Fender is planning to release two Custom Shop models signed and hand painted by Page, in a very limited release of just 50 pieces per model. The Fender production lines will also tackle mass-produced iterations of the Dragon and Mirror models.
Page’s original Telecaster was an amorphous guitar, taking on many different sonic and aesthetic personas over the years. Page first received the guitar in 1966 from Jeff Beck as a gift for recommending him to the Yardbirds, and from there Page added several circular mirrors to the body in February 1967.
By mid-1967, Page had torn off the mirrors and painted on a mystical dragon, albeit to the detriment of the guitar, breaking all but the neck pickup. He then transferred the neck to his brown-string bender Telecaster, and has since restripped and restored it.
Page pitched the idea of the signature series to Fender earlier this year and worked with Paul Waller, Master Builder at the Fender Custom Shop, to advise throughout the process.
“This guitar is so special and has so much history, so I approached Fender to see if they’d be interested in recreating it,” Page said. “They really got it 110 percent right, or 150 percent right. It’s so absolutely as it is, as it should be, and as it was.”
The Jimmy Page Signature models will be available from Fender dealers in 2019. Fender is available in Australia through fender.com.au
