost
Outputs: 4 Speaker

Univox UX-1516

6×12 speaker cabinets, loaded with Celestion speakers

Orange

Used on-stage from Aug. 7, 1971 through the 1973 US Tour. Used at the O2 Arena Concert as well. 

Used with the theremin

Matamps were 200 watts

4×12 cabinets used 30-watt Celestions

Orange Basketweave cloth

Marshall

SLP-1959 Amps were modded from 100-watt to 180-watt in 1985

Cabinets w/ standard Celestion 30-watt speakers date from 1969 to 1973

Unknown Cabinets (possibly Marshall)

Seen on-stage in 1971 and 1972

Used by Jimmy for guitars and used by John Paul for keyboards

Effects:

Univox UD-50 Uni-Drive

Used on-stage in some dates on the Return To The Clubs 1971 tour

Used to drive the treble end of the Marshall amps to the original Metal crunch

Maestro Echoplex EP-3

Jimmy’s exclusive onstage echo machine

Modified by Pete Cornish in 1993

Eventide H949 Harmonizer

Used on-stage for Jimmy’s noise solo in 1977-79, also used in 1976 in recording Bonzo’s Montreux on high feedback setting

16-bit digital processing and a 400ms delay time with 15kHz bandwidth delay, pitch-shift, time-reversal, time-compression, flanging, chorus

MXR M-101 Phase 90

Used in-studio for The Wanton Song and Achilles Last Stand

Used on-stage from 1977 to 1980

Speed knob varies rate of phase sweep

MXR Blue Box

Used in-studio to provide the bass octaving in Fool In The Rain

Output knob sets total output gain

Blend knob adjusts ratio of dry (clean) with wet (effects) signal

Theremin

Used on-stage from April 26, 1969 to the present

Used with a Maestro Echoplex and Orange amps and cabinets

Gizmotron

The Gizmotron was a hexaphonic mechanical string bowing device invented by Lol Creme and Kevin Godley of 10CC. It never took off and was some kind of financial disaster. It has been described by Jimmy as a ‘hurdy gurdy type of thing’. It existed in two versions: 4 or 6 strings (bass or guitar). The Gizmotron works by having a rubber wheel for each string and a key for each wheel, such that pressing down on the key engages the wheel with a rotating shaft and the guitar string. The shaft rotates the wheel which then excites the string. Jimmy may have used it on Carouselambra and In The Evening to produce the drone sound.

Other

Strings

Electrics: Ernie Ball Super Slinky; Acoustics: Ernie Ball Earthwoods

Herco Flex 75 Picks

Heavy gauge, gray, standard shape, textured surface for positive grip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Album-by-album gear

Led Zeppelin I

• GUITARS: 1958 Telecaster, 10-string Fender 800 pedal steel, Gibson J200 acoustic
• AMPS: Supro

Led Zeppelin II

• GUITARS: 1959 Les Paul, Vox 12-string
• AMPS: 100-watt Marshall, Vox solid-state

Led Zeppelin III

• GUITARS: Harmony Sovereign acoustic, Martin acoustic, ’59 Les Paul
• AMP: 100-watt Marshall

Led Zeppelin IV

• GUITARS: Fender electric 12-string, Les Paul, Telecaster
• AMP: 100-watt Marshall, Supro

HOUSES OF THE HOLY

• GUITARS: Les Paul, Fender 12-string electric, Stratocaster
• AMP: 100-watt Marshall

PHYSICAL GRAFFITI

• GUITARS: Les Paul, Danelectro, Stratocaster
• AMPS: 100-watt Marshall

PRESENCE

• GUITARS: Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster
• AMPS: 100-watt Marshall

IN THROUGH THE OUT DOOR

• GUITARS: Les Paul, Stratocaster, Telecaster, Gibson EDS-1275
• AMPS: 100-watt Marshall

info taken from, amongst other sources, http://www.led-zeppelin.org

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~ by dolphinblog on September 21, 2007.