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

[Ducati]

JPJ has been getting around a lot (especially mandolin playing). His bass playing is still top notch.

He has stayed active in many different musical genres and actually grown by playing with different people and continuing to evolve. That's why he can still play at the same level or better as in the 1970's, he practices and performs regularly.

You forget Coverdale/Page. The writing on that is top-notch

It was a decent album, but the best song, Shake My Tree, was a holdover from the Presence sessions. Obvious similarities to Nobody's Fault But Mine as well...

 

[DADGAD]

He has stayed active in many different musical genres and actually grown by playing with different people and continuing to evolve. That's why he can still play at the same level or better as in the 1970's, he practices and performs regularly.



It was a decent album, but the best song, Shake My Tree, was a holdover from the Presence sessions. Obvious similarities to Nobody's Fault But Mine as well...

I think it was just the opening riff that was a holdover. I believe the story goes that he presented it but there wasn't great enthusiasm for it. Only Bonham knew what to to with it. I think Waiting on you and Pride and Joy are also up there for best songs. It was a great album but was getting overshadowed by the Grunge movement. Some of Pageys best guitar work since Zep.

 

[indeedido]

I agree but the production wasn't good on it to me. The acoustic work on it sounds like an electric acoustic. Not a good tone vs good miced acoustic.

 

[hecube]

I agree but the production wasn't good on it to me. The acoustic work on it sounds like an electric acoustic. Not a good tone vs good miced acoustic.

That was Jimmy's intent. He said as much in an interview I read.

 

[Ducati]

The acoustic work on it sounds like an electric acoustic.

Talk to me brother! That awful piezo sound, the man played Ovations for years, for crying out loud.

He didn't even own a quality acoustic guitar while he was in Zeppelin. He had a burst and he chose to play a 1970's D-28. Martin's absolute worst period of manufacture and tone.

 

[DADGAD]

Talk to me brother! That awful piezo sound, the man played Ovations for years, for crying out loud.

He didn't even own a quality acoustic guitar while he was in Zeppelin. He had a burst and he chose to play a 1970's D-28. Martin's absolute worst period of manufacture and tone.

Doesn't his Harmony H1260 count? He wrote some epic stuff on that.

 

[andreww]

Meh, acoustics are always hit and miss. Many times I'll spend and hour or more sitting in the acoustic room of my local Long & McQuade, just playing everything. There have been many days when a $300 guitar sounds far better than a top of the line Martin. Jimmy plays what works for him.

As for Robert's recent revelation, I honestly think its all about control and being the star of the band. Plant knows that at this point it would be Jimmys band. Robert's sexyness has long passed and he is simply a singer who need the band to tune down to be able to hit the high notes. Jimmy is still a top player and with some consistent playing could get even better. Robert want Jimmy to only play acoustic is his way of neutering Page. We've seen this before with Plant's refusals to play Stairway over the years. Its Pages triumph, with his dounleneck hoisted high, like a rock and roll icon. Percy doesn't seem to like being upstaged IMO.

 

[Ducati]

Doesn't his Harmony H1260 count? He wrote some epic stuff on that.

That is a ladder braced, budget brand guitar sold by Sears. I think it recorded well but compared to all the other vintage Pre-WWII acoustic guitars he could have bought for next to nothing in the 1970's (1932 Martin OM-28, 1936 Martin D-18, 1939 Gibson J-35, 1933 Gibson L-00), it was a poor choice. Worth about $500 today.

For his unplugged show, Eric Clapton played a 1939 Martin 000-42. Something very close the very finest guitar Martin ever made, from the very best time period, with the best sound... scalloped braces, red spruce top, pearl inlaid top, Brazilian rosewood. Worth at least $50,000 today.

 

[questionman]

Doesn't his Harmony H1260 count? He wrote some epic stuff on that.

I always thought his Harmony sounded pretty good.

 

[MCAN]

Meh, acoustics are always hit and miss. Many times I'll spend and hour or more sitting in the acoustic room of my local Long & McQuade, just playing everything. There have been many days when a $300 guitar sounds far better than a top of the line Martin.

I think we've been sitting in the same acoustic room at Long and McQuade!

Sometimes the $1000+ acoustics sound worse than the $300 ones. I guess that's why I bought a $150 Epi when I went in to find a new acoustic a few years back. It just sounded better compared to the more expensive ones.

 

[LowThudd]

I think we've been sitting in the same acoustic room at Long and McQuade!

Sometimes the $1000+ acoustics sound worse than the $300 ones. I guess that's why I bought a $150 Epi when I went in to find a new acoustic a few years back. It just sounded better compared to the more expensive ones.

Same thing I did. I have an Epi I got for $100 on sale in 2003, sounded better than the Gibby's on the wall. Of course, I had to go through about 10 of them to find one so good, but well worth it.

 

[sikoniko]

I think we've been sitting in the same acoustic room at Long and McQuade!

Sometimes the $1000+ acoustics sound worse than the $300 ones. I guess that's why I bought a $150 Epi when I went in to find a new acoustic a few years back. It just sounded better compared to the more expensive ones.

I have a Sigma by Martin from the early 80s that I got for $150 that IMO is better than ANY current acoustic I've played (they have all been <$10k not sure if I could do better above that price range...)

 

[Coldacre]

I have a Sigma by Martin from the early 80s that I got for $150 that IMO is better than ANY current acoustic I've played (they have all been <$10k not sure if I could do better above that price range...)

yeah the Sigma's were great. I bought mine in the mid 90's; still going strong.

my brother bought a brand new Maton for 2K+ and the Sigma just blows it away.

 

[69 Goldtop]

 

[matiac]

This is the key point that I (and many others) have been returning to. It wasn't original when Spirit did it, and whilst Page may have been aware of the Spirit tune, he will also certainly have been aware of many other instances of the same/similar idea being used previously.

He may even have owned one of the guitar tuition books that use the same/similar voicings to illustrate standard chord progression. (I don't have the book, but a poster on another forum stated that one of the famous Mickey baker jazz guitar books had the same series of chords as an exercise).

If Spirit didn't originate it (which is easy to prove) then the claim is weaker, surely?

I can't think of the name of the song, but Eric Clapton also does a song with this bit thrown in as well..."Let It Go" might be it's name, but the similarity to the "Stairway..." intro for me is there as well...they gonna go after Clapton too?

 

[hecube]

 

[EvLectric]

I can't think of the name of the song, but Eric Clapton also does a song with this bit thrown in as well..."Let It Go" might be it's name, but the similarity to the "Stairway..." intro for me is there as well...they gonna go after Clapton too?

It's Let it Grow.
Also...Deep Purples Soldier of Fortune from Stormbringer. It's in G though.

 

[Flogger59]

It's Let it Grow.
Also...Deep Purples Soldier of Fortune from Stormbringer. It's in G though.

And the middle 8 in Something (You're asking me does my love grow...).

 

[sgtsteiner]

From the recent Zep I Vinyl Release --

 

[LowThudd]

Interesting that he is shown with an LP he did not use to record that album with.