Zosofancmr Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Lots of cool info on the guitar he used in the early days of Led Zeppelin. http://findingzoso.blogspot.com/2012/04/guitarsenal-big-jims-j-200.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Wow, so thats THE famous borroed 'Babe Im Gonna Leave You' J-200, great to know a bit more about it ! For some reason I alwasy imagined it be a natural finish. He does some serious shredding on it, you can definitely hear the heavy gage strings on it, he really does seem to work his way around them like they were lights. Great player or great set up, probably both. Thanks for sharing, enjoyed that a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 The acoustic I most associate with Page is the Harmony Sovereign. Although Page himself admits his recollections are a bit hazy, he always said that the Harmony is what he used to work out the songs on Zep III and record Stairway to Heaven as well as being what he took on tour during that period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapM Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 The video was obviously pretty poor. Was he doing hybrid picking there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Sounds as if he uses the silk and steel strings that were very popular at the time, doesn't it. They take a guitar somewhere else and can't be compared to bronze strings at all. I used them a while as a young man in the '70's, but put them away and only re-tried a pair some 6 months ago after a 35 year break. Mmmmm, , , maybe for some special purpose - - had to take them off though. Listen to Page's borrowed 200 – it is soft or un-crisp, if not dead in the bass register. The Jumbo deserves better. I would like to hear from some witnesses from back when the s&s was introduced. Did people discuss them or just go after them like cats for warm milk. Why was the acoustic players so turned on ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 It may just be that Page did not remove that large brace screwed to the top which Gibson started using in 1961. That thing killed the guitar's sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zosofancmr Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 It may just be that Page did not remove that large brace screwed to the top which Gibson started using in 1961. That thing killed the guitar's sound. I don't think Jimmy made any mods to the guitar, it didn't belong to him after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57classic Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 great post thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I wonder what he played on Zep III? THat album has some many great acoustics tunes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zosofancmr Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 He used two different acoustics on Led Zeppelin III, one was a Martin D-28, the other a cheap Harmony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 He used two different acoustics on Led Zeppelin III, one was a Martin D-28, the other a cheap Harmony. Cool. Thanks for that info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickjwill Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Only thing cheap about a Harmony Sovereign (besides the tuners)is the price. All solid 'hog and spruce (back is 1 piece 16" wide). I own an Airline 7032. That's a Monkey Wards Sovereign. Needed a neck re-set when I found it. Gave the job to the late great Jim Hurley in Candler Florida. He made that fat neck guitar play like butter. That one cured my GAS till my brother got hold of it. He likes it so much I'm letting him keep it indefinitely. I understand why Jimmy Page used one. Fat, rich, woody, ladder braced tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis57 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Ah what a musician!!! Thanks for posting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zosofancmr Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 My pleasure :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I saw Zep in 1969. I recall Page did not use an acoustic but played the White Summer/Black Mountain Side medley on a Dan Electro. Funny that number and the guitar he used on it are about all I remember about the show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Only thing cheap about a Harmony Sovereign (besides the tuners)is the price. All solid 'hog and spruce (back is 1 piece 16" wide). I own an Airline 7032. That's a Monkey Wards Sovereign. Needed a neck re-set when I found it. Gave the job to the late great Jim Hurley in Candler Florida. He made that fat neck guitar play like butter. That one cured my GAS till my brother got hold of it. He likes it so much I'm letting him keep it indefinitely. I understand why Jimmy Page used one. Fat, rich, woody, ladder braced tone. I got one of the first Sovereigns made - no pickguard and a shellac finish. Next to the Vega Profundo it remains the best ladder braced guitar I have ever played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zosofancmr Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 I've been looking for a Harmony Sovreign myself. They aren't easy to come by. I don't really trust ebay when it comes to old acoustics, I've been burnt a few times when it comes to warped necks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanCarlosVejar Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 http://www.rumbleseatmusic.com/vintage%20guitar%20pic%20pages/40HarmonySovereignH1230ResonatorModelB.html (this is a HS resonator) the same store has a vega archtop : http://www.rumbleseatmusic.com/vintage%20guitar%20pic%20pages/38VegaC-50.html JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 When I was recording a few years ago at RAK in St. John's Wood, I had the privilege of playing the late Mickie Most's '60s J200 which Jimmy Page used to double-track various acoustic parts on IV, including the fast-paced acoustic-heavy section of Stairway. That guitar was amazing-it sounded unspeakably beautiful, tune-o-matic and all. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Now that IS something worth boasting about Jinder, what an experience. I would be happy to pay some reasonable money for a few minutes with that guitar. When I was recording a few years ago at RAK in St. John's Wood, I had the privilege of playing the late Mickie Most's '60s J200 which Jimmy Page used to double-track various acoustic parts on IV, including the fast-paced acoustic-heavy section of Stairway. That guitar was amazing-it sounded unspeakably beautiful, tune-o-matic and all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 When I was recording a few years ago at RAK in St. John's Wood, I had the privilege of playing the late Mickie Most's '60s J200 which Jimmy Page used to double-track various acoustic parts on IV, including the fast-paced acoustic-heavy section of Stairway. That guitar was amazing-it sounded unspeakably beautiful, tune-o-matic and all. A great fan of stories like that, , , , and of Mickey Mosts work with Donovan. We had a fleeting member here who had played or met Donovans blue/grey/purple Zemaitis - fascinating. And talking of D. I think he recorded a track or 2 on the very 200 you mention. Would you know that, , , and of which song I speak. Will try to look it up. . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zosofancmr Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 Holy Hell Jinder! You gotta give me some more details then that! I'm dying to know how that experience was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merseybeat1963 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Wound Strings look white-ish ! I used to love Led Zep but to me they sound seriously dated now thanks to Robert Plant. The bluesy stuff is kind of timeless but Plant is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zosofancmr Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 My sentiments exactly trvlr. I saw Plant last year, one word...timeless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 There's not much more story to tell, unfortunately...I was recording a song called 'In A Heartbeat' during my time with Sony BMG, and the label didn't like the recording of the song that I'd put down in my regular studio, so sent me and my full operation (producer, band, the lot) to RAK to spend a few days re-recording it there. I was doing some guitar tracking using my Hummingbird, but it wasn't gelling right with the rhythm part which was cut with a Martin D16RGT. We needed something bigger and brighter, so I pulled out my SJ200 but found it still wasn't quite right. It was at that point that one of Mickie's daughters, who was around during the session, brought out the legendary J200 and handed it to me...I was aware of the guitar's history but I heard several more stories as the night wore on, and was so privileged and lucky to be able to spend some time with a real piece of rock'n'roll history. After I'd finished tracking with it, I disappeared to the lounge/tea room and spent a few hours with the guitar whilst the engineer and my producer put some rough mixes together. I wrote a song, 'Memphis To Minnesota' with the J200 and was bewitched by it. It had lost its scratchplate at some point but was a beautiful golden honeyed colour and had the tone to match...one of the best sounding acoustics I have ever played. Eminor7, of course RAK was a long-time hangout for Donovan, but I couldn't say which song/songs of his were cut with MMs J200. I can say, though, that the dry, warm and honky acoustic tone on 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' is very similar to that of the J200 from RAK...could it be...? I spent some time with Donovan in 2009 when I was playing at the Midem festival in Cannes. We were sharing a bill, and hung out together for some time before I went on-what a lovely, warm and completely unpretentious guy he is. Plenty of time to chat and ask about my life and work, despite him being a legend and me being absolutely nobody in particular. His performance (solo, acoustic plugged into a Roland Jazz Chorus 120!) was incendiary too, he played with a gentle variation on the kind of fire and conviction usually reserved for teenagers in rock bands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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