Acoustic guitar strings used by Jimmy Page late 60's early 70's

[ScareDe2]

It is widely known that Jimmy Page uses Earthwood 80/20 but these strings were launched in 1973 (or 1972) way after Led Zeppelin recorded their most important works.

Any idea?

https://www.guitar-list.com/brands/earthwood "At the same time an Earthwood range of strings was launched which featured a brighter, more powerful 80/20 metal alloy. These Earthwood strings were an immediate success, and generated enough revenue to support the unprofitable instruments."

 

[northernguitar]

They were definitely vibranium or unobtainium.

 

[magicfingers99]

They were definitely vibranium or unobtainium.

I beleive it was bronze over Unobtanium on the acoustic guitar, which if memory serves me was a 1938 Danelectro 11 string which he had a luthier, by the name of Lex Luthier, funnily enough, modify into a 12 string which was later split into two 6 string guitars, one for the road, and one for the studio. that is how he made it sound exactly the same. it was the same guitar, just different halves.

on the electrics he prefered flat wound unobtanium/ vibranium 60/40 blend with a diamond polish and a pinch of alnico, which would increase the "sparkle" of his sound, whenever he would face magnetic north during a solo.

all this information is publicly available in "Led Zeppelin, The Burly Ears" or maybe its "Led Zeppelin, The Early Ears" my copy is very worn and difficult to make out legibley in certain portions as it came from Pete Townsend who frequently used it to sit on whilst taking public transit, and his bum has certainly made an impression on this Led Zeppelin artifact.

 

[Mr. St. Paul]

On a serious note, I seem to recall him telling an interviewer he used La Bella strings on his acoustics.

 

[That Cal Webway]

What gauge did he use?

 

[magicfingers99]

not to be a debbie downer, but the magic wasn't in the strings, it was in the fingers.

 

[fretWalkr]

Listening to White Summer and Black Mountain Side I always thought he strung an acoustic with electric strings. They sound really light for an acoustic especially the G string bends he does on White Summer. But not actually knowing what he used for a fact, I guess that's just hear say

 

[ScareDe2]

Listening to White Summer and Black Mountain Side I always thought he strung an acoustic with electric strings. They sound really light for an acoustic especially the G string bends he does on White Summer. But not actually knowing what he used for a fact, I guess that's just hear say

Could it be that he was using acoustic strings with lower tensions?

On a serious note, I seem to recall him telling an interviewer he used La Bella strings on his acoustics.

Very interesting. Here one model of strings by La Bella introduced in the 40's and they seem to produce quite a beautiful tone :

 

[prairietelecaster]

I like snake oil strings. Actually I've been buying the cheapest house brand Long & McQuade strings. Just fine for me.

 

[tanplastic]

I grew up using LaBella and Black Diamond strings.

 

[magicfingers99]

i like to keep at least one acoustic guitar in the house strung up with these. They are magnetically active so you can use a soundhole mag pickup to get 2 different sounds out of 1 take when recording.

they are significantly brighter than the standard bronze acoustic strings.

 

[CharlesM]

The subject of guitar strings and acoustic tones from that '60s-early-'70s period has been a fascination of mine for years.

Odds are that Jimmy was using either nickel/monel-wound strings or 80/20. More than likely, the strings were pretty dead. Those ingredients are what I tend to hear in many recordings from that period.

String guage was probably not heavier than 12. Lighter is more likely.

Josh Turner's video on Nick Drake's tone is a great resource on understanding the sound of that English folk period. I think a lot of those acoustic players were of a similar mindset, and Jimmy was certainly and obviously influenced by all of that.

 

[spauldingrules]

I think he had fantastic acoustic tone - old strings through a limiter. I think a cranked limiter and not-new strings are keys to that old lovely acoustic sound of the era.

 

[ScareDe2]

I think I will have to agree about using old/dead strings. The metallic sound of freshly installed strings definitely is detrimental when trying to achieve the Jimmy Page tone.

 

[Dacious]

La Bella arrived in early 70s and I remember buying their nylon acoustic strings.

In Oz we didn't get Ernie Ball Slinkys until later so I remember swapping to D'Addarios when they came out with Electric Lights with plain G.



I think he just like everyone else used ship's cable strings.

He did use alternate tunings and it's likely some were lower tension.

He used Framus and Euro acoustics until Yardbird days.