Led Zep Jimmy Page live sound

Stringtheorist

Stringtheorist

Fractal Fanatic
I'm really struggling to get the Jimmy Page live tone. Take Black Dog from TSRTS, for example. I've got the Les Paul (Epiphone), selected both pickups on, and I've tried all the non-high gain amp models w/ and w/out drive block, w & w/out boost. I cannot get the 'quack' right in this tone. Could it be down to a weakness in the tone of the pickups? Anybody got a good patch for this or some useful suggestions?
 
Stringtheorist said:
I'm really struggling to get the Jimmy Page live tone. Take Black Dog from TSRTS, for example. I've got the Les Paul (Epiphone), selected both pickups on, and I've tried all the non-high gain amp models w/ and w/out drive block, w & w/out boost. I cannot get the 'quack' right in this tone. Could it be down to a weakness in the tone of the pickups? Anybody got a good patch for this or some useful suggestions?
Click to expand...

Are you using stock epi pickups?
 
javajunkie said:
Stringtheorist said:
I'm really struggling to get the Jimmy Page live tone. Take Black Dog from TSRTS, for example. I've got the Les Paul (Epiphone), selected both pickups on, and I've tried all the non-high gain amp models w/ and w/out drive block, w & w/out boost. I cannot get the 'quack' right in this tone. Could it be down to a weakness in the tone of the pickups? Anybody got a good patch for this or some useful suggestions?
Click to expand...

Are you using stock epi pickups?
Click to expand...
Yep.
 
Stringtheorist said:
javajunkie said:
Stringtheorist said:
I'm really struggling to get the Jimmy Page live tone. Take Black Dog from TSRTS, for example. I've got the Les Paul (Epiphone), selected both pickups on, and I've tried all the non-high gain amp models w/ and w/out drive block, w & w/out boost. I cannot get the 'quack' right in this tone. Could it be down to a weakness in the tone of the pickups? Anybody got a good patch for this or some useful suggestions?
Click to expand...

Are you using stock epi pickups?
Click to expand...
Yep.
Click to expand...

I have found that the stock epi pickup have a tendency to be a little muddy; at least on the les pauls and es335s I've played. I haven't really tried to cop a led zep tone w/ the axe-fx. I would try a different guitar if possible to see if that isn't the source of your issues.
 
I found this poking around for info on black dog (I don't know how tru it is):


The guitars are heavily layered. Four separate Jimmy Page guitar tracks were overdubbed. Page recorded the guitar directly into a 1176 limiter preamp (manufactured by Universal Audio), distorted the stages of it, and then sent that to a normally operating limiter. In other words, no guitar amplifier was used in the recording process. (thanks, Kevin - San Antonio, Texas, TX)
Click to expand...
 
javajunkie said:
I found this poking around for info on black dog (I don't know how tru it is):


The guitars are heavily layered. Four separate Jimmy Page guitar tracks were overdubbed. Page recorded the guitar directly into a 1176 limiter preamp (manufactured by Universal Audio), distorted the stages of it, and then sent that to a normally operating limiter. In other words, no guitar amplifier was used in the recording process. (thanks, Kevin - San Antonio, Texas, TX)
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
That's for the recorded version. Interesting, but I'm just trying to get his live sound.
 
If you find it, please let me know. I've been searching for a tone that works without success. For now I'm using the Top Boost amp with (I think) the British 2x12 cab and the R-121 mic (all this is from memory so I might have it wrong). I also have a drive up front but use it as a clean boost. That gets me as close as I am able. I am using a Gibson R-9 with stock pickups though.
 
mitch236 said:
If you find it, please let me know. I've been searching for a tone that works without success. For now I'm using the Top Boost amp with (I think) the British 2x12 cab and the R-121 mic (all this is from memory so I might have it wrong). I also have a drive up front but use it as a clean boost. That gets me as close as I am able. I am using a Gibson R-9 with stock pickups though.
Click to expand...
I'll try that.
 
Stringtheorist said:
javajunkie said:
I found this poking around for info on black dog (I don't know how tru it is):


The guitars are heavily layered. Four separate Jimmy Page guitar tracks were overdubbed. Page recorded the guitar directly into a 1176 limiter preamp (manufactured by Universal Audio), distorted the stages of it, and then sent that to a normally operating limiter. In other words, no guitar amplifier was used in the recording process. (thanks, Kevin - San Antonio, Texas, TX)
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
That's for the recorded version. Interesting, but I'm just trying to get his live sound.
Click to expand...

Well, if I could read I would have seen that :oops: ;)
 
That tone will be hard to obtain without a really good Les Paul. It just sings and reacts so much to his playing, the average Epi with stock pickups will be miles away from that resonant and subtle guitar.
 
I'm sold on an Axe fx but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I had read an article about Page's sound for that time period and the article stated that Page played with the treble pegged and the mid and bass turned very low. I have a couple of non master volume amps and can get much closer to Page's TSRS sound when I tweak my eq like that.

Because I don't yet have an Axe fx I don't know how closely the tone stack mimics a real tube amp tone stack but you might want to give it a try and let us know how it sounds.

-Chris
 
cob666 said:
I'm sold on an Axe fx but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I had read an article about Page's sound for that time period and the article stated that Page played with the treble pegged and the mid and bass turned very low. I have a couple of non master volume amps and can get much closer to Page's TSRS sound when I tweak my eq like that.

Because I don't yet have an Axe fx I don't know how closely the tone stack mimics a real tube amp tone stack but you might want to give it a try and let us know how it sounds.

-Chris
Click to expand...
Will do, thanks.
 
I've had great success with this type of tone by using a twin HB git in the middle setting, both pups on full, but with each pup switched/wired in parallel, NOT the usual HB series.

Over,
Bob.
 
onebaldbloke said:
I've had great success with this type of tone by using a twin HB git in the middle setting, both pups on full, but with each pup switched/wired in parallel, NOT the usual HB series.

Over,
Bob.
Click to expand...
Interesting.
 
Stringtheorist said:
onebaldbloke said:
I've had great success with this type of tone by using a twin HB git in the middle setting, both pups on full, but with each pup switched/wired in parallel, NOT the usual HB series.

Over,
Bob.
Click to expand...
Interesting.
Click to expand...

The pain in the bum of this is the push/push or push/pull pots you need to do it easily.
Hate those things!
 
Just so you know, he didn't use any switching or push pulls until the 80s. The DVD is still just a good Les Paul into a plexi and 4x12 with G30H speakers.
 
tonygtr said:
Just so you know, he didn't use any switching or push pulls until the 80s. The DVD is still just a good Les Paul into a plexi and 4x12 with G30H speakers.
Click to expand...

OK - I didn't know that. Still, both pups in parallel with parallel coils is worth a shot.
 
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