Whole Lotta Tele
On Jan 31, 1969, Led Zeppelin played New York’s Fillmore East for the first time. Their debut album had just been released and the Big Apple was abuzz with the promise of this hot new British group. But they were as yet untested before an American audience, so Fillmore impresario Bill Graham booked them as the opening act for Iron Butterfly. Their first set that evening killed, tearing up the house so thoroughly that Iron Butterfly refused to go on after them again. So Led Zeppelin headlined the 11:30 show — never again to be an opening act. Jimmy Page played his Tele that night — the one he famously used on the first album, and quite frequently thereafter — sending shockwaves into the audience with every strike of his pick and violin bow. Now Sweetwater is thrilled to present to you the Fender Custom Shop Jimmy Page Signature Telecaster, a meticulous re-creation of this legendary instrument in all its glory.
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Jimmy's trusty Telecaster
Although Jimmy Page is commonly associated with another classic single-cut solidbody electric guitar, it was a Telecaster that powered the Yardbird’s final years, Led Zeppelin’s debut, and one of rock music’s most iconic solos. Page did tons of London session work in the mid-’60s (Fun fact: Jimmy played acoustic on the main title theme for Goldfinger, the third James Bond movie). In 1966 he joined the Yardbirds, initially playing bass alongside his childhood friend Jeff Beck on lead guitar. When Jeff (who had replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds) left the group shortly thereafter, Page assumed the lead guitar spot, playing a Telecaster (thought to be a ’59) gifted him by Jeff.
In May of ’66 Jimmy collaborated with Jeff on a single, “Beck’s Bolero,” contributing electric 12-string rhythm guitar. John Paul Jones played bass and Keith Moon (of the Who) played drums on the session. They were all enthused by the results and the concept for a new supergroup germinated — which eventually led to the formation of Led Zeppelin (the name was suggested by Keith). Fun fact: Zep was originally called the New Yardbirds!
Custom Oval "C" neck with a vintage fingerboard radius
If you’re a guitarist who prefers a thin ’60s neck profile with a little more meat, the Jimmy Page Tele’s Custom Oval "C" neck profile is your cup of tea. In 1959, Fender started doing rosewood fingerboards on Telecasters, and that’s what this one has, along with a comfortable vintage-spec 7.25-inch radius. Fingerboard designs have flattened out over the decades, the theory being that flatter radii are better for soloing in the high register. The fact remains that Mr. Page was a prodigious soloist on his Tele (after all, he played the epic “Stairway to Heaven” solo on it). And that’s all we have to say about that.
Custom Shop hand-wound ’58 single-coil pickups
These hand-wound Custom Shop 58 Tele single-coil pickups are designed to Jimmy’s exact specifications to deliver the searing Tele bite and visceral crunch we all know and love from early Zeppelin records. And trust us: these pups pack a punch. After all, the originals had the power to cut through one of the heaviest rock rhythm sections of the ’70s: John Paul Jones and John Bonham.
Authentic ash body with vintage nitro finish
The Fender Custom Shop Jimmy Page Signature Telecaster gets an extra dash of authenticity with its 2-piece offset-seam ash body and Journeyman Relic'd nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Nitro finishes — standard back in the day — are significantly thinner than today’s polyurethane finishes, allowing the guitar to “breathe” and age gracefully. Nitro finishes not only look amazing; they also enhance the instrument’s tonal qualities. This guitar has the look and feel of a lovingly cared-for classic — one that will only improve in the decades to come.
Fender Custom Shop Jimmy Page Signature Telecaster Features:
- 2-piece offset-seam ash body; Journeyman Relic'd nitrocellulose lacquer finish
- Flat-sawn maple neck, Jimmy Page Custom Oval "C" profile
- Rosewood fingerboard, 7.25-inch radius, 21 vintage frets
- Custom Shop hand-wound '58 Tele single-coil neck and bridge
- 3-way pickup selector; Master Volume and Tone controls
- 3-saddle vintage-style Tele string-through/top-load bridge
- 1.65-inch bone nut; 25.5-inch scale length
- Fender vintage-style tuners
- Comes with vintage-style deluxe hardshell case, ACE reissue “Stained-Glass” woven strap, mirror application kit, coil cable, and Custom Shop certificate of authenticity
