What bass did John Paul Jones use on The Lemon Song?

John Paul Jones used a Fender Jazz Bass on "The Lemon Song." This was one of his primary instruments during Led Zeppelin's early recording period and provided the characteristic punchy midrange tone heard on the track.

How to get John Paul Jones bass tone on The Lemon Song?

Use a Fender Jazz Bass through an Ampeg B-15 tube amplifier with the gain pushed enough to create mild overdrive. Flatwound strings and a condenser microphone placed close to the amp cabinet will help capture the warm, round tone with subtle saturation.

What amp did John Paul Jones use for Led Zeppelin bass recording?

John Paul Jones primarily used an Ampeg B-15 tube amplifier for many Led Zeppelin recordings including "The Lemon Song." The B-15's tube preamp provided natural warmth and compression that became central to his recorded bass sound.

Where was The Lemon Song bass recorded?

"The Lemon Song" was recorded during sessions for Led Zeppelin II, likely at Olympic Studios in London. The exact recording location for this specific track hasn't been definitively confirmed in all sources, as the album was recorded across multiple sessions and locations.

bass guitar from "the lemon song" by led zeppelin

the lemon song

led zeppelin

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Tone Profile

Warm, round, and slightly overdriven bass tone that provides a solid foundation for the song. The sound is thick with a subtle fuzz, emphasizing the low-mid frequencies.

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Fender Jazz Bass(instrument)
Ampeg B-15(amp)
Neumann U47(microphone)

The Story

John Paul Jones recorded "The Lemon Song" using his Fender Jazz Bass through an Ampeg B-15 tube amplifier. The bass was likely captured with a Neumann U47 microphone, which was a common choice at Olympic Studios during Led Zeppelin's early recording sessions. The warm, slightly overdriven character comes from the natural tube saturation of the B-15 amp being pushed into mild overdrive.

Production Credits

Producer: Jimmy Page

Engineer: Glyn Johns

Recorded at: Olympic Studios or Headley Grange

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Jazz BassShop on Reverb

Amp: Ampeg B-15Shop on Reverb

Microphone: Neumann U47Shop on Reverb

Recreation Tips

Use a Fender Jazz Bass with flatwound strings for a similar fundamental tone.
An Ampeg B-15 or similar tube amp will provide the warmth and slight overdrive.
Experiment with microphone placement to capture the right amount of room ambience.
Consider using a subtle tape saturation plugin to emulate the vintage recording equipment.

Original Gear

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Substitutions & Recommendations

Fender Player Jazz BassShop on Reverb$650-$750

Alternative to: Fender Jazz Bass

Modern affordable version with similar pickup configuration and tonal character for that punchy Jazz Bass midrange

Ampeg B-15N HeritageShop on Reverb$3000-$3500

Alternative to: Ampeg B-15

Modern reissue of the exact amp model used, providing authentic tube warmth and natural overdrive characteristics

Ampeg BA-210v2Shop on Reverb$400-$500

Alternative to: Ampeg B-15

Budget solid-state amp with built-in overdrive and EQ to approximate the B-15's warm, driven tone

Shure SM57Shop on Reverb$100-$120

Alternative to: Neumann U47

Budget dynamic mic that captures amp cabinet tone well and handles high SPL from driven bass amps

Universal Audio Studer A800 pluginPlugin Boutique$150-$200

Alternative to: Vintage tape saturation

Emulates the tape compression and harmonic saturation that contributed to the vintage recording character

Sources

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bass guitar from “the lemon song” by led zeppelin | ToneDB