History & Significance
(click on menu 1959 Burst for more details)
Jimmy Page
1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard “Number 1” - main guitar
- The guitar that Jimmy Page is most closely linked to is his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard with a sunburst finish, shaved-down neck profile, Grover tuners, and no serial number.
- Page bought the guitar from Joe Walsh in 1969, paying $500 for it.
- He used it to record Zeppelin II that May (Zeppelin I was recorded with his famous “Dragon” Telecaster).
- The ‘59 Burst became and remained his favorite guitar throughout his years with Zeppelin, and as he acquired others, he started referring to it as Number 1.
- Once described by Jimmy Page as both his "mistress and wife...except it doesn't ask for alimony," his "Number 1" Gibson Les Paul is—without question—one of the most iconic guitars in the history of rock, and currently has an estimated value of $20 Million!
Other JP Guitars:
- 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard “Number 2” - backup guitar
- Doubleneck (click on menu Double Neck for more details)
- Mandolin (click on menu Mandolin for more details)
- 1959 Mirror/Dragon Telecaster was used for most of Led Zeppelin I, and the solo in Stairway To Heaven (click on menu 1959 Telecaster for more details)
- 1961 Danelectro Model 3021 DC-2 Double Pickup (click on menu 1961 Danelectro for more details)
- https://happymag.tv/how-danelectro-cast-a-unique-shadow-over-the-history-of-guitar/ https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/774649
- The guitar was made in 1961, and features black finish on a semi-hollow body with a poplar center and a masonite top, back, and sides. I has two Lipstick single-coil pickups with Alnico magnets, and it was equipped with Quan Badass Bridge sometime in the 80s.
- Jimmy bought this guitar sometime in mid 60s and used it for his early studio work, with the Yardbirds, and later on with Zeppelin. It was first used on stage on “White Summer” with the Yardbird circa 1967 tuned to DADGAD – also known as Celtic tuning.
- Jimmy used this guitar occasionally with Led Zeppelin in early to mid 70s on “When The Levee Breaks” and “In My Time Of Dying”. After the release of Physical Graffiti in 1975 he started using the guitar on “Kashmir” – which is probably the song this guitar is mostly known for.
- 1960 3 pickup Les Paul Custom Black Beauty with a Bigsby
- Jimmy Page’s main studio guitar from 1962-67, as well as his main guitar during Led Zeppelin’s early days (click on menu 1954 Les Paul Custom for more details)
Reissues & Replicas
https://www.guitarscollector.com/jimmy-page-guitars.html
In 2004, the Gibson Custom Shop created the most accurate "Number 1" replica ever made in 3 different models:
- Limited Run of 25 guitars that were Murphy aged, hand numbered, signed and played by Jimmy Page with an MSRP of $23,669, that are currently selling for $50,000 - $100,000
- Limited Run of 150 guitars that were Murphy aged, numbered in sequence "Page xxx" stamped on the back of the headstock
- Limited Run of 870 Vintage Original Spec (VOS) guitars, numbered in sequence "JPP xxx" stamped on the back of the headstock
1995-99 Gibson JIMMY PAGE SIGNATURE LES PAUL STANDARD (LPPG) MSRP $6300 > VG $4100-6500 > $6500
- NOT a 1959 “Number One” or “Number 2” Reissue - just a Standard production 1997 Gibson USA Signature Series Les Paul Standard with push pull pots and a special cream pickguard engraved with "Jimmy Page"signature
- NOT LIMITED PRODUCTION Xxxx made
- first 500 made in 1995 came with Grover tuners. Later, the Grover tuner buttons were switched from "kidney bean" style to "tulip" style and the fret height was lowered to .038" and a locking nut added to the bridge as per Jimmy's request.
- Single cutaway bound mahogany body, AA grade figured maple top, 22-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with trapezoid inlay, bound black peghead, gold hardware, tune-o-matic bridge/stop tail piece
- Two standard production exposed polepiece 4 conductor 496R and 500T humbucker pickups, 2 volume/2 tone controls (all push-pull for custom wiring and coil taps), 3-way selector toggle, available in Light Honey Burst (LB) finish with a hardshell case with emerald green lining mfg. 1995-99
2010 Gibson Custom Shop Jimmy Page Number Two Les Paul
The Custom Shop Jimmy Page “Number Two” Les Paul was recreated with intense, inch-by-inch examination of Page’s original guitar, inside and out. The process of getting it right involved the production of a number of hand-built prototypes, each of which was checked and critiqued in detail by Page himself. Approval of the final iteration was only offered after the legendary artist had intricately examined and extensively played this last prototype in his London home—after which it was given the thumbs-up, worthy of being the template for the Custom Shop Jimmy Page “Number Two” Les Paul. Only 325 examples were produced in total: 100 will be aged by vintage-reproduction master Tom Murphy; 25 more will be aged by Tom Murphy and signed by Jimmy Page; and 200 will be finished to Gibson’s VOS specs
MURPHY AGED & SIGNED MSRP $25,882 > $55k
https://reverb.com/p/gibson-custom-shop-jimmy-page-number-two-les-paul-signed-tom-murphy-aged-sunburst-2009
- 25 made, Serial # 2-26 (Jimmy Page owns #1) numbered 1-25 by hand by Jimmy
- Aged/Reliced by Tom Murphy and Signed and Played by Jimmy Page
- Mahogany body/Maple Top/Sunburst Finish/Mahogany Neck/Rosewood Fretboard/24.75"
MURPHY AGED MSRP $15,294 > $21k
https://reverb.com/p/gibson-custom-shop-jimmy-page-number-two-les-paul-tom-murphy-aged-2009
- 100 made, Serial # Page 026-125 numbered PAGE #2 XXX printed on back of headstock
- Aged/Reliced by Tom Murphy but NOT Signed or Played by Jimmy Page, but comes with HAND SIGNED Certificate of Authentication
VOS (LPJP2VJPBNH1) MSRP $11,126 > $10k
https://reverb.com/p/gibson-custom-shop-jimmy-page-number-two-les-paul-vos-cherry-sunburst-2009
- 200 made in the Custom Authentic (VOS) Finish numbered JP 02 XXX printed on back of headstock
- NOT Aged, Signed or Played by Jimmy Page, not "RELICED"
Mach Five Guitar
The Mach Five Guitar is a 2004 Gibson Custom Shop Jimmy Page "Number 1" ‘59 Les Paul.
- Replicates the Jimmy Page Number 1 Les Paul specifications and comes with a Jimmy Page Certificate of Authenticity
- Limited Run of 870 Vintage Original Spec (VOS) guitars, numbered in sequence "JPP xxx" stamped on the back of the headstock
- Several Luthiers from the Gibson Custom Shop went to England to examine Jimmy's #1 in 2003. They were able to take pictures, measure and take a mold of the neck, and look in the control cavity to examine the wiring of the guitar and put a meter on it. They confirmed that the pickups in Jimmy's actual vintage Number 1 are out of phase in the middle position, and the switch is a coil tap. The reissues are wired and make sounds just like Jimmy's guitar as it currently resides in his possession.
- With this information, along with Jimmy’s feedback on two prototypes they sent him, they worked in earnest to duplicate a close replica honoring Jimmy’s Number 1. The final Gibson Custom Shop Jimmy Page Number One Les Paul met with Jimmy's approval before being sold to customers.
- Few instruments are worthy of the title "mythic," but the Gibson Jimmy Page Number One Les Paul hands down belongs to the club. An incredible replica of the guitar which follow Jimmy through the large swath of his career, this model is a stunning recreation of the legendary Jimmy Page Les Paul. An absolute crown jewel for any collector.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Body Shape: Les Paul
- Top Wood: Carved figured maple
- Body Material: Solid Mahogany
- Color: Aged Page Burst Body
- Pickguard: 3-Ply Black
- Body Binding: Single-ply cream
- Scale Length: 24.75“
- Neck Material: 1-piece mahogany
- Neck Construction: long neck tenon
- Neck Shape: Thin Jimmy Page custom
- Neck Binding: Single-ply cream
- Number of Frets: 22
- Nut Width: 1 11/16"
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Bridge/Tailpiece: ABR-1/Lightweight aluminum
- Tuning Machines: Grover Kidney bean
- Hardware Finish: Aged Nickel and Gold
- Pickups: Jimmy Page custom BurstBuckers
- Pickup Covers: Bridge – Black / Neck – Aged Nickel
- Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone
- Push/pull pot splits coils on lead pickup
- 3-way pickup switch
- Control Knobs: Vintage gold bonnet
- Pickguard, Pickup rings, Switch Bezel & Tip: Vintage cream
- Gibson Custom Shop hardshell case
Image Descriptions
Associated Artists & Music
top of page
bottom of page