Bassist4-stringroundwoundHistorical, past-tense framing

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/laraclifford/ Lara Clifford], CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

John Paul Jones's bass strings: the Led Zeppelin rig, sourced

Documented bass-string gauges, brands, and tunings John Paul Jones used with Led Zeppelin (1968-1980) and across his post-Zeppelin catalog. Rotosound Swing Bass 66 documented historical use, Fender Jazz Bass + Manson 8/12-string + Wal basses, multi-instrumental session legacy. Historical, with citations.

Led Zeppelin · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team · 2026-04-29

John Baldwin, known as John Paul Jones (born January 3, 1946, Sidcup, Kent, England), was Led Zeppelin's bassist + multi-instrumentalist + co-founder from 1968 through John Bonham's 1980 death ended the band. Documented Rotosound Swing Bass 66 user across the Zeppelin catalog. Played Fender Jazz Bass primarily, plus Manson 8/12-string bass + Wal basses + various keyboards across the band's catalog. Pre-Zeppelin: extensive 1960s session + arranging career (the Yardbirds, Donovan, Rolling Stones session work). Post-Zeppelin: Them Crooked Vultures (with Dave Grohl + Josh Homme, 2009-present) + arranger + producer credits including Raising Sand (Plant / Krauss, 2007). Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Led Zeppelin (1995).

Hard rock Rock Blues rock Classic rock Folk rockE Standard (4-string)

Strings John Paul Jones played

Historical use · documented by the Change Your Strings editorial team · Affiliate links

Rotosound
Swing Bass 66
.045 – .105
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At a glance

Role

Bassist (historical)

Active

1962–present

Based

London, England

Genres

Affiliations

Led Zeppelin (bassist + multi-instrumentalist + co-founder, 1968–1980)
Them Crooked Vultures (bassist, 2009–present, with Dave Grohl + Josh Homme)
Sons of Chipotle (Finnish jazz-fusion collaboration)
Session bassist / arranger (1960s session work pre-Zeppelin)
Rotosound Swing Bass 66 (documented historical)
Fender Jazz Bass (canonical Zeppelin instrument)
Manson 8/12-string bass (later-era signature instrument)
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Led Zeppelin (1995)

Notable credits

Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin (1969)
Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Led Zeppelin, IV (1971)
Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy (1973)
Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti (1975)
Led Zeppelin, In Through the Out Door (1979)
Them Crooked Vultures, Them Crooked Vultures (2009)
Robert Plant + Alison Krauss, Raising Sand (2007, arranger)

Sourcing4 citations · reviewed 2026-04-29· by Change Your Strings editorial team

Who John Paul Jones is

John Baldwin (stage name John Paul Jones), born January 3, 1946, in Sidcup, Kent, England, was Led Zeppelin's bassist + multi-instrumentalist + co-founder from 1968 through John Bonham's September 1980 death ended the band.

Pre-Zeppelin: extensive 1960s session + arranging career. Post-Zeppelin: Them Crooked Vultures (2009-present, with Dave Grohl + Josh Homme), plus arranger / producer credits including Raising Sand (Plant + Krauss, 2007).

Documented Rotosound Swing Bass 66 user across the Zeppelin catalog. Played Fender Jazz Bass primarily, plus Manson 8/12-string + Wal basses + extensive keyboards.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Led Zeppelin (1995).

Style signatures

Three things across the Led Zeppelin catalog you can identify as Jones's:

Melodic counterpoint inside hard-rock arrangements. Zeppelin bass parts function as melodic voices, not just rhythm-section foundation; the arranging-instinct training shows.
Multi-instrumental contributions. Hammond B3, Mellotron, Clavinet, mandolin, lap steel: Jones's contributions extend far beyond bass; few hard-rock bassists in history have been comparable multi-instrumentalists.
Pocket discipline + Bonham synergy. The Jones + Bonham rhythm section is one of the most-studied in rock; Jones's pocket discipline + Bonham's groove created the Zeppelin band-foundation that the band's catalog depends on.

Documented strings. Rotosound Swing Bass 66 (.045-.105) as the documented historical production set across the Led Zeppelin catalog.

Bandmates. John Bonham (drummer, Led Zeppelin). Jimmy Page and Robert Plant profiles are queued.

Bassist hub. Bassists index. Historical hard-rock and classic-rock bass canon parallel: Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead), Cliff Burton (Metallica). Multi-instrumentalist session legacy: Glenn Hughes and Tony Levin profiles are queued.

Frequently asked questions

What strings did John Paul Jones play?

Documented Rotosound Swing Bass 66 user across the Led Zeppelin catalog. The .045-.105 stainless-steel roundwound is the gauge most-cited in Bass Player magazine + Premier Guitar Rig Rundown coverage of his Zeppelin-era rig.

Pre-signature era. Jones was a documented Rotosound user before signature SKU programs existed for bass players; his rig is part of what built Rotosound's reputation as the British-rock bass-string standard.

What basses did Jones play?

Fender Jazz Bass primarily across the Led Zeppelin catalog (the 1962 sunburst Jazz Bass is the most-photographed Zeppelin-era instrument). Later-era + post-Zeppelin instruments include the Manson 8/12-string bass (a multi-string bass developed for his solo + Them Crooked Vultures work) and Wal Mark II / Mark III. The Fender Jazz Bass is canonical for Zeppelin; the multi-string + Wal basses extend his vocabulary into post-Zeppelin contexts.

When did Led Zeppelin form?

1968. Jimmy Page recruited Jones (a session colleague), Robert Plant, and John Bonham to form the New Yardbirds in summer 1968; the band became Led Zeppelin shortly after. The band recorded nine studio albums (Led Zeppelin, 1969, through Coda, 1982 posthumous-compilation) before dissolving in December 1980 following John Bonham's accidental death from alcohol-related asphyxiation.

What was Jones's pre-Zeppelin session career?

Extensive. Jones had been one of London's most-booked session bassists + arrangers through the mid-1960s, with credits on records by Donovan, Herman's Hermits, the Rolling Stones, and many others. He was Jimmy Page's most-trusted session partner before the formation of Led Zeppelin; the existing professional relationship is why Page called him first when forming the New Yardbirds. The arranging credits (string arrangements + horn arrangements + keyboard programming) set him apart from peers; he was a multi-instrumental musician + composer, not just a bassist.

What's Them Crooked Vultures?

Them Crooked Vultures is Jones's main post-Zeppelin band, formed 2009 with Dave Grohl (drums) + Josh Homme (guitar / vocals). The band's self-titled 2009 record is their only studio output to date; the band has had intermittent reunion touring since 2010. The lineup is one of the most-prestigious rock-supergroup configurations in modern rock + revived Jones's bass career after decades of post-Zeppelin solo + session work.

Did Jones play multiple instruments?

Yes. Jones is one of the most multi-instrumental rock musicians documented; his Led Zeppelin contributions extend beyond bass to include keyboards (Hammond B3, Mellotron, Clavinet), mandolin, lap steel, recorder, and arrangements. The breadth is unusual; few rock bassists in history have been comparable multi-instrumentalists at Jones's level. His post-Zeppelin career has continued the multi-instrumental approach, particularly in arrangement + production contexts.

Did Jones produce other artists?

Yes. Jones produced + arranged Robert Plant + Alison Krauss's Raising Sand (2007, multiple Grammy Awards including Album of the Year), R.E.M., the Butthole Surfers, and others. The arranging legacy from his pre-Zeppelin career has continued throughout his post-Zeppelin work; he is one of the few rock-era bassists with a comparable parallel arranger / producer career.

Who John Paul Jones is

Style signatures

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