I saw three shows total in the NYC area. All the shows were very good, standing out was the Jones Beach show which had rarities "In The Light" and "Hots on for Nowhere" played. I am a guitar player and for me it was actually weird hearing the Zep studio versions being played, as Jimmy was absolutely not known for using this approach, even on songs where one guitar could come very close To duplicating the studio version. Also with the the three- guitar attack Page had to somewhat circumscribe some of the wilder Elements of his soloing, although ultimately Jimmy pretty much proved that he could recreate Zep's studio guitar trickery live With two other guitarists.

Probably get deleted but strangely enough if Paul did write/play that weird part Page never played it live. Check the boots.

Lots of great advice. The only thing I must point out is that if you are going to use a .009 or particularly a .008 set, It will Help a lot if you try to cultivate a light picking attack, otherwise you will be strangling the string(or chords) so that you will get less Sustain, volume, and tone. The best example of this is Jimmy himself...... Some shows Jimmy is attacking with a sledgehammer, And the result is a thin sound without much "ring" to it. Then other shows Jimmy has a relaxed right wrist, and the notes are soaring And flowing. I would also add that some people who are getting hand cramps should probably go for pretty light strings. Don't wanna be playing live with the tension from heavier strings+ cramps hurting your gig.

Well I just have to say yes experiment and everyone has different hands, skin, and fingers, This means that even if you really want to use a Certain size set of strings, you may not be able to adapt. In theory thicker strings sound bigger, stay in tune better, have more sustain, and Don't break as much as thin strings. But most famous rock players use a .009 or .10 set , because they may be doing a lot of vibrato, string-bending, hammer-ons, and very fast playing. And if you are playing for 2hrs doing solos in every song, trying to use a .11 set Or higher is very likely going to tear your skin off. Well, maybe not, but few can do this.

How is it that people spend hundreds of words on "Radioactive" (totally off topic) and my post mainly on Fire 4 or 5 lines gets deleted ?? Obviously senior members can do what they want, that is the way of the world. I mean there was an slightly nasty argument going on For a while as well. Look, if seniors rule, then state that and then I will have a understanding. Of course anybody would delete Gibberish or so on, or off topic stuff.

I have said it before and I must say it again.....I am no central authority, but although Jimmy is overall certainly a sloppy player, there are so many exceptions that you almost need a new word invented for Jimmy. I mean, there are so many shows from 69' -73' Where Jimmy is very fluent and has tremendous technique. Jimmy from the start was occasionally sloppy, but this tag I think Mainly started more from 75'-77', and from that point there can be no doubt that he sometimes played almost amateur-like or his Fingers were not working in concert. I agree as well with some of the post'ers who say that played at the right time, sloppy Playing totally has it's place. Many of the broader blues players played like this, and it is totally boring IMO to listen to perfectly Placed blues solos without some rough edges or unpredictability. As great as Clapton is, IMO even his best stuff is a bit Predictable. Much rather hear Page, even if it's 1980 or drugged out ARMS shows.

I have to really comment on this. If you are limited to spending only $100 for a electric, you may well be screwed because at this level Most guitars have bad fretwork, serious tuning issues, and weak/mismatched pickups. These are things that truthfully can impair your Playing. If you can possibly. Go up to $300 or $400, you can no doubt buy any number of Fender's that are gig worthy. Also these days There are plenty of digital/solid state amps for $150 to $200 that may have effects and sound fine. If you possibly can, when you go Shopping for a guitar, try to bring an experienced player or someone that sets up their own guitar. If need be , buy the person lunch Or give them $10, whatever. This will avoid you buying a nightmare. And don't be fooled by expensive gear.....if you want to sound Like Jimmy Page, for example, learn 10 of his solos by ear or have a teacher show them to you. You could buy a $3000 Les Paul And a $2000 Marshall Amp and unless you actually learn a artist's style or solos, you are not closer to playing like them just because You have their gear. If you only have $200 for a gtr and amp, than I admit your equipment may hinder you.

One thing no one has ever really mentioned on a forum is how slick much of Page's playing is on ITTOD. I really dig much of the solos here, simply because it's another side of Jimmy. But to tell you the truth, when Page did the thing with the Crowes, I didn't like it all That much because the format meant everybody was sort of on a leash. And Page to my ears should be taking chances, playing Kamikaze,, basically sounding unpredictable. Jimmy is sloppy but he has PROVEN that if required, he CAN do the flawless solo. I'm Gonna Crawl.......perfect.

This may seem irrelevant, but to really play like Page , you just can't have more than a .009 set on your guitar. There are so many solos With fast playing interspersed with 2 step bends with wide vibrato, etc, etc,. The phrasing thing is still absolutely a feel thing, but I prefer .011 on my guitars , and most players will rip their skin and nails off trying to play an hour set of Zep with heavy jamming. In fact Page Usually used a .008 set, just in 77' was it .009's. But I agree that nobody phrases like Page when he's on; I have many versions of The live STH solo that are even better and more dramatic and emotional than the original.

I think overall it would be accurate to call Jimmy a not infrequently sloppy player. But things are much more complex than that. Live, let's say from 71' to 73', there are plenty of live Heartbreakers where Page is very fluid and is playing sometimes 25% faster Than the studio version. Also live DAC after the vocal verses with the "double time" part, there are many versions where Page is Fluent and almost playing thrash metal speed. But absolutely, even from the start, Page would sometimes get sicky fingers. I Actually believe this might be partially just part of his physical makeup, just like his large hands, long arms, etc.,. Everybody has Commented on almost everything else , but I must add: Get a hold of some early VH boots ; for all of EVH's technique, his live playing Is just totally kamikaze and wild, he in fact often does the Page thing of completely ignoring the rhythm section, and also Sometimes barely comes back in on the verse in time.