As Jimmy Page celebrates his 82nd birthday this January, guitarists around the world continue to study, emulate, and obsess over the sounds he created with Led Zeppelin.
While his technical prowess and innovative production techniques are rightly celebrated, the instruments he wielded were equally essential to forging that unmistakable tone. From a gift between friends that powered rock's greatest debut album to the iconic double-neck that became synonymous with "Stairway to Heaven," Page's gear choices were never arbitrary—they were the tools of an alchemist, each selected and modified to serve his singular vision.
The story of Jimmy Page's most historically significant guitar begins not with Page himself, but with a £107 purchase made by John Owen in 1961. Owen, a school friend of Jeff Beck and fellow member of the Deltones, acquired a blonde 1959 Fender Telecaster that would eventually become one of rock's most storied instruments.
Beck, then the Deltones' lead guitarist, was struggling with his Burns Tri-Sonic and convinced Owen to trade instruments. The arrangement proved temporary—Owen found the Burns equally frustrating and soon reclaimed his Telecaster. However, Beck eventually regained possession of the instrument and used it as a backup to his 1954 Fender Esquire during his tenure with the Yardbirds in 1965 and 1966.
In 1966, Beck gave the Telecaster to Page as a gesture of gratitude. Page had been instrumental in Beck's early career, recommending him for studio sessions, introducing him to London producers, and crucially, endorsing him to fill Eric Clapton's vacated slot in the Yardbirds. The guitar arrived undecorated, its original white Bakelite pickguard having crumbled away and been replaced with a homemade black pickguard by Beck. 3
Year 1959
Body Ash (stripped)
Neck Maple with slab rosewood fingerboard
Page's transformation of the instrument began in February 1967 when he added eight circular mirrors to the body—possibly inspired by Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett, who had embellished his Esquire with mirror discs the previous month for a film session.
But Page quickly grew dissatisfied with this aesthetic. By mid-1967, he had removed the mirrors, completely stripped the original blonde finish, and repainted the instrument himself with what would become its defining feature: a swirling, psychedelic dragon rendered in darts and curls of green, orange, yellow, blue, and red, executed in a vaguely Japanese style.
The Dragon Telecaster became Page's primary instrument when Led Zeppelin formed in 1968, and here lies a fact that surprises many guitarists: every electric guitar part on Led Zeppelin I was recorded with this Telecaster—with the exception of one track.
The snarling aggression of "Communication Breakdown," the proto-metal heaviness of "Good Times Bad Times," the psychedelic menace of "Dazed and Confused"—all of it came from this single-coil Fender, not the Les Paul that would later define Page's image.
The guitar continued to serve Page into 1969, though reports suggest he was experiencing pickup problems. In April of that year, he acquired the Les Paul that would become "Number One," and the Dragon was gradually retired from regular duty. However, it made one final, crucial appearance: the legendary guitar solo on "Stairway to Heaven" was recorded using the Dragon Telecaster in 1970.
The instrument's story ends tragically. While Page was touring America with his new Les Paul, a well-meaning friend decided to "improve" the Dragon by painting over Page's original artwork. The new paint job destroyed the guitar's wiring, leaving only the neck pickup functional. Page salvaged the neck, transplanting it onto a brown Telecaster fitted with a string bender that he used during his tenure with the Firm in 1985 and 1986. As for the body, Page has stated simply: "It will never be seen again."
If the Dragon Telecaster launched Led Zeppelin, it was a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard that carried them to legendary status. Page acquired this instrument in April 1969 from Joe Bridge Top-loader (common for 1959-60 models) Pickguard Transparent acrylic with diffraction grating film Notable Modifications Hand-painted psychedelic dragon design
"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." — Jimmy Page, 2014
Walsh for the remarkably modest sum of $500. Walsh, then with the James Gang, was insistent about the sale. This guitar, which Page would christen "Number One," became his primary instrument for the remainder of Led Zeppelin's career and beyond. Its sonic characteristics—the thick, sustaining midrange, the singing quality of the neck pickup, the aggressive bite of the bridge—became so identified with Page that they essentially defined what a Les Paul should sound like for generations of rock guitarists.
The guitar's slim neck profile, which had been shaved down by a previous owner, contributed to Page's fluid, legato-heavy playing style. The custom push-pull pot on the bridge pickup volume control allowed Page to split the humbucker coil, accessing singlecoil tones that added versatility to his sonic palette—a modification that was relatively uncommon in the late 1960s but demonstrated Page's forward-thinking approach to tone.
Number One's fingerprints are all over Led Zeppelin's most celebrated recordings: the grinding riff of "Whole Lotta Love," the machine-gun precision of "Heartbreaker," the layered majesty of "Kashmir," and the driving force of "Black Dog." Page has acknowledged his debt to Eric Clapton for pioneering the Les Paul-Marshall combination, stating: "Eric was the first one to evolve the sound with the Les Paul and Marshall amps. He should have total credit for that."
By the early 1970s, Led Zeppelin's live performances had become increasingly elaborate, and "Stairway to Heaven" presented a unique challenge. The song's arrangement required both six-string and twelve-string guitar parts, and the seamless transitions between them were essential to the piece's emotional arc. Page's solution was the Gibson EDS-1275, a double-neck guitar that would become one of rock's most iconic visual symbols. 6
"He insisted that I buy it, and he was right." — Jimmy Page
Year 1959
Finish Sunburst
Neck Profile Slim (shaved by previous owner)
Tuners Sealed Grover (replacement)
Bridge Pickup Modification Push-pull pot for coil-splitting
When Page sought an EDS-1275, Gibson had discontinued the model. Undeterred, he ordered a custom-made cherry red 6/12 configuration directly from the company. The guitar allowed him to perform "Stairway to Heaven" without interruption: beginning on the bottom six-string neck for the intro and first verse, switching to the top twelve-string neck for the song's building middle section, returning to the six-string for the extended guitar solo, and finishing on the twelve-string for the triumphant final chorus.
Interestingly, despite its prominence in Led Zeppelin's live shows, the EDS-1275 appeared on only one studio recording: "Carouselambra" from the 1979 album In Through the Out Door. The guitar's weight—approximately 13 pounds—made it impractical for extended studio sessions where Page could simply overdub parts using separate instruments.
The EDS-1275's influence extended far beyond Led Zeppelin. Page's use of the instrument inspired Alex Lifeson of Rush to adopt one for performing "Xanadu," Don Felder of the Eagles to use a white model for "Hotel California," and Eddie Van Halen to incorporate one into his collection. 6 In 2007, Gibson released 250 Jimmy Page Signature EDS-1275 models; Page retained serial number one for himself.
Stairway to Heaven: 6-string and 12-string,
The Song Remains the Same: 6-string and 12-string
The Rain Song Primarily 12-string
Celebration Day: 6-string and 12-string
Tangerine: Primarily 12-string
Sick Again: 6-string
While Page's guitars receive the most attention, his amplifiers were equally crucial to his sound. The revelation that surprised many fans came in a 1991 Guitar World interview: the thunderous tones of Led Zeppelin I were not created with towering Marshall stacks, but with a diminutive Supro amplifier.
The Supro 1624TN, a small combo amp with approximately 15 watts of power, was Page's secret weapon in the studio. Its natural compression and harmonic saturation when pushed to breakup created the aggressive yet musical distortion heard throughout the debut album. Page also returned to the Supro for Led Zeppelin IV, using it alongside other amplifiers to craft the album's varied tones.
For live performances, Page relied on Marshall amplifiers, specifically the 1959 Super Lead model. His touring rig in the 1970s typically consisted of one modified Super Bass and two 1959 Super Lead heads, all modified by Tony Franks—the same technician who had worked on Jimi Hendrix's amplifiers.
Supro 1624TN Studio (Led Zeppelin I, IV)
Marshall 1959 Super Lead Live performances
Marshall Super Bass Live performances (modified)
Rickenbacker Transonic First US tour
Page's effects usage was relatively restrained by modern standards but highly innovative for its era. The Maestro Echoplex EP-2, which Page began using in 1970, became essential to his sound. He typically employed two units simultaneously during live performances: one dedicated to his Theremin and one for his guitar. 12 The Vox Wah-Wah pedal added expression to solos, while a Tone Bender fuzz provided additional gain staging when required.
The Theremin, though not a guitar effect per se, became one of Page's most distinctive sonic signatures. The Sonic Wave Sounds of Time model he used created the otherworldly sounds heard during extended live versions of "Whole Lotta Love" and "Dazed and Confused," adding an element of controlled chaos that few other guitarists have successfully replicated.
Jimmy Page's approach to gear was never about accumulation for its own sake. Each instrument served a specific purpose, each modification addressed a particular sonic need, and each choice reflected his broader artistic vision. The Dragon Telecaster was "consecrated" through his own hands; Number One offered the perfect marriage of playability and tone; the EDS-1275 solved a practical problem while creating an enduring image.
For modern guitarists seeking to understand Page's sound, the lesson is not simply to acquire similar equipment—though Fender and Gibson have made that possible with their signature models—but to approach gear with the same intentionality. Page heard sounds in his head and found ways to realize them, whether that meant painting his own guitar, modifying pickup circuits, or commissioning custom instruments.
As we celebrate Page's 81st birthday, his gear remains not merely collectible artifacts but functional blueprints for one of rock's most influential sounds. The Dragon may be hidden away, its body "never to be seen again," but its spirit lives on in every guitarist who picks up a Telecaster and discovers that single-coils can indeed produce heavy rock tones.
Number One continues to inspire Les Paul players worldwide, while the EDS-1275 remains the definitive image of guitar heroism.
The tools of the alchemist endure.
This feature was created for Guitar Interactive Magazine to celebrate Jimmy Page's 82nd birthday in January 2025.
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