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Page's pedal here...what is it?

esmin

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Sep 9, 2008
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Its most likely his roger mayer fuzz pedal that Roger built. Mayer re-made the pedal about 5 yrs ago called the Page-1. I think in '70, he used the Tonebender
 

LedZoso

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Feb 23, 2008
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Sola Sound Tonebender. Widely considered to be nothing more than a MKII, some suggest it could have been a MK1.5 though. Others suggest it was modded by Mayer. No definitive answer on it other than it was a MK1.5/MKII housing. He used it during the Yardbirds and up through early June 1969. It makes a brief and odd reappearnce at Montreux in August 1971, that's the only time the pedal shows up post June 1969.

Its most likely his roger mayer fuzz pedal that Roger built. Mayer re-made the pedal about 5 yrs ago called the Page-1. I think in '70, he used the Tonebender

The Page-1 is a slightly tweaked FZ-1. Having played one and talking to others who played one, it doesn't sound like Zep-era fuzz tones. It's likely based on a fuzz Page used during his session days.
 

DucRyder

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Don Mare posted something on the TDP (do a google search for "page fuzz" maybe it'll pull the link) about a friend having a look inside the tonebender and it being the FZ-1 circuit guts but with Roger Mayers tweaks and OC81d germaniums in place of the usual suspects. That being said I do have a Page-1 and I think the trick to getting this pedal to sound right is the internal bias trimmer. You need to get in there and get it set for your guitar to get the most out of it. Once that's done it's a great pedal for Zep stuff.
 

ptrickamp222

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Now I read in a jimmy page guitar style book many moons ago...and still have it somewhere that he used the MXR Compressor pedal as a boost. No compression, just the volume wide open.....maybe that was it. I still have a MXR script logo compressor and it will work as a boost if used just like that. It will flat out put out some voltage!!! It will hit the front end of an amp with gusto.....and alittle hiss to it. Remember these were the first of the pedal makers and these things made noise. But when on and the amp turned up you ain't going to hear a little hiss..........:wah
Actually now I use the Fulltone Fatboost for the same thing thru the 72'
 

DucRyder

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Now I read in a jimmy page guitar style book many moons ago...and still have it somewhere that he used the MXR Compressor pedal as a boost. No compression, just the volume wide open.....maybe that was it. I still have a MXR script logo compressor and it will work as a boost if used just like that. It will flat out put out some voltage!!! It will hit the front end of an amp with gusto.....and alittle hiss to it. Remember these were the first of the pedal makers and these things made noise. But when on and the amp turned up you ain't going to hear a little hiss..........:wah
Actually now I use the Fulltone Fatboost for the same thing thru the 72'

If you listen to the whole track you can hear some tones when the pedal starts self-oscillating and it's unmistakable that this is a Germanium device.
 

MelMann

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Jul 16, 2001
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Don Mare posted something on the TDP (do a google search for "page fuzz" maybe it'll pull the link) about a friend having a look inside the tonebender and it being the FZ-1 circuit guts but with Roger Mayers tweaks and OC81d germaniums in place of the usual suspects. That being said I do have a Page-1 and I think the trick to getting this pedal to sound right is the internal bias trimmer. You need to get in there and get it set for your guitar to get the most out of it. Once that's done it's a great pedal for Zep stuff.

I was going to say...I've got two of those Page-1s and running them into any of my supros, well, to me it sounds just like Page.
 

LedZoso

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DucRyder said:
Don Mare posted something on the TDP (do a google search for "page fuzz" maybe it'll pull the link) about a friend having a look inside the tonebender and it being the FZ-1 circuit guts but with Roger Mayers tweaks and OC81d germaniums in place of the usual suspects. That being said I do have a Page-1 and I think the trick to getting this pedal to sound right is the internal bias trimmer. You need to get in there and get it set for your guitar to get the most out of it. Once that's done it's a great pedal for Zep stuff.

Don Mare also claims to know what Page's Dragon Tele pickups were wound and supposedly rewound to, yet he can't explain how he knows. His FZ-1 info was taken from a Page fuzz thread at the D*A*M forum which many agreed to be nothing but BS. The descriptions of the circuit make zero sense too, like the 1k fuzz pot, makes no sense on a FZ-1 circuit.

I was going to say...I've got two of those Page-1s and running them into any of my supros, well, to me it sounds just like Page.

Can you back that up with a clip or two? Not trying to be a dick but I've heard people claim this stuff before, a majority of the time it's not really close.
 
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DucRyder

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Don Mare also claims to know what Page's Dragon Tele pickups were wound and supposedly rewound to, yet he can't explain how he knows. His FZ-1 info was taken from a Page fuzz thread at the D*A*M forum which many agreed to be nothing but BS. The descriptions of the circuit make zero sense too, like the 1k fuzz pot, makes no sense on a FZ-1 circuit.



Can you back that up with a clip or two? Not trying to be a dick but I've heard people claim this stuff before, a majority of the time it's not really close.

I might be able to for you soon... if MelMann can't. I better get my lame Page licks dusted off LOL!:bike
 

Wilko

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Around minute 10, they're riffing on "Bag's Groove"
 

LedZoso

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I might be able to for you soon... if MelMann can't. I better get my lame Page licks dusted off LOL!:bike

Cool, look for forward to it. I've never come across any clips of it besides on Mayer's site and the clips are all very clean. I messed around with one in a shop and just didn't get any Zep or Yardbirds connection to it, even fiddled with the trimmer.

I've changed my opinion on Page's fuzz a few times but I always felt that the FZ-1 story didn't fit or make any sense though. I still think whatever was in Page's Tonebender enclosure was a stock MK1.5 or MKII circuit.
 
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JRW8214@AOL.COM

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Aug 10, 2003
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To my ears, my MKI clone gets close to the Page tones. However, i have discovered that the MKI only sounds thick and full when combined with the amps overdrive(hence how it works for me). With a clean amp it pretty much sounds like an improved Maestro(which is what it was). During the Yardbirds and early Zep days Page used a variety of amps(many of them very clean sounding amps like the Sound City Arbiter head) and relied on his Tonebender for his tone. Giving that type of situation, i dont think a MKI/FZ-1 circuit would give him what he needed. I think he's definately using a MKII.
 

Humbuck

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Jul 17, 2001
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So if someone wanted to use a similar device through an already overdriven and loud amp (as opposed to a clean amp) like a marshall head and 4x12, he would go for a...

Thanks so far fellas!!
 
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