Jimmy Page ... History of his Guitars !!!

[ledfree]

Originally Posted by BOBBO

I'm sure there's more info out there !!! If there is I'll find it and post it !!! I encourage anyone who has Jimmy info to post it here and really make this an information buffet !!!!! Ohh Thanks for the props !!!

I know the author went in to a lot of detail of page's Les Pauls and some of his other equipment. There must be more info on his other major guitars i.e. The Danelectro rumour has it changed or rewinded pick ups. His ESD1275, again rumour as it, to be wired like a Les Paul?

Still a mine of information.

[BOBBO]

Jimmy Page info Part 3

Effects
For the recording of most of Led Zeppelin material from Led Zeppelin's second album onwards, Page used a Gibson Les Paul guitar with Marshall amplification. During the studio sessions for Led Zeppelin, and later for recording the guitar solo in "Stairway to Heaven", he also used a Fender Telecaster. He also used a Danelectro DC-59, mainly for slide guitar parts. He usually recorded in studio with a Vox AC30, Fender, and Orange amplification. His use of the Sola Sound Tone Bender Professional MKII fuzzbox ("How Many More Times"), slide guitar ("You Shook Me", "Dancing Days", "In My Time of Dying", "What Is And What Should Never Be"), pedal steel guitar ("Your Time Is Gonna Come", "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", "Tangerine", "That's the Way" and for effect at the very end of "Over the Hills and Far Away"), and acoustic guitar ("Gallows Pole", "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp") also demonstrated his versatility and creativity as a composer.

Page is famous for playing his guitar with a Cello bow, as on the songs "Dazed and Confused" and "How Many More Times". This was a technique he developed during his session days, although strictly speaking he was not the first guitarist to use a bow, since Eddie Phillips of The Creation had done so prior to Page.[10] On MTV's Led Zeppelin Rockumentary, Page said that he obtained the idea of playing the guitar with a bow from David McCallum, Sr. who was also a session musician. Page used his Fender Telecaster and later his Gibson Les Paul for his bow solos.

On a number of Led Zeppelin songs Page experimented with feedback devices and a theremin. He used a Wah-wah pedal but not always in the traditional way of rocking it back and forth as done by Jimi Hendrix and other contemporaries; instead, he put it fully forward in the treble position to get a sharper tone.


[edit] Music production techniques
Page is credited for the innovations in sound recording he brought to the studio during the years he was a member of Led Zeppelin.[13][14] During the late 1960s, most British music producers placed microphones directly in front of amplifiers and drums, resulting in the sometimes "tinny" sound of the recordings of the era. Page commented to Guitar World magazine that he felt the drum sounds of the day in particular "sounded like cardboard boxes."[13] Instead, Page was a fan of 1950s recording techniques; Sun Studios being a particular favourite. In the same Guitar World interview, Page remarked, "Recording used to be a science", and "[engineers] used to have a maxim: distance equals depth." Taking this maxim to heart, Page developed the idea of placing an additional microphone some distance from the amplifier (as much as twenty feet) and then recording the balance between the two. By adopting this technique, Page became one of the first British producers to record a band's "ambient sound" - the distance of a note's time-lag from one end of the room to the other.[15]

For the recording of several Led Zeppelin tracks, such as "Whole Lotta Love" and "You Shook Me", Page additionally utilised "reverse echo" - a technique which he claims to have invented himself while with The Yardbirds (he had originally developed the method when recording the 1967 single "Ten Little Indians").[13] This production technique involved hearing the echo before the main sound instead of after it, achieved by turning the tape over and employing the echo on a spare track, then turning the tape back over again to get the echo preceding the signal.

Page has stated that, as producer, he deliberately changed the audio engineers on Led Zeppelin albums, from Glyn Johns for the first album, to Eddie Kramer for Led Zeppelin II, to Andy Johns for Led Zeppelin III and later albums. He explained that "I consciously kept changing engineers because I didn't want people to think that they were responsible for our sound. I wanted people to know it was me."[13]

In an interview he gave to Guitar World magazine in 1993, Page remarked on his work as a producer:

“ Many people think of me as just a riff guitarist, but I think of myself in broader terms... [A]s a producer I would like to be remembered as someone who was able to sustain a band of unquestionable individual talent, and push it to the forefront during its working career. I think I really captured the best of our output, growth, change and maturity on tape -- the multifaceted gem that is Led Zeppelin.[7] ”


[edit] Post-Led Zeppelin career
Led Zeppelin disbanded in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham at Page's home, The Old Mill House at Clewer in Berkshire. Page made a successful return to the stage at a Jeff Beck show in March 1981 at the Hammersmith Odeon.[16] Page appeared with the A.R.M.S. (Action Research for Multiple Sclerosis) charity series of concerts in 1983 which honoured Small Faces bass player Ronnie Lane, who suffered from the disease. A 1984 video of a London A.R.M.S. concert was released featuring two songs from Page's work on the Death Wish II soundtrack, featuring Steve Winwood on vocals, and an on stage jam of "Layla" reunited Page with Yardbirds guitarists Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. The Madison Square Garden show featured vocals by future The Firm vocalist Paul Rodgers (formerly of Free and Bad Company). During the tour Page looked extremely thin and frail.[citation needed] According to the book “Hammer of the Gods,” Page reportedly told friends that he'd just given up heroin after 7 years of use.

In 1981 Page joined with Yes bassist Chris Squire and Yes drummer Alan White to form a supergroup called XYZ (for ex-Yes-Zeppelin). They rehearsed several times, but the project was shelved. Demo’s of the sessions have turned up on bootleg and they reveal that some of the material showed up later on other projects, notably The Firm's “Fortune Hunter” and Yes songs “Mind Drive" and “Can You Imagine?” Page would later join Yes on stage in 1984 at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany, playing “I’m Down.”

Page next linked up with Roy Harper for an album (“Whatever Happened to Jugula?”) and occasional concerts, performing a predominantly acoustic set at folk festivals under various guises such as the MacGregors, and Themselves. In 1984, Page recorded with former Zeppelin vocalist, Robert Plant as The Honeydrippers, and with John Paul Jones on the film soundtrack “Scream for Help.” He also teamed up with Paul Rodgers of Bad Company and Free fame to record 2 albums under the name The Firm. The first album was the self-titled “The Firm”, followed by “Mean Business” in 1986. Popular songs included the commercially successful “Radioactive,” and “Closer,” which employs a horn section to subtle effect. The cover version of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” featured vocals by Paul Rodgers but was never released as a single. The album peaked at #17 on the Billboard’s Pop Albums chart.

Various other projects soon followed such as session work for Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, Box of Frogs, the Rolling Stones (on their 1986 single “One Hit (to the Body)”), and Robert Plant, a solo album “Outrider,” a collaboration with David Coverdale in “Coverdale-Page.” In addition, he also collaborated with director Michael Winner to record the “Death Wish II” and subsequent “Death Wish 3” soundtrack, released in 1982 and 1985 respectively. Several of these albums Page recorded and produced at his own recording studio, The Sol in Cookham, which he had purchased from Gus Dudgeon in the early 1980s.

The surviving members of Led Zeppelin re-formed in 1985 for the Live Aid concert with both Phil Collins & Tony Thompson filling drum duties. However, the band considered their performance to be sub-standard with Page going on stage heavily intoxicated[citation needed] and let down by a poorly-tuned Les Paul. They were one of the few Live Aid acts to refuse permission for their segment to be included in the 20th anniversary DVD release of the concert. In 1986, Page reunited temporarily with his Yardbirds bandmates to play on several tracks of the Box of Frogs album “Strange Land.” Led Zeppelin also re-formed for the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary show on 14 May, 1988. Page, Plant & Jones, as well as John Bonham’s son Jason closed the 12-hour show. The band has also played together at various private family functions.

In 1990, a Knebworth concert to aid the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre and the British School for Performing Arts and Technology saw Plant unexpectedly joined by Page to perform “Misty Mountain Hop,” “Wearing and Tearing” and “Rock and Roll.”

In 1994, Page reunited with Plant for the penultimate performance in MTV's "Unplugged" series. The 90-minute special, dubbed Unledded, premiered to the highest ratings in MTV's history. In October of the same year, the session was released as the CD No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded, and in 2004 as the DVD No Quarter Unledded. Following a highly successful mid-90s tour to support No Quarter, Page and Plant recorded 1998's Walking into Clarksdale.

Since 1990, Page has been heavily involved in remastering the entire Led Zeppelin back catalogue and is currently participating in various charity concerts and charity work, particularly the Action for Brazil's Children Trust (ABC Trust), founded by his wife Jimena Gomez-Paratcha in 1998. In the same year, Page played guitar for rap singer/producer Puff Daddy's song "Come with Me", which heavily samples Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" and was included in the soundtrack of Godzilla. The two later performed the song on Saturday Night Live. A live album and tour with The Black Crowes follow in 1999. In 2001 he made an appearance on stage with Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst and Wes Scantlin of Puddle of Mudd at the MTV Europe Video Music Awards in Frankfurt, where they performed a version of Led Zeppelin's "Thank You
In 2005, Page was awarded the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his Brazilian charity work at Task Brazil,[18] made an honorary citizen of Rio de Janeiro later that year, and was awarded a Grammy award.[19]

In November 2006, Led Zeppelin was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. The television broadcasting of the event consisted of an introduction to the band by various famous admirers, a presentation of an award to Jimmy Page and then a short speech by the guitarist. After this, rock group Wolfmother played a tribute to Led Zeppelin, playing the song "Communication Breakdown".[20][21]

In 2006, Page attended the induction of Led Zeppelin to the UK Music Hall of Fame. During an interview for the BBC for said event, he expressed plans to record new material in 2007, saying "It's an album that I really need to get out of my system... there's a good album in there and it's ready to come out" and "Also there will be some Zeppelin things on the horizon".[citation needed]

On 6 January 2007, Page was featured at #19 on Channel 4's The Ultimate Hellraiser, a countdown of music's top 25 who "lived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle". The show's reason for featuring Page was almost exclusively attributed to the groupies who toured with Led Zeppelin. In addition, many of John Bonham's shenanigans (for example driving a motorcycle down a hotel corridor) were blamed on Page.

On 2 December 2007, Contacmusic.com confirmed that Page was "Too traumatised for Zeppelin reunion" until now. He states in the article, "After John Bonham's death I spent 15 years not even wanting to think about Led Zeppelin. But I also have difficulty thinking it's all over. Now at least one concert is planned and I'm incredibly happy about that."

On 10 December 2007, the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, as well as John Bonham's son, Jason Bonham played a charity concert at the O2 Arena London.

On 7 June 2008 Page and John Paul Jones played alongside the Foo Fighters at Wembley Stadium.

On 20 June 2008, Page was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Surrey, for his services to the music industry.[22]

For the 2008 Olympics, Jimmy Page, David Beckham and Leona Lewis represented Britain during the closing ceremonies on August 24, 2008. Beckham rode a double-decker bus into the stadium, and Page and Lewis performed Whole Lotta Love, representing the change in Olympic venue to London in 2012.[23]

September 5 (2008) marks the Toronto premier of the music documentary "It Might Get Loud", featuring Jimmy Page, along with Jack White (of the White Stripes and The Raconteurs) and The Edge (of U2). The website is here

[BOBBO]

LED ZEPPELIN :: ACHILLES LAST STAND




Led Zeppelin - Official Website




Secrets of the Guitar Heroes: Jimmy Page : Rolling Stone

[fjminor]

Originally Posted by BOBBO

........
Page is famous for playing his guitar with a Cello bow, as on the songs "Dazed and Confused" and "How Many More Times". This was a technique he developed during his session days, although strictly speaking he was not the first guitarist to use a bow, since Eddie Phillips of The Creation had done so prior to Page.[10] On MTV's Led Zeppelin Rockumentary, Page said that he obtained the idea of playing the guitar with a bow from David McCallum, Sr. who was also a session musician. Page used his Fender Telecaster and later his Gibson Les Paul for his bow solos.

I think Jimmy was more influenced by Eddie...see @ 1:44 in the video.... - remember this is in 1966....

Making Time

Making Time

Here is another video of Eddie using the bow to whip the singer into shape see @ 1:54...

Painter Man

Painter Man

[JimmyAce2006]

Originally Posted by BOBBO

Now that pic is special! The question is which one is the 58 and which one is the 59? What year is the red one? 73? Seems like I knew that at one time.

Looks like the 59 is the one on the right with the cover off the bridge pickup.......?

[Saiko]

Both of his Les Pauls are '59. Gibson confirmed this when they copied #1 for the 2004 model. #1 was thought for a while to be a '58 due to a single misprint in a magazine but Page and Gibson have always said that #1 (the left burst in the photo) and #2 (the one to the right) are both '59s. His red LP is actually a late '69 or early '70 LP that was resprayed. It would have to be considering he had this guitar in 1970. He only used it a couple times however until 1973 so a lot of people think it was a '73 but it would have to be a '69 or '70. I find it odd that #2 and #3 are labeled like that considering I have seen him use #3 more than #2. I suppose #2 was a backup for #1 however so he didn't use it much.

Now he uses #2 more since his backup for #1 is the Gibson custom authentic they made for him. Oddly enough when they sent the first 25 guitars of the Custom Authentic series to him to be played and signed, they told him to pick his favorite to keep. He picked it without looking at the serial #. It just happened to be #1 of the series. He also has another exact copy of #1 aside from the one Gibson did but it was done by someone else, not Gibson and he also has that to back up #1.

[JimmyAce2006]

Originally Posted by Saiko

Both of his Les Pauls are '59. Gibson confirmed this when they copied #1 for the 2004 model. #1 was thought for a while to be a '58 due to a single misprint in a magazine but Page and Gibson have always said that #1 (the left burst in the photo) and #2 (the one to the right) are both '59s. His red LP is actually a late '69 or early '70 LP that was resprayed. It would have to be considering he had this guitar in 1970. He only used it a couple times however until 1973 so a lot of people think it was a '73 but it would have to be a '69 or '70. I find it odd that #2 and #3 are labeled like that considering I have seen him use #3 more than #2. I suppose #2 was a backup for #1 however so he didn't use it much.

Now he uses #2 more since his backup for #1 is the Gibson custom authentic they made for him. Oddly enough when they sent the first 50 guitars of the Custom Authentic series to him to be played and signed, they told him to pick his favorite to keep. He picked it without looking at the serial #. It just happened to be #1 of the series. He also has another exact copy of #1 aside from the one Gibson did but it was done by someone else, not Gibson and he also has that to back up #1.

Yeah I just read that link with all the info on his guitars. You can tell by the coloring that the #1 is on the left. Do you mean the first 25 guitars he signed for the 2004 Signature guitar? I have heard there were 26 from a couple of web sites, but Gibson says 25.

[Saiko]

Yeah, I meant 25, I dunno where I got 50 from. I guess because a lot of custom runs do 50. I will edit it to fix that. Perhaps the 26 thing came because Gibson was planning on giving him one that was not numbered, but he chose #1 for himself after playing all 25.

[greebs]

Remember Willie and the Poor Boys? When I first heard These Arms of Mine, I thought it was The Firm.
Great Page solo on that one.
Also watching Stairway from Earls Court, I wonder if Ledfree was right on the rewiring of the EDS1275. He uses the top pickup switch when he's soloing which would normally be for the 12 string, not the 6 string.
Since I don't own one, I could be wrong.

[TnT~55]

cool thread. I've read all of the stuff from different places, it's nice to have it all in one place.

[jco.1]

That was a great read. Thanks!

[BOBBO]

[BOBBO]

[ledzepzoso3]

Wow.. thanks so much Bobbo

[Skynyrdpicker]

Somebody spent a LOT of time on that, great read!

[Ace1432]

this deserves a bump.awesome awesome stuff! thanks a ton!

[BOBBO]

Originally Posted by Ace1432

this deserves a bump.awesome awesome stuff! thanks a ton!

Thanks for the BUMP .. Yeah any Jimmy fan should really love the info in this thread !!!

[Mr Insane]

thanks for the great read

[BOBBO]

[tonebone]

I'll see that Bobbo, and raise ya,



(Ya can really see the bridge placement in this photo, huh?)

[BOBBO]

I'll see that Bobbo, and raise ya,

... I see you and raise again by bringing Mr Plant into the mix !!!Plus the Dragon outfit is wayyy cooler !!!

[JimmyAce2006]

Originally Posted by tonebone

I'll see that Bobbo, and raise ya,



(Ya can really see the bridge placement in this photo, huh?)

What is it about the 1959 bridge / tail placement that makes it unique? I heard that it was past one of the knobs or something like that. That would make it different from a 1958 mode, right?

[BOBBO]

Jimmy fans .. Feel free to add other cool JP stuff to this thread !!!

YouTube - Led Zeppelin: Since I've Been Loving You

YouTube - Led Zeppelin: Since I've Been Loving You

[BOBBO]

YouTube - Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin

YouTube - Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin

[JimmyAce2006]

Ok, I got it - regarding the tail and 1950s Les Pauls versus reissues:

from here:

Gibson Les Paul Sunburst Standard guitar info 1958 1959 1960 sun burst vintage value



"Since the late 1970s, Gibson has made many reissue Les Paul Standards which look very much like the original 1958, 1959, 1960 Les Paul Standard model. So how do you tell the difference? One easy way is by the positioning of the stop tailpiece. Gibson has never gotten this right on any of their reissue Les Pauls. On a 1956 to 1960 Les Paul with a stop tailpiece, if you run an imaginary line from the center of the Low-E tailpiece stud through the center of the High-E tailpiece stud and continue that line, the line will touch the north edge of the Neck volume knob and the south edge of the Bridge volume knob. On reissues the line through the center of the tailpiece studs runs right into the Neck volume knob (the line is no where near the Bridge volume knob)."

[Nigel Tufnel's tech]

This little chap wanted to be a biological researcher you know.

[tonebone]

Originally Posted by JimmyAce2006

Ok, I got it - regarding the tail and 1950s Les Pauls versus reissues:

from here:

Gibson Les Paul Sunburst Standard guitar info 1958 1959 1960 sun burst vintage value



"Since the late 1970s, Gibson has made many reissue Les Paul Standards which look very much like the original 1958, 1959, 1960 Les Paul Standard model. So how do you tell the difference? One easy way is by the positioning of the stop tailpiece. Gibson has never gotten this right on any of their reissue Les Pauls. On a 1956 to 1960 Les Paul with a stop tailpiece, if you run an imaginary line from the center of the Low-E tailpiece stud through the center of the High-E tailpiece stud and continue that line, the line will touch the north edge of the Neck volume knob and the south edge of the Bridge volume knob. On reissues the line through the center of the tailpiece studs runs right into the Neck volume knob (the line is no where near the Bridge volume knob)."

Peoples wants pics,

[BOBBO]

Originally Posted by Nigel Tufnel's tech

This little chap wanted to be a biological researcher you know.

If you are who I think you are Mr Tech .. I've heard tell you know some stuff about Mr JP

[tonebone]

Originally Posted by Nigel Tufnel's tech

This little chap wanted to be a biological researcher you know.

Didn't he say he wanted to study germs on the Hugh Whelan show?

...something like that anyways...

[BOBBO]

YouTube - led zeppelin Communication Breakdown Live 1975

YouTube - led zeppelin Communication Breakdown Live 1975