Led Zeppelin Guitarist Jimmy Page. A 1959 Les Paul Standard model, the “Holy Grail” of guitars, is the “Number One” in Jimmy Page’s collection. These guitars can fetch mind-blowing prices among collectors. The guitar was gifted to Jimmy Page by Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh, who thought that Page deserved a nice Les Paul to add to his collection. Jimmy Page’s “Number One” has been a part of the Eagles’ musical history for almost five decades.
Jimmy Page’s first electric guitar
In the late 1960s, Jimmy Page played the guitar for the Heavy Metal band, Led Zeppelin. He is remembered for his guitar playing, and many guitarists tried to duplicate his tone. Even today, many guitarists still struggle to recreate the sound he created. Page’s guitar playing was a product of several factors, including the gear he used. Let’s take a look at some of those factors.
In 1965, Jimmy Page was offered a chance to play with the Yardbirds. He was recommended by guitarist Jeff Beck, who had a guitar of his own. In 1966, he received the guitar from Jeff Beck. Before playing it, he glued eight mirrored circles to the body in an homage to Syd Barrett. This guitar is considered to be one of Page’s most important instruments. It is a classic example of rock history.
His first Les Paul
In April 1969, Jimmy Page purchased a sunburst ’59 Les Paul from Joe Walsh. Several of his early performances with this guitar were at the Rose Palace in San Antonio, Fillmore West, and Winterland. After the guitar was stolen in 1970, Page advertised its return in Rolling Stone Magazine. It has three Seth Lover PAF pickups and Grover Rotomatic tuners. Here’s a look at the first Les Paul Jimmy Page ever bought.
Before purchasing the original Les Paul, Jimmy Page used a Gibson EDS-1275 custom-made model. Since the Les Paul Standard was no longer being produced, Page took it apart and modified it. The body was reshaped to make it look like a Gibson, while the neck was one piece. The guitar also featured a white pickguard, three single-coil pickups, and a Bigsby tremolo.
His first Telecaster
Jimmy Page’s first Telecaster was borrowed from Jeff Beck when he joined The Yardbirds in the summer of 1965. Jimmy played it most often in the band’s first album and the solo from their single “Stairway To Heaven” lasted six minutes. The guitar’s ‘board is made of rosewood, and its bridge is a top-loading one with optional string-through holes. Jimmy Page later replaced the neck with a rosewood one from his 1959 Telecaster.
The original Jimmy Page Telecaster had an unadorned body, but Page opted to embellish the instrument with eight circular mirrors. He may have been inspired by Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett, who had adorned his Esquire with 15 mirror-style metal discs during a recording session of the Let’s All Make Love film. However, Page would never abandon his Telecaster. The guitar was so iconic that it became a cult instrument.
His first Martin
The story of Jimmy Page’s first Martin guitar can be told in many ways. The instrument was purchased in England after his initial U.S. tour, and was aptly named “Number Two”. Jimmy Page also played this instrument live in Zep’s concerts. Its shape was similar to a horn, and it matched the bass’s name. The reissue is available on 28 May.
The first Martin he ever owned was a D-28 guitar. Jimmy Page purchased the instrument in 1970 and played it live at a Festival of Blues and Progressive Music in Seattle, Washington. Jimmy Page later installed a Barcus-Berry Model 1355 Transducer and preamp and used the guitar with a microphone. His Martin D-28 featured solid Sitka spruce on top and Brazilian rosewood on the back (Indian rosewood replaced Brazilian rosewood in 1970). The neck was mahogany, with Pearloid dot boltaron inlays.
His first Telecaster was painted with a dragon
When Jeff Beck gave Jimmy Page his first Telecaster in 1966, it was an unsalted blonde. But the guitarist soon changed the look with the addition of eight round mirrors. Later, he stripped the instrument down to its basic parts and painted it with the now-famous dragon design. He used the instrument on the Yardbirds’ live album, Yardbirds ’68. Page would later paint the Telecaster black to match the colors of his famous album.
The original ’59 Telecaster was a gift from Jeff Beck to Page. It was painted in a factory Blond White finish. After several years of playing with it, Page began customizing it. He added circular mirrors to the body of the guitar and later removed the mirrors. In 1967, he removed the mirrors from the body of the guitar and hand-painted a striking dragon design on it. This guitar featured heavily in the band’s ’70s and ’80s materializing in various classic Led Zeppelin I tracks.
His first Telecaster was stolen
When Jimmy Page’s first Telecaster was stolen, he didn’t know where to turn to find a replacement. After a long and successful career, Page had several guitars stolen from him, including his own. But the thief was never caught. After getting the Telecaster back, Page decorated it with eight circular mirrors. He may have had the idea from Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett, who embellished his Esquire with 15 mirror-style metal discs in January 1967 for a recording session for the film Let’s All Make Love.
In 1975, Jimmy Page’s first Telecaster was stolen, but he found another one a few days later. He was playing with it on the track “Over the Hills and Far Away” when Les Paul broke during an Earls’s Court show. The theft of Jimmy Page’s original Telecaster didn’t happen until the following year, but it’s still hard to believe that the guitar was stolen.
His first Telecaster was a Danelectro
During the 1960s, guitarist Eric Clapton was looking for a great Telecaster to play in the early days of rock. Danelectro was one of the first manufacturers of electric guitars. They were inexpensive, largely made of Masonite, and mounted in a cutout in a masonite body. Many guitarists had trouble finding an affordable Telecaster, and this guitar was the one that made it possible.
The first Danelectros were built in 1954 by Nathan Daniel. The guitars were made of Masonite and were the first to feature lipstick tube pickups. Jimmy Page played one in the early ’60s and later owned a Danelectro. The name Danelectro was reissued several times in the 90s, including the Doubleneck, Longhorn, and U-2.
His first Gibson
As one of the most famous rock guitarists of all time, Jimmy Page has owned more than one Les Paul guitar. He owns two of them. These guitars are among the most popular in the world. Jimmy Page’s first Gibson Les Paul was the one featured in the concert film, The Song Remains the Same, and has contributed more to the success of Gibson guitars than any other artist. The legend of Jimmy Page has inspired many guitar players and collectors to acquire Gibson instruments.
In his early days, Page worked as a session guitarist in London, where he met fellow musicians like Big Jim Sullivan. In this role, Page worked with various artists, including P.J. Proby and Donovan, and he also played with the Kinks and The Who. The renowned guitar player was also known to have played solos on the song “You Really Got Me.” Jimmy Page claims that he had performed the lead guitar solo on the single. The song is one of his most famous songs, and he claimed that he had played guitar on it. Despite the controversy, the guitarist has been very successful and credited with a fiery solo.
His first Telecaster was a Martin
When he first started playing guitar, Jimmy Page played a Martin, but soon he became enamored with the Telecaster. He had a Telecaster before, and he used it to record his famous “Stairway to Heaven” guitar solo. After he switched to Les Pauls, Page played a Telecaster again, but this time he hand-painted it red. Today, this guitar is known as the Dragon Telecaster.
The famous guitarist played it on tour with Led Zeppelin. He also had a Martin in his home, but that was not the guitar Page played on the stage. Eventually, he switched to a Martin Telecaster for live performances. He said he was playing “like an acoustic guitar” during a recent Facebook Q&A session. The Martin Telecaster is a classic and is still regarded as one of the most iconic guitars of all time.
