Questions on some cool Page tones

RadsRock

RadsRock

New member
Even though I've been playing a looong time (not necessarily well, mind you!), I am really just learning aout humbucker tones. Always been a single coil guy. And now I'm building a 2-HB guitar, and can't wait to get at it.

So anyway, this might be a little obscure, but what the heck. I was listening to How the West Was Won and got knocked out by some of Page's tones -- a little unusual for him -- on "Bring It on Home"

First is at about 3:50, the band brings it down and he cleans it up for a lead with a clear tone just a hair from being clean... man, that is sweet! (although it does sound a bit thin when he gets up into the high register). Now I realize some of that is coming from his pick attack... but... I want that sound! Is that "PAF" tone? Neck PU?

Then about 5:00+, while Plant is noodling around with his harmonica, Page fattens it up some in the back. Maybe using the same pick-up with the treble rolled off? Or might have rocked back on a wah? I like that one too.

Finally, when they are just coming around to the last verse, he does a noisy kind of rapid pull-off riffy thing (yawn), then a couple unison bends, THEN: plays the lick twice with a clean-ish tone again, just a tad dirtier than that first one up there. Again, really musical to my ears.

Any tone-ologists that can shed any light for me? :):thanks:
 
Re: Questions on some cool Page tones

Page had coil taps in his guitar. He could get a SC tone with only one of the humbucker coils. And he could also get an out-of-phase tone out of a humbucker, which sounds kinda like a SC but hum-free. SD has the wiring diagram for this wiring.
 
Re: Questions on some cool Page tones

Ya, the switching stuff.

I'm just wondering about some specific tones there. Like what people think he had going on to get those. And whether that clean-ish sound is the 'PAF' tone, 'cause I'm not quite sure what that is.

I know it is a bit of a reach... How the West Was Won is not exactly LZ4 in terms of play frequency... but I'm hoping maybe there's some Page fans who might be able to comment.
 
Re: Questions on some cool Page tones

Ok, found the song and gave it a listen.

Thats what an alnico V PAF sounds like in a LP through a tube amp with the gain back.
 
Re: Questions on some cool Page tones

RadsRock said:
Even though I've been playing a looong time (not necessarily well, mind you!), I am really just learning aout humbucker tones. Always been a single coil guy. And now I'm building a 2-HB guitar, and can't wait to get at it.

So anyway, this might be a little obscure, but what the heck. I was listening to How the West Was Won and got knocked out by some of Page's tones -- a little unusual for him -- on "Bring It on Home"

First is at about 3:50, the band brings it down and he cleans it up for a lead with a clear tone just a hair from being clean... man, that is sweet! (although it does sound a bit thin when he gets up into the high register). Now I realize some of that is coming from his pick attack... but... I want that sound! Is that "PAF" tone? Neck PU?

Then about 5:00+, while Plant is noodling around with his harmonica, Page fattens it up some in the back. Maybe using the same pick-up with the treble rolled off? Or might have rocked back on a wah? I like that one too.

Finally, when they are just coming around to the last verse, he does a noisy kind of rapid pull-off riffy thing (yawn), then a couple unison bends, THEN: plays the lick twice with a clean-ish tone again, just a tad dirtier than that first one up there. Again, really musical to my ears.

Any tone-ologists that can shed any light for me? :):thanks:
Click to expand...

On zep. 1-2 page used a fender tele (single coils). and then then on he used his '58 les paul standard (humbuckers). He had the bridge humbucker split so he could pull up on the volume knob and make it a single coil. All through his Zep days, Page used the P.A.F. "burstbuckers" in his LP and vintage marshall Plexi's......thats where a great deal of his sound comes from.
 
Re: Questions on some cool Page tones

Robert S. said:
Ok, found the song and gave it a listen.

Thats what an alnico V PAF sounds like in a LP through a tube amp with the gain back.
Click to expand...

Excellent, thank you.

So analogous current pick-up would be a Duncan '59 ?
 
Re: Questions on some cool Page tones

There's a lot of misinformation out there, try here...

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/showthread.php?t=889990

RadsRock said:
Even though I've been playing a looong time (not necessarily well, mind you!), I am really just learning aout humbucker tones. Always been a single coil guy. And now I'm building a 2-HB guitar, and can't wait to get at it.

So anyway, this might be a little obscure, but what the heck. I was listening to How the West Was Won and got knocked out by some of Page's tones -- a little unusual for him -- on "Bring It on Home"

First is at about 3:50, the band brings it down and he cleans it up for a lead with a clear tone just a hair from being clean... man, that is sweet! (although it does sound a bit thin when he gets up into the high register). Now I realize some of that is coming from his pick attack... but... I want that sound! Is that "PAF" tone? Neck PU?

Then about 5:00+, while Plant is noodling around with his harmonica, Page fattens it up some in the back. Maybe using the same pick-up with the treble rolled off? Or might have rocked back on a wah? I like that one too.

Finally, when they are just coming around to the last verse, he does a noisy kind of rapid pull-off riffy thing (yawn), then a couple unison bends, THEN: plays the lick twice with a clean-ish tone again, just a tad dirtier than that first one up there. Again, really musical to my ears.

Any tone-ologists that can shed any light for me? :):thanks:
Click to expand...
 
Re: Questions on some cool Page tones

RadsRock said:
Excellent, thank you.

So analogous current pick-up would be a Duncan '59 ?
Click to expand...

The 59 set is a close runner up. I had a JP set in my 59 RI Les Paul w/JP wiring and it was a dead ringer for many of his tones.

On a budget though, the 59s will work.
 
Re: Questions on some cool Page tones

Robert S. said:
The 59 set is a close runner up. I had a JP set in my 59 RI Les Paul w/JP wiring and it was a dead ringer for many of his tones.

On a budget though, the 59s will work.
Click to expand...

Hey Robert, how would you compare the 59B to the JP Bridge soundwise? Did you find the JP versatile or more like a one trick pony?
 
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