Joe Walsh telling the story of the transaction… “Jimmy was still playing the Telecasters that he played in the Yardbirds. He was looking for a Les Paul and asked if I knew of any, ’cause he couldn’t find one that he liked. And I had two. So l kept the one I liked the most and I flew with the other one. I laid it on him and said, ‘Try this out.’ He really liked it. So I gave him a really good deal. I had to hand-carry it; I flew there and everything. So whatever my expenses were, that’s what I charged him. But again, I just thought he should have a Les Paul for godsakes!” Jimmy used it to record Zeppelin Il that May. The guitar became and remained his favorite guitar throughout his years with Zeppelin, and as he acquired others, he started referring to it as his number one….

Joe Walsh’s Gift to Rock History: The Les Paul That Became Jimmy Page’s “Number One”

Sometimes, the most legendary sounds in rock ‘n’ roll history begin with a simple gesture between friends. Such was the case when Joe Walsh, the Eagles’ guitar ace and solo artist, unknowingly changed the course of Led Zeppelin’s sonic legacy with a single guitar handoff. The tale is now part of music folklore: how a 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard went from Joe Walsh’s collection to Jimmy Page’s hands—and became one of the most iconic instruments in rock history.

In the late 1960s, as Led Zeppelin was forming and preparing to record what would become their monumental second album, Led Zeppelin II, Jimmy Page was still playing the Telecasters he had used during his Yardbirds days. While versatile, those guitars didn’t quite have the heft and bite Page was seeking for the thunderous blues-rock sound he was shaping with Zeppelin. Page was on the hunt for a Gibson Les Paul—specifically, a ‘59 model—but couldn’t find one that felt right.

Enter Joe Walsh, a fellow guitar aficionado and longtime admirer of Page’s work. As Walsh later recounted, “Jimmy was still playing the Telecasters that he played in the Yardbirds. He was looking for a Les Paul and asked if I knew of any, ’cause he couldn’t find one that he liked. And I had two.” Rather than simply point Page in the direction of a store, Walsh did something far more personal: he took one of his prized ’59 Les Paul Standards—the one he liked slightly less—and flew across the ocean to deliver it by hand.

“I laid it on him and said, ‘Try this out,’” Walsh recalled. “He really liked it. So I gave him a really good deal. I had to hand-carry it; I flew there and everything. So whatever my expenses were, that’s what I charged him. But again, I just thought he should have a Les Paul for god’s sake!”

That Les Paul became Page’s constant companion. It was with that very guitar that he recorded Led Zeppelin II in May 1969, an album that elevated the band from rising stars to global rock gods. With its fat, rich tone and silky sustain, the Les Paul gave Page the voice he needed to deliver the explosive riffs of “Whole Lotta Love,” the swirling leads of “Heartbreaker,” and the mystical textures of “Ramble On.”

Page grew so attached to it that he dubbed it “Number One.” Over time, even as he acquired other guitars, none ever fully replaced it in either his studio work or live performances. The guitar wasn’t just a tool—it became a creative extension of Page himself, shaping the sound of Zeppelin from that point forward. From the brooding chords of Physical Graffiti to the electric storm of The Song Remains the Same, “Number One” was always close by.

Walsh’s act of generosity didn’t just equip Page with a guitar—it helped shape the course of modern rock music. Without that Les Paul, the unmistakable Zeppelin sound might never have crystallized the way it did. Joe Walsh, in his humble, rock-and-roll way, didn’t just give Jimmy Page a guitar. He helped give Led Zeppelin their voice.