Jimmy Page Les Paul No 2 gets limited edition
By MNJ
| Posted in Guitar
It’s always a thrill when Gibson announces a new replica to celebrate an iconic guitar owned by an iconic guitarist, and the announcement that Jimmy Page’s Number Two Sunburst Les Paul was going to get the green light at Gibson’s Custom Shop caused maximum excitement for guitar playing Zep fans around the globe.
The production, as with the recent Pearly Gates reissue, is limited. Only 25 aged and signed, 100 aged and 200 VOS models will be available. Worlwide this is nothing, and they will all sell in an instant – the cost being irrelevant to somebody who just has to have one. The low production numbers will also ensure exclusivity and collectability in the future, just like the Page Number One Gibson reissued a few years back.
Despite appearing like a normal sunburst Les Paul, Page’s original guitar is extensively rewired and the replica faithfully reproduces the modifications, even down to the two switches half hidden under the pickguard which offer series/parallel and phase reversal options.
The only difference I can see on the replica is that the bridge humbucker – although exposed as on the original – is black instead of white. The reason for this is unclear on the Gibson website, it only says ‘due to trademark issues and Jimmy’s directive’, so make of that what you will. As far as the other mods to the electrics go, both volume and tone pots are push/pull, offering split coil sound when the volume pots are pulled and parallel mode when the tone pots are pulled. Of course, leave everything alone and it will function and sound like a normal Les Paul. There is no mention of neck size or feel on the Page Number Two – the assumption being that its an unmodified 1959 profile. Page’s Number One had the neck shaved toward the middle, possibly by its original owner, Joe Walsh.
From what I’ve seen of the Custom Shop artist replica guitars – and being lucky enough to own two myself – I can only say that in my opinion, Gibson is doing an amazing job of getting these guitars right. The prices of them may make a lot of people gasp – they are completely unaffordable to a lot of worthy players, which is a shame – but I’m not for one second thinking that Gibson should start production overseas to make them cheaper. Hell no.
There aren’t many guitarists who are revered enough to have their ’spare’ guitar replicated like this. Indeed, Jimmy Page may turn out to be the only one. But the man’s achievements deserve all the accolades and tributes you can throw at him, so here’s the latest: the Gibson Jimmy Page Number Two.
Tags: Gibson, gibson les paul, jimmy page's number two
The neck on Jimmy’s #2 guitar has “some reworking done on his number 2 neck to make the transition between the two on stage more seamless from a comfort standpoint”. Gibson used their digitized process to exactly match the profile on Jimmy’s original. It is not as slim as #1, but definitely shaved from an original 1959 model. The pickup color involved DiMarzio holding a trademark for that color when displaying it uncovered on a guitar. Jimmy got mad that they wanted a cut & told them to use a black one instead. Gibson had offered to put a cover over it & let the buyers remove the cover, but Jimmy did not want DiMarzio to have any claim to it.
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