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This
page is my own humble tribute to my favorite band:
Led
Zeppelin
Though you'll find a lot of _great_ sites about LZ (some of them are
below ), mine is just my humble tribute to the
music and the guys behind. I've added my personal selection of web
references.
I'm trying to get as much information as possible about all kind of
guitars, amps, gimmicks Jimmy may have used either
in the studio or on-stage. If you have any information, please contact
me (I'll give due credits !).
A few questions I had myself not so long ago,
and links about trading & bootlegs :
The information below has
been compiled from a bunch of interviews : Guitar
World Jan. 91, Nov. 91 (reprint of Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press 1977),
and a couple of others... Please contact me if you want to add something or if
you think something is wrong and/or inaccurate.
Altair
Tube Limiter
Jimmy started
using this device to record acoustic guitars on LZ III (Friends),
he first heard it on the album 'Six String, Twelve String' by Dick
Rosemenie (Vanguard, impossible to find ?).
Axis
The (obscure)
British amp used on SIBLY
Danelectro Sixties
Usually used
in modal tuning DADGAD (WS / BMS, Kashmir). Features concentric
volume/tone controls and a Quan Badass bridge.
Epiphone
Used when Jimmy
played bass for the Yardbirds after Paul Samwell-Smith left
Fender
Amps used in
the early years both in the studio and on-stage
- Stratocaster 1960-5,
Metallic Blue
Used throughout
the album Presence.
- Stratocaster Lake
Placid Blue
Mainly used
during post Zep years
Used during
the late Yardbirds and the early Zep (LZ I recorded almost exclusively
with this model for electric parts, he used it on stage also).
Jimmy had also
a 1966 model equipped with a Stringbender.
Gibson
Made especially
for Jimmy by the Gibson Custom Shop for plating STH on-stage, serial
number 911117. Features an A/B selector switch in the upper corner
of the pickguard, that allows for inclusion of one or both guitars
in the circuit. Jimmy often used to leave both guitars active for
sympathetic resonance. Master volume and tone control for each neck,
but only one pickup selector for both.
Mainly used
on LZ I (BMS, BIGLY)
- Les Paul Custom Black
Beauty
Equipped with
a Bigsby vibrato, Jimmy used it a lot during the session days (especially
with Them, Kinks, Who). Got lost/stolen by TWA somewhere between
Boston, MA and Toronto in 1972.
Used for recording WLL
Flamed Top,
no serial number at the rear of the headstock, changes have been
made. The back pickup cover is of chrome instead of nickel and it
has gold Grover tuning heads and a white selector cap.
Gift from Joe
Walsh, serial number 91703. Head modified to look like a '58 model
head. A pair of spring loaded buttons have been attached beneath
the lower edge of the scratchplate. One for choosing between pickups
in series or parallel, the other allow the choice of ordinary or
phased sounds. Regular potentiometers replaced scrapped in favor
of two pairs of push/pulls allowing coil-tapping on either pickup
and the option of employing all four coils in parallel. Modifications
made by Jimmy's recording studio maintenance techy Steve Hoyland.
Gizmotron
The gizmotron
was an hexaphonic mechanical string bowing device invented by Lol
Creme and Kevin Godley of 10CC, it never took off and was some kinda
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.
"To try
and explain, it is a unit which you fix to the bridge and body
of the guitar - causing quite a substantial amount of damage I
might add!!! - It basically consists of a small motor which revolves
a smooth cylindrical bar sealed in the casing of the unit. On
top of this there are a series of buttons connected to little
plastic wheels that have serrated edges; when pressed, one side
of the wheel is turned by the revolving cylinder and the other
serrated side rubs against the string, creating, if punctuated
the way I have on this track, the said effect. You can either
play chords or single notes." Marty Willson-Piper
The more popular E-Bow
is a similar device, but limited to only one string at a time,
the strings adjacent to the one being excited are damped by the
E-Bow mechanism, and it's difficult to switch from one string
to another.
Jimmy may have used
it on Carouselambra and In The Evening to produce the drone sound
(ITL also ?)
Note : Thanks to John
McIntyre for his help.
Grazioso
Fender copy,
probably the first guitar Jimmy ever played at 13
Might be related to Jimmy's symbol (ZoSo) ???
Gretsch
- Chet Atkins Signature
Model (orange)
Hollow-body,
one of the first guitar Jimmy played (after the Grazioso)
Harmony
Acoustic guitar
used on first three albums along with the Gibson J-200.
Used on Friends.
Maestro Echoplex
Tape delay
heavily used both on-stage and in the studio
Marshall
Jimmy used
a lot of Marshall 100-watters (most of them modified) both in the
studio and on-stage.
Martin
Jimmy got this
one after LZ III recording (he was using the Gibson J-200 and the
Harmony up until then)
MXR Phase 90
Phasing unit,
can be heard on TWS, ALS
New Vista
Unit used by
Jimmy for working out demos and a lot of overdubs
Octave Doubler
Hand-made unit
by Roger Mayer (also responsible for Jimi Hendrix customised units),
used on D&C
Rickenbacker
Transonic Amps
Supro
The Supro Amp
was made in the 50's. This Amp has a wonderful tube sound that just
can't be replaced by transistors. It has 4 inputs. A killer reverb
(for blues) and rich distortion when pushed. If you canfind one,
buy it, they are _very_ rare... Jimmy once told that after an interview
where he told he used this type of amp, he was no longer able to
buy one !
Jimmy used in throughout
Led Zeppelin I.
Theremin Instrument
 Invented in 1919 by Leon Theremin (1896-1993),
this unique instrument is still popular today in experimental music
circles. The Theremin is played by waving one's hands near two metal
antennas: one for pitch and the other for volume. The antennas vary
the frequency of two oscillators. To create the sound, a fixed oscillator
is mixed with the variable pitch oscillator and their difference
(or beat frequency) is amplified.
Jimmy used it a lot
both in the studio (WLL) and on-stage.
There are a lot of
different Theremin, check out The Theremin Instrument Page
by Jason B. Barile.
Vox AC30
Used (along
with other amps) on LZ III.
Vox Wah-Wah
Modified by roger Mayer
Equipment
|
Guitars | Amplifiers
| Effect Units |
Guitars
- Grazzioso:
Spanish guitar Page owned when he was 14.
- Fender
Stratocaster: Used when he was with Neil Christian and the Crusaders
- Gibson
"Black Beauty" Les Paul Custom: Used extensivley when he was
with the Yardbirds. It was custom wired with a Bigsby 06130
tremelo arm. It was stolen while they were travelling to Canada.
Page issued an ad offering a reward for it in The Rolling
Stone. Page never got the guitar back.
- Vox
12 String: Used with the Yardbirds.
- Gibson
Les Paul 1958 Standard Model: Used on the second and third Led
Zeppelin albums and in roughly 80% of the live preformances.
"The matching two-piece maplewood used for the body top is the
same that is used for top class violins. The body back and neck
is one piece of mahogany, and the fingerboard is of rosewood."
-Super Rock Guitarist Vol. 2: Jimmy Page copyright 1989 Warner
Chappell Music Ltd.
- Fender
Telecaster 1966: Used by Page on Led Zeppelin's European tour
in 1980 and with The Firm and also with Roy Harper at the Cambridge
Folk Festival in '84.
- Gibson
Les Paul 1959: This guitar was a gift to Jimmy from Joe Walsh.
It includes a modified coil splitting switch and an in/out switch
located underneath the switchplate.
- Gibson
Sevenites Les Paul: This guitar was reworked by Clarence White
and fitted with a Parsons/White B-String bender.
- Gibson
EDS-1275: This particular guitar is a six/twelve string double
neck which are both fitted with two humbucking pickups and Les
Paul system control assemblies. The six string is the SG type,
and becasue it doesn't match the quality of the '58 Standard,
it's a rather redundant studio guitar, but it can be heard in
the basic track on "Carouselambra" on "In
Through the Out Door".
- Dan
Electro: Used for live preformances of White Summer/Black
Mountain Side and in later preformances of Kashmir using
modal tunings.
- Fender
Sixties Stratocastor: This guitar ws fist used on Presence:
Hots On For Nowhere. Also used on the live versions of In The
Evening 1979/80. It then went on to be a popular Page guitar
in The Firm days.
- Fender
Telecaster '59: Botswana brown model with a Rosewood neck and
firred with the Parsons/White B-String bender; first appeared
on stage with Zeppelin in '77. On the final tour in 1980, Page
used it for Hot Dog and All My Love.
- Rickenbacker:
This twelve string model was used from '69-'72.
- Martin
D28 Acoustic: This accoustic was played in the studio, along
with the occasional Gibson.
- Yamaha:
This acoustic was a prize given to Page from Golden Lion Roadies
Charity in December 1981.
- Gretsch
Chet Atkins Hollowbody: A prize in a 1974 guitar competition
in NME.
- Gibson
RD Artist: Used at Knebworth for Misty Mountain Hop.
- Fender
Stratocaster: A late fifties model used in '74 at a jam with
Bad Company in New York.
- Gibson
SG: Taken for later tours but hardly used. It was used at the
Half Moon in Plumpton in a jam.
- Vega
Banjo: This five string banjo was used on Gallow's Pole.
- Gibson
ES5 Switchmaster: Featured in the poplular photo of Zeppelin
at Manticore studios in 1977.
- Gibson
ES5: Similar to the model used on DeathWish 2.
- Cormwell
Cello Guitar:
- Gibson
Everyly Brothers Acoustic: This guitar was given to Page by
Ron wood.
- Roland
GR 300 Guitar Synthesizer: 'This hasn't been featured much in
recordings. An example would be "Fool In The Rain" from
"In Through The Out Door" where he uses
it simply to provide an effective bass unison octave doubling
for the lead guitar at certain key points.'
-Super Rock Guitarist Vol. 2: Jimmy Page copyright 1989 Warner
Chappell Music Ltd.
- Gibson
A4 Mandolin: I'm not quite sure, but I think this can be heard
on The Battle of Evermore from their Untitled
album.
- Gibson
Twenties Harp Guitar:
- KET
Custom: Can be seen on the video Wasting My Time on Jimmy
Page's Outrider.
- Melobar
American Guitar
- Fender
Precision Bass: Used only in the studio.
- Alembric
Omega Bass: Another studio only bass guitar.
Amplifiers
- Marshall:
'Jimmy had his 100W amp upgraded to 200W. He plays usually at
volume "3". On stage his system is always 100% Marshall, so
that includes "The Song Remains The Same".
The Marshall sound co uld be said to be a little rough, but
it is more than able to deliver the goods when it comes to overdrive.'
-Super Rock Guitarist Vol. 2: Jimmy Page copyright 1989 Warner
Chappell Music Ltd.
- Fender:
As with all his amps, Jimmy used only valve amps.
- Vox
AC-30: This was a rehearsal only amp.
- Harmony:
- Supro
Amp: This was only used for recording.
- Orange
4x12 Cabinates: Jimmy may have used Orange amps on stage.
- Thanks to Valhalla
- Leslie:
Page most likely uses a Leslie speaker on Good Times Bad
Times (Led Zeppelin) and Black
Dog Untitled.
'Leslie speakers first appeared in compact units together with
the Hammond organ keyboard and were designed to reproduce the
sound of a pipe organ, the revolving speaker sound havinga subtle
undulating uance to it. Later attempts to reproduce this sound
in a still more compact fashion led to the development of various
phasers, flangers, and chorus machines in addition to the use
of tremolo and vibrato.'
-Super Rock Guitarist Vol. 2: Jimmy Page copyright 1989 Warner
Chappell Music Ltd.
- Marshall
SLP-1959: 100 watts
- Marshall
4x12 Cabinates: Straight
- Marshall
4x12 Cabinates: Angled
- Hiwatt
50: This was only used in rehearsal.
Effects Units
- Fuzz:
All of Jimmy's fuzz boxes were hand-made by Roger Mayer, the
engineer who provided sound effects and back-up for Jimi Hendrix
and Jeff Beck.
- Vox
Cry-Baby: This wow-wow is quite heavy and can be heard on How
Many More Times (Led Zeppelin) and
Living Loving Maid (she's a woman) (Led
Zeppelin II).
- Maestor
Echoplex: Jimmy's exclusive on stage echo machine.
- Eventide
H949 Clockwork Harmonizer :
- Boss
SD 1 Distortion :
- Boss
CE 2 Chorus :
- Thermin
Unit: This can be heard Whole Lotta Love (Led
Zeppelin II) and No Quarter (Houses
Of The Holy).
- MXR
Phase 90: This tremolo-like waving sound which you hear on The
Wanton Song (Physical Graffiti)
and Achilles' Last Stand (Presence).
| Bass Guitars | Guitars
| Amplifiers | Effect
Units | Keyboards |
Bass
Guitars
- Dallas
Solid Body Bass: Jonsey's first guitar.
- Fender
Jazz Bass: This one can be seen on The Song Remains The Same
video.
- Fender
Precision Bass: Five Strings and fretless.
- Fender
Precision Bass: Standard
- Gibson
Violin Bass: Used on the cover of Led Zeppelin
II.
- Fender
Telecaster Bass: Used on stage in '52.
- Alembic
Eight String Bass: Used from 1977.
- Alembic
Six String Bass: Used on stage.
- Alembic
Four String Bass: Used on stage.
- Framus
Stand Up Electric Bass: Used on stage.
Guitars
- Tri-neck:
This custom built triple necked guitar is used on Ten Years
Gon in '77 and '79.
- Harmony
Mandoline:
Amps
- CMT
600B: Amp
- Carwin
Vega: Jone's used two of these cabinates.
Effects
- Bill
Dunne Custom pedals:
- Tautus
pedals:
- Korg
Bass Pedals:
- That last one thanks to Kyle
Hauser
Keyboards
- Yamaha
GX1 Organ:
- Hammond
C3 Organ:
- Hohner
Clacinet 771117:
- Fender
Rhodes:
- Melletron
216:
- Melletron
400:
- Yamaha
70B:
Drum
Kit
- 1969
Ludwig Classic series drumset: This kit was used from 1969 through
to 1971. It consits of:
14 x 26 bass drum
12 x 15 rack tom
16 x 16 floor tom
16 x 18 floor tom
6 1/2 x 14 Supraphonic 400 snare drum
Occasionally Bonham used two bass drums instead of one. He
also changed to Ludwig Vistalite series for a while (as seen
in The Song Remains the Same) and
ended up playing a Ludwig stainless steel kit.
- Cymbal
Setup: His symbol setup remaind constant throughout his career.
It consits of:
Paiste 2002 cymbals-
24" Ride
15" Sound-edge Hi-hats
16" and 18" Medium crashes
18" ride
38" Symphonic Gong
- Barcus
Berry Pickups: These were taped to the drumheads.
- Drum
Heads:
Remo Black Dots
Ludwig Silver Dots
- Ludwig
2A size drumsticks:
- Stage
Monitor System:
Mavis 15x6 inch paramatic desk
Crown power amps
Showco Cabinets (X2)
Showco F horn bass bins (X2
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