Though most known for being a Gibson Les Paul man, one of Jimmy Page's most iconic instruments is his 1959 or 1960 Fender Telecaster.
This 1959 Fender Telecaster was owned by John Owen who purchased it for 107 pounds in 1961. The exact date of the instrument is unknown, but there are some clues that provide us with a pretty decent idea. Due to the fact that the guitar was equipped with a top loader bridge yet the body still has holes on the back to put the strings through, a feature that was common for Telecasters produced in 1959 and 1960. Additionally, the guitar was equipped with a rosewood fretboard, a feature that was first introduced in mid-1959.
John Owen later sold the Telecaster to the lead guitarist of the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck. Beck and Owen were old friends, having both played guitar in a short lived group known as The Deltones. While in The Yardbirds, Beck used this Telecaster mainly as a backup to his famed Esquire. While in Beck's possession, the original white Bakelite pick guard became worn down to the point that Beck ended up replacing it with a homemade black pick guard.
Jimmy Page acquired this guitar from his Beck in 1966. Beck gave the guitar to Jimmy as a gift s for Page had recommending Beck for the vacant guitarists slot in the Yardbirds in the first place. Jimmy had also helped Beck out in his pre-Yardbirds days by also sending some studio session work his way and recommending him to various London producers.
John Owen later sold the Telecaster to the lead guitarist of the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck. Beck and Owen were old friends, having both played guitar in a short lived group known as The Deltones. While in The Yardbirds, Beck used this Telecaster mainly as a backup to his famed Esquire. While in Beck's possession, the original white Bakelite pick guard became worn down to the point that Beck ended up replacing it with a homemade black pick guard.
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| Jeff Beck with the Tele (Pre-Page) |
When Jimmy got the guitar it was painted completely white, and he left it that way for some time, but at some point in 1967, when the psychedelic movement began to take off he decided to throw 8 circular mirrors on the body of the guitar. Pink Floyd guitarist, Syd Barrett did something similar with his guitar. After leaving the mirrors on the guitar for a while, Jimmy decided to tear them off, strip the paint of the guitar completely and repaint it himself, with splashes of green, yellow and red, he also threw on a metallic pick-guard on; the Dragon Tele was born. Jimmy played this guitar as his main instrument in the Yardbirds, as well as the first year and a half of Led Zeppelin's existence.
Jimmy used this guitar to record most of the first Led Zeppelin album, and some of the second. He retired it as his main instrument when he acquired his "#1" 1959 Gibson Les Paul from Joe Walsh in April of 1969. The Dragon Telecaster would make its last live appearance in front of an audience on May 3, 1969 at a show in Pasadena, California at the Rose Palace. The guitar would make a dramatic comeback, a sort of swan song if you will on Led Zeppelin's most well known work, "Stairway to Heaven" where Page used it to record the dramatic solo near the end of the song.
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| Jimmy Prior to applying the Dragon Paint Job |
Alas, the guitar would not survive the 1970's. While Jimmy was out touring America a friend of his decided to repaint the guitar and present it to Jimmy as a gift. In the process however, the friend completely runied the guitar and made it for all intents and purposes, unplayable. Jimmy talked about this incident with Guitar World in 1998:
"I still have it (referring to the Dragon Tele), but it’s a tragic story. I went on tour with the ’59 Les Paul that I bought from Joe Walsh, and when I got back, a friend of mine had kindly painted over my paint job. He said, "I’ve got a present for you.” He thought he had done me a real favor. As you can guess, I wasn't real happy about that. His paint job totally screwed up the sound and the wiring, so only the neck pickup worked. I salvaged the neck and put it on my brown Tele string bender that I used in the Firm. As for the body… it will never be seen again! (laughs)"
As he stated, Jimmy would salvage the neck and place it on the body of another telecaster that would be known as his "B-Bender" Tele. He used this guitar extensively during his tenure in the band "The Firm"
As he stated, Jimmy would salvage the neck and place it on the body of another telecaster that would be known as his "B-Bender" Tele. He used this guitar extensively during his tenure in the band "The Firm"
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| Jimmy with The Firm playing his B-Bender Tele Equipped with the Dragon Tele Neck |
Ever since the paint job that slayed the dragon, the body has never been seen in public. To this day, the neck still remains on his B-Bender Telecaster, however, that has neither been seen in a number of years as well.
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