Above, the present: Ex–Led Zeppelin bassist Jones owns several electric mandophonic instruments by Britain's Manson Bros., including the bizarre triple-neck contraption pictured above left. It's all mandophonic. Twenty-four, count 'em, 24 strings: mandolin, octave mandolin, and "bass mandolin." This thing may not look electric, but it is. You can see the pickups in this photograph. On the right, for those occasions when he needs only one neck, another Manson bass mandolin. Jones also owns a solidbody electric octave mandolin (formerly belonging to Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull), also built by Manson Bros., making him one of their best customers.
     Below, the past: Jones used several different e-mandos while with Led Zeppelin, including a Harmony acoustic/electric mandolin (below, upper left) similar to Yank Rachell's, a Fender Mandocaster (below, upper right), another Manson Bros. triple-neck (6-string, 12-string, mandolin, below, lower left), and what appears to be an 8-string version of a Framus Strato-Melodie (below, lower right).