: Jimmy Page - Gibson EDS-1275 Doubleneck.
No other rock guitarist is so associated with the electric doubleneck as Jimmy Page. Looking for a way to play parts of various Zeppelin songs live onstage without switching guitars, he chose the doubleneck as the best option. Gibson produced the EDS-1275 beginning in 1958, but had discontinued the model in the 1960s, so Page had one custom-built for delivery in 1971. He immediately took it out on tour for use on songs like “Stairway To Heaven” and “The Song Remains The Same.” The two necks allowed him to play disparate parts within the songs by toggling quickly from the 12-string neck (primarily for rhythm) to the 6-string neck (primarily for solos).
The guitar was nicknamed “The Aerial” (British term for antenna) because it picked up large amount of interference on stage. Page has said he used the doubleneck only a few times in the studio over the course of his career, notably for “Carouselambra” on “In Through The Out Door.”
James Patrick Page was born on January 9, 1944, making him 69 years old today. There is little that can be said here that hasn’t been said elsewhere about the guitarist who created Led Zeppelin. So we’ll leave it at that, and leave it to you to comment on Mr. Page’s birthday. In the meantime, here’s a view of young Master Page that you might never have seen before. Happy birthday, Jimmy. http://youtu.be/GVQIWyosEeI
: Led Zeppelin II.
43 years ago today, Led Zeppelin II was released. In the minds of many guitarists, the sound and fury that Jimmy Page unleashed on cuts like “Whole Lotta Love” and “Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid” changed the way the guitar could be played. Even bluesier cuts like “The Lemon Song” and “Bring It On Home” featured Page’s infusion of heaviness into traditional guitar forms. Four decades later, the album remains one of the most influential in all of hard rock.
:Mermaid- Andy Manson.
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Andy Manson, perhaps best known as the luthier who built John Paul Jones’ triple-necked guitar during the Led Zeppelin years, spent three years creating his Mermaid Guitar. Manson refers to this as a musical sculpture, as opposed to a guitar.
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The lifesize body is constructed of an amazing number of woods, including mahogany, walnut, satinwood, snakewood, sycamore, willow, and cherry. Manson’s shop is in Portugal, and the Mermaid is for sale. To hear the guitar being played by Manson, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd8IfxYvbUE.
