Slash vs Jimmy Page — Les Paul Tone Comparison
Slash and Jimmy Page are the two most photographed Gibson Les Paul players in rock history. Both play sunburst Les Paul Standards through Marshall amplifiers. The comparison reveals how the same fundamental setup (Les Paul + Marshall) produces fundamentally different sounds depending on era, approach, and intent.
Guitar Comparison
| Slash | Jimmy Page | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Les Paul | Kris Derrig replica / Gibson Signature | 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard "Number One" |
| Year of guitar | 1986 replica (of 1959 spec) | Genuine 1959 |
| Pickups | Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro | PAF originals (1959 wind) |
| Finish | Sunburst (various) | Sunburst |
| String gauge | .011 (approximately) | .009–.010 |
Amp Comparison
| Slash | Jimmy Page | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary amp | Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555 | Marshall Super Lead 100W Plexi |
| Master volume | Yes (modern control) | No (vintage) |
| Gain structure | High-gain second channel | Power amp saturation (volume at 10) |
| Power | 100W | 100W |
The Marshall Difference
This is the crucial divergence. Both use 100W Marshalls, but:
Page's Plexi (1959 Super Lead): No master volume. Volume at 10 drives the power amp tubes into full saturation. The overdrive is power amp-generated — warm, complex, and fundamentally different in character from preamp gain.
Slash's Silver Jubilee (2555): Has a master volume control and a dedicated high-gain second channel. He uses Channel 2 (rhythm or lead), Preamp Volume at 7–8, Master at 5–6. The gain is generated primarily in the preamp stage — a different harmonic character than Page's power-amp saturation.
Result: Page's tone has more "bloom" and complexity at the note onset — each note starts soft and swells slightly as the power tubes compress. Slash's tone has more immediate, consistent saturation — every note hits with similar character regardless of attack dynamics.
Technique Comparison
Page:
- Heavy use of the violin bow (bowing guitar strings)
- DADGAD and other open tunings
- Blues and folk-influenced melodic vocabulary
- Studio architect — layers and textures in recording
- Live: raw and occasionally inconsistent (intentional)
Slash:
- Pentatonic-blues rock with chromatic passing tones
- Bends and vibrato as primary expression
- Hard rock immediacy — playing designed for stadium performance
- Live: extremely consistent and reliable
- No extended techniques (bow, open tunings rarely)
Tone Character Comparison
Page's tone is darker, more complex, and more variable. The PAF pickups and Plexi power-amp saturation produce a tone that breathes with dynamics — quiet notes are relatively clean, loud notes are saturated.
Slash's tone is more immediately recognisable and consistent. The Silver Jubilee's preamp gain and the Alnico II Pro's character produce a warm, moderately compressed tone that sits reliably in the hard rock mix.
Replicating Each Tone
Page:
Les Paul Standard + Marshall Plexi (or JTM45) at high volume. Boss SD-1 as very occasional boost. No other pedals.
Slash:
Les Paul Standard (or Signature) + Marshall Silver Jubilee (or DSL50) + Boss SD-1 boost before amp.
Power-Amp Saturation vs Preamp Gain — Why It Matters
The Page/Slash comparison is one of the clearest real-world illustrations of a distinction that matters far beyond these two players: power-amp saturation versus preamp-generated gain. Page's no-master-volume Plexi, driven at full volume, produces overdrive from the power tubes themselves — warm, complex, and dynamically responsive to pick attack. Slash's Silver Jubilee generates most of its gain in the preamp stage, producing a more immediate and consistent saturation regardless of playing dynamics.
This is why "same guitar, same amp brand" doesn't mean "same tone." Anyone chasing either player's sound needs to match the specific gain-staging approach, not just the guitar model and amp manufacturer.
Common Mistakes
Assuming any 100W Marshall delivers Page's tone. As the Marshall Difference section explains, a master-volume-equipped modern Marshall generates gain differently than Page's vintage no-master-volume Plexi — the power-amp-driven "bloom" character specifically requires running the amp at genuinely high volume, not just high gain settings.
Trying to replicate Slash's consistent saturation on a vintage-style Plexi. The Silver Jubilee's dedicated high-gain channel and master volume were specifically designed to deliver reliable saturation at manageable volumes — a genuine Plexi without master volume can't match that consistency without also matching Page's extreme volume levels.
Overlooking pickup differences between PAF originals and modern reproductions. Page's genuine 1959 PAFs and Slash's Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro humbuckers have real voicing differences beyond just "vintage vs modern" — treating all Les Paul humbuckers as interchangeable misses part of what separates these two tones.
Assuming a vintage Les Paul is required to get close to either tone. As the FAQ notes, Slash's own Kris Derrig replica became historically significant in its own right — a quality reproduction Les Paul can genuinely approach both tones without requiring an actual vintage instrument.
ToneStakr's Take
For players building a home rig around this comparison, Slash's Silver Jubilee approach is the more practically achievable target — modern master-volume Marshalls (DSL, JVM series) can deliver genuinely similar preamp-driven saturation at real-world volumes. Page's power-amp-saturated Plexi tone is harder to responsibly replicate at home, since it fundamentally requires pushing the amp to genuinely loud volumes that most bedroom and small-studio setups can't accommodate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Slash try to copy Page?
Slash has cited Page as a primary influence alongside Aerosmith's Joe Perry. Both players' core setups are Les Paul-and-Marshall based, but the era-specific amp models and gain-staging approaches produce genuinely different resulting tones.
Which Les Paul is more important historically?
Page's "Number One" — a genuine 1959 Standard that helped define the entire hard rock guitar vocabulary from the ground up. Slash's Kris Derrig replica is itself an homage to that same instrument's era and specifications, though it has become historically significant in its own right.
Why does Slash use a replica rather than a vintage Les Paul?
The Kris Derrig replica was considerably more affordable when Slash acquired it in 1986 than an original vintage instrument. It plays to authentic vintage specifications and has since become more historically important to rock guitar than many genuine vintage instruments of the same era.
Can a modern master-volume Marshall genuinely approximate Page's power-amp-driven Plexi tone?
Not fully at bedroom volume — the specific "bloom" character of power-amp saturation requires the amp working hard at real volume, which a master-volume design allows you to avoid. A modern Marshall with the master volume set high and preamp gain kept lower gets meaningfully closer, but it's an approximation rather than an exact match.
Is the difference between Page's and Slash's pickups audible to most listeners?
Yes, though it's more apparent in direct A/B comparison than in isolation — Page's original PAFs have a slightly softer, more vintage-voiced top end compared to the Alnico II Pro's warmer, more moderate output, and both differ further from higher-output modern humbuckers.
Should a beginner learning Les Paul/Marshall tone start with Page's or Slash's approach?
Slash's approach is generally more practical to start with — modern master-volume amps let you access usable saturation at safe, neighbour-friendly volumes, whereas authentically chasing Page's tone requires volume levels that aren't realistic for most home practice situations.