From Planet Rock.
When the world was first introduced to Led Zeppelin with two echoing chords in ‘Good Times Bad Times’ back in 1969 few people, let alone Jimmy Page himself. would have been able to predict the effect the band would have on rock music.
And the sound of that album was all largely down to one guitar, as Jimmy explains in a new video shared by Fender, who have recreated the mirrored / dragon Tele (one guitar, two incarnations, in case you’re confused) as an extremely limited edition, available only in runs of 50.
Jimmy Page’s custom mirrored & dragon guitar ⓒ Fender
The film tells of how Jimmy was gifted the plain white Telecaster by Jeff Beck after Page had recommended him for the position of lead guitarist in The Yardbirds.
The extravagant animations, partnered with Jimmy Page’s narration, go on to recount how Jimmy began customising the Tele, first with mirrors to catch stage lights, and then later by stripping it and putting his art school skills to good use, painting the vibrant dragon design, and adding a reflective pick guard.
Fancy snaring yourself one? Well, you’ll have to do some hunting to find the dragon issue for sale, listed as it currently is with no price. But the mirrored version is yours for a snip at $2,500.
And whatever happened to the original dragon Tele? Well, that’s actually a bit of a sad story, as Jimmy told Guitar World in 1998: “I still have it, but it’s a tragic story. I went on tour with (a) ’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 favour.
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 (in 1985 and 1986). As for the body, it will never be seen again!”
Lucky for Jimmy, and for us, there are now faithful replicas ready to take its place for generations to come.
Watch the behind-the-scenes making of the custom guitars below:
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- Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti - 1st - VG - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £150.00, $193.50, €180.00 (New Item) (arrived 06-Mar-2025 09:45)on March 6, 2025 at 4:10 pm
LED ZEPPELIN Physical Graffiti (1975 UK first press 15-track double vinyl LP, one of the band's most diverse & challenging records, featuring household classics like Kashmir & lesser played gems such as The Wanton Song, complete with card inners & thick card tracklisting insert, die-cut picture sleeve with red spine text SSK89400)See 'more info' for condition details... #Top 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time
- Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti - 2nd - VG - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £50.00, $64.50, €60.00 (New Item) (arrived 04-Mar-2025 13:12)on March 6, 2025 at 4:10 pm
LED ZEPPELIN Physical Graffiti (1975 UK second press 15-track double LP with Warner logos on the label, housed in a die-cut picture sleeve complete with thick card picture inners & thick tracklisting insert with 'Sleeve printed & made in England by Gothic Print Finishers' & '484 Kings Road' address. The packaging is Very Good with some obvious shelfwear/discolouration, with a small tear to the spine and scuff to front whilst the vinyl grades Excellent with only light signs of playSSK89400) #Top 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time
- Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin - 3rd (B) - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £125.00, $161.25, €150.00 (New Item) (arrived 03-Mar-2025 17:00)on March 6, 2025 at 4:10 pm
LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin (Debut 1969 UK third press 9-track stereo LP on the plum & red Atlantic label, with 'Warner Brothers/ 7 Arts/ Jewel Music' label publishing credit spread over two lines. Comes housed in an orange lettered fully laminated picture sleeve with 'Uptight An' Outasight' Official Atlantic Appreciation Society address on the back . The sleeve is graded 'Excellent' with minimal shelf wear, the vinyl is clean & grades VG with some light scuffs/hairlines not affecting play) #Top 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time
- Led Zeppelin - Presence - Canadian - vinyl LP - £45.00, $58.05, €54.00 (New Item) (arrived 03-Mar-2025 17:00)on March 6, 2025 at 4:10 pm
LED ZEPPELIN Presence (1976 Canadian Swan Song label 7-track vinyl LP, the follow-up to 1975's Physical Graffiti, and includes the tracks Achilles Last Stand and Royal Orleans, embossed title and Swan Song logo, gatefold picture sleeve and illustrated credits inner. The sleeve carries some light discoluration, whilst the vinyl remains very clean with little evidence of play. Although not mint this example is in excellent shape- Essential SS8146)
- Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy - French - vinyl LP - £50.00, $64.50, €60.00 (New Item) (arrived 03-Mar-2025 17:00)on March 6, 2025 at 4:10 pm
LED ZEPPELIN Houses Of The Holy (Late 70s French orange & green label issue of the 1973 8-track LP, housed in a gatefold picture sleeve with the iconic artwork & textured lyric inner printed in Germany. The sleeve displays minimal wear & the vinyl is near mint) #Top 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time
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