Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III (Remaster)

In this photo, Jones's Hammond C-3 organ can be seen on stage during a Led Zeppelin concert. The Keyboards of Led Zeppelin & John Paul Jones website covers Jones's use of the Hammond C-3:

John Paul Jones often recorded with a Hammond C3, and it was a common instrument on many of their early tours. Led Zeppelin's most memorable organ track, "Thank You," was recorded in 1969 at Morgan Studios in London. On this song, Jones's beautiful organ parts are the main support during the verses. His style here reflects his many years playing organ in church as a boy. The organ is restrained, with no vibrato or distortion, and avoids sounding like a blues or jazz instrument. A tape delay, which echoes the organ track in the opposing speaker, creates an echo effect that enhances the "church" mood. At the same studio sessions, "Since I've Been Loving You" was recorded, but it was not released until Led Zeppelin III a year later.

The Hammond was a very common sight on Jones' right side of the stage from 1970 until 1975. The Hammond was always run through a Leslie speaker, which has become the traditional way to amplify a Hammond. The Leslie speaker contains an amplifier and "spinning speaker" system that gives the sound animation and energy. Unfortunately, the Leslie amp was only 45 watts -- certainly not enough to be heard clearly on the loud stages of Led Zeppelin. So, the band would put the Leslie offstage in the dressing room and place microphones near it to send sound to the mixer. This clever arrangement created problems on a few occasions! Jones recalls: "People used to go in to the dressing room and shout things over the microphones. It would come over the PA... (laughs)." By the 1977 tour though, Jones was regretting not taking the Hammond with him, but admitted that there were already too many keyboard instruments covering the stage. There just was not enough room for it.

"Bought for $250 to keep up with his heavy load of work as a session musician, Jones’s sunburst 1962 Jazz Bass was his main axe for his work with Led Zeppelin.

Jones used this bass on almost every Led Zeppelin track live and in the studio up until 1975, where he had to retire the instrument due to issues with the action and electronics.

Later on, JPJ would revive his love affair with the Jazz Bass for his work in the studio with Them Crooked Vultures, and would occasionally bring it out for live appearances."

Source: https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/gear-rundown-john-paul-jones/

Jones confirmed that he used a 1962 Fender Jazz Bass in an interview with Vintage Guitar, stating "I was just never that particular about keeping things original. Even my old Fender bass that I used in Zeppelin has gone through many re-sprays and this and that. I probably shouldn’t have, but it’s a ’62 Jazz Bass which I bought new. I bought it to play, not to hang on the wall; I hate instruments hanging on walls. They’re hanging on all my walls, but I use them all."

Source: https://www.vintageguitar.com/2898/john-paul-jones/

John Bonham was given three Ludwig Green Sparkle drumkits in the spring of 1970. In addition to using this drumkit on stage from 1970 until the end of the 1973 European tour, it was his favorite kit to use in the studio, recording Led Zeppelin III, Houses Of The Holy and Physical Graffiti.

An image of Bonham playing the Ludwig Green Sparkle kit in the background here.

Page used a 1960s MSA 10 string pedal steel guitar on the songs "Tangerine" & "That's The Way" from the Led Zep III album. The exact year of the PSG is unknown.

Here's a little bit of an interview with Jimmy page from '77.

On "Tangerine" [Led Zeppelin III] it sounds as if you're playing a pedal steel.

I am. And on the first LP there's a pedal steel. I had never played steel before, but I just picked it up. There's a lot of things I do first time around that I haven't done before. In fact, I hadn't touched a pedal steel from the first album to the third. It's a bit of a pinch really from the things that Chuck Berry did. Nevertheless, it fits. I use pedal steel in "Your Time is Gonna Come" [Led Zeppelin]. It sounds like a slide or something. It's more out of tune on the first album because I hadn't got a kit to put it together.

You've also played other stringed instruments on records?

"Gallows Pole" [Led Zeppelin III] was the first time for banjo, and on "The Battle of Evermore," [Led Zeppelin IV] a mandolin was lying around. It wasn't mine, it was Jonesey's. I just picked it up, got the chords, and it sort of started happening. I did it more or less straight off. But, you see, that's fingerpicking again, going back to the studio days and developing a certain amount of technique -- at least enough to be adapted and used. My fingerpicking is a sort of cross between Pete Seeger, Earl Scruggs, and total incompetence.

Full Interview: http://web.archive.org/web/20030210174225/archive.guitarplayer.com/archive/artists/jimmypage77.shtml