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

[questionman]

There are no frontal shots I know of for that guitar but it is definitely a Les Paul copy.

 

[DADGAD]

Yes, the original PAF in #1 was white. This is why some people get confused and think Page is playing #2 in RAH or that #2 is really #1 (the confusion over years doesn't help!).

Heres a rough chronology of the pickup configurations:

May 1969 - Jimmy uses #1 live for the first time with both pickups covered
November 1969 - Jimmy takes #1's bridge cover off revealing a white PAF
May 1972 - Jimmy has replaced the white PAF with a chrome-covered black T-Top
January 1975 - Jimmy uses #2 onstage for the first time, featuring an uncovered white PAF. At this point #1 is still covered.
1982 - By this point the bridge pickup cover is back on so both guitars are covered.
May 1988 (what is it with May?) - #1 is now without a bridge pickup cover, which is how it remains to this day. #2 is still covered.
December 2007 - #2 is used live again sans bridge pickup cover, which is how it remains to this day. Now #1 has a black pickup and #2 has a white pickup, making them easier to identify than ever before.

As a side note, #3 got a neck pickup cover put on in the mid 80s. I wonder if Jimmy actually keeps track of these covers. Did #2 have it's original cover from 1982-2007? Where are the covers for #1's original PAF and the T-Top? Was one of those two covers used for #3's neck pickup?

some of the best tones I've heard were from How the West was won. June/July 72? Lots of T top goodness. When you hear Earls court, his middle position sounds very twangy which I didn't prefer but it was still cool.

 

[OldBenKenobi]

some of the best tones I've heard were from How the West was won. June/July 72? Lots of T top goodness. When you hear Earls court, his middle position sounds very twangy which I didn't prefer but it was still cool.

I love the HTWWW tone and the Earls Court tones (Earls Court was especially nice for the cleans) but my favorite is TSRTS. 15 years old, Rock and Roll plays on the Power Hour, whole new world exploded in my face. Thats the definitive Les Paul tone for me.

 

[indeedido]

Growing up I was all about TSRTS tone, but after HTWWW came out, that tone blows me away. That's the tone I'd like to have. Crunchy goodness.

 

[TnT~55]

A more detailed story of how Jimmy's Tele got ruined. From a new interview with Jimmy:

There’s a photo where you’re playing a very psychedelically painted guitar and your caption says that you “consecrated” it — what did you mean by that?

I painted it, I really made it my own, so it was like no other Telecaster. I felt that it was like a consecration. It’s quite a magical guitar. I’ve still got the guitar, but something happened to the painting on it. Somebody was house-sitting, and I think he’d got very stoned one night — he was an artist — and I think he thought “wouldn’t it be nice to paint Jimmy’s guitar?” He stripped it, painted it, I came back and he said “I’ve got a gift!” That’s what drugs can do for some people. He deconsecrated it. I’ve still got the guitar, it still plays the same but it doesn’t look the same. But I think I’m going to resurrect it.

Jimmy Page Interview | Wondering Sound

 

[strat1701]

dumb question but, this new 'Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page' photo autobiography, is that a reissue (with more numbers this time) that what he released back in 08?

 

[DADGAD]

A more detailed story of how Jimmy's Tele got ruined. From a new interview with Jimmy:



Jimmy Page Interview | Wondering Sound

A year ago I spoke to Gord miller at gmvintagerestorations.com and he had told me he had done some work for Ross Halfin and the idea of him getting the job of restoring the dragon tele was on the table. I saw him just a week ago at a show and no new developments as he didn't want to press Ross too much since he was so busy. He said if he got the chance he would photo document it and it may be a piece to be written about in Vintahe Guitar mag.

 

[OldBenKenobi]

Growing up I was all about TSRTS tone, but after HTWWW came out, that tone blows me away. That's the tone I'd like to have. Crunchy goodness.

I find that for whatever reason TSRTS is a harder tone to get. I have an overwound T-Top and it by itself gets pretty close to HTWWW. TSRTS takes a little more finesse balancing the bridge and neck (SD59).

"I’ve still got the guitar, it still plays the same but it doesn’t look the same."

Interesting how it plays the same despite no longer having a neck. Or has there been a reconfiguration of necks with the Botswana Brown?

 

[DADGAD]

I find that for whatever reason TSRTS is a harder tone to get. I have an overwound T-Top and it by itself gets pretty close to HTWWW. TSRTS takes a little more finesse balancing the bridge and neck (SD59).



Interesting how it plays the same despite no longer having a neck. Or has there been a reconfiguration of necks with the Botswana Brown?

Weren't his Marshall's modded to KT88/66?and 200 watts? His TSRTS tone seems to have more gain.

 

[questionman]

Interesting how it plays the same despite no longer having a neck. Or has there been a reconfiguration of necks with the Botswana Brown?

Well, it has been so long since that guitar has been seen, who knows what ended up with it.

 

[OldBenKenobi]

Weren't his Marshall's modded to KT88/66?and 200 watts? His TSRTS tone seems to have more gain.

I don't think it's known exactly when that mod happened but I think it was between 73 and 75, since the extra 100 watts would increase the headroom and make for a cleaner tone. There might have been other mods done to explain the change as well.

What I really want to know is what happened to his tone in 1979. Way more gain than before.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0hVqSKks5s]Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love - Knebworth - YouTube[/ame]

 

[lwk5150]

dumb question but, this new 'Jimmy Page by Jimmy Page' photo autobiography, is that a reissue (with more numbers this time) that what he released back in 08?

I believe it is the same book, just not a signed or limited edition. I picked up a copy from Amazon for $37 - well worth it!!!

 

[Coldacre]

If he can't sing them the way they need to be sung anymore, why is more than half his set list LZ songs with his current band?

you'll notice I used the phrase "the way they need to be sung". when he performs them with his current band they are sung differently. the arrangements are vastly different.

it's one thing to hand pick the ones he's still comfortable singing, it's another thing completely to go out there and try and do Dazed & Confused 35 times.

 

[MCAN]

I believe it is the same book, just not a signed or limited edition. I picked up a copy from Amazon for $37 - well worth it!!!

It's got a few extra pages of recent stuff as well. Things like his Berklee College of Music Speech in May 2014.

 

[hecube]

It's got a few extra pages of recent stuff as well. Things like his Berklee College of Music Speech in May 2014.

Got to get it then!

 

[questionman]

Its a cool book. I got mine for $30 on Amazon when I preordered the new albums.

 

[hecube]

I have the limited edition that came out a few years ago.

I didn't realize this new version had additional pictures...

 

[SickAgain]

I met Jimmy Page this week, totally clammed up, could hardly speak. He was very kind, smiled and told me a few things, he could see I was struggling. I just said, thanks so much for everything, and he said 'Everything? well that's my pleasure'.

Got my book stamped, and also signed by Lori Maddox who was at the LA event. She was really friendly too, a real sweetheart.

I have both books, basically they added the Olympics, the Kennedy stuff etc to the book, since it was released.

 

[hecube]

I met Jimmy Page this week, totally clammed up, could hardly speak. He was very kind, smiled and told me a few things, he could see I was struggling. I just said, thanks so much for everything, and he said 'Everything? well that's my pleasure'.

Got my book stamped, and also signed by Lori Maddox who was at the LA event. She was really friendly too, a real sweetheart.

I have both books, basically they added the Olympics, the Kennedy stuff etc to the book, since it was released.

What Kennedy stuff?

 

[SickAgain]

What Kennedy stuff?

OK, so it has the Olympics, the Kennedy Center awards and his Berklee diploma photos.