Jimmy Page’s 1960s Martin D-28

Sometime in June 1970 Jimmy purchased a Martin D-28 and played it on stage for the song “That’s the Way” at the Festival of Blues & Progressive Music Festival on June 28, 1970. He continued using the guitar from that point for that song, and for “Bron-Y-Aur” until the end of the 1970 US Tour, and later on in 1973.

Sometime before he used the guitar again in 1975, he equipped his D-28 with a Barcus-Berry Model 1355 Transducer and connected it to a Barcus-Berry Model 1330S Preamp. This allowed him to play the guitar directly through the amp, rather than just through the microphone.

Around 1977, Jimmy seemed to have acquired a second D-28, likely as a backup. From that time on, the main D-28 could be shortly be distinguished by a small white sticker on the pickguard, but it seems that the sticker was later removed.

Specs

Assuming the guitar was bought second-hand and was built sometime prior to 1970, it most likely featured a solid Sitka spruce top with Brazilian rosewood (which was changed to Indian rosewood in 1970) [The Martin Dreadnought Story by Richard Bamman]. The neck was mahogany with an ebony fretboard featuring Pearloid dot inlays.