jimmys telecaster

[slave to zep]

does yone know what happened to jimmys telecaster that he used very early on? did he also use it in the new yardbirds? interested in any history

[lzfan715]

It was used in the Yardbirds, but some roadie painted over it.

[slave to zep]

thanks. do you know if it got stolen? or where it is now?

[lzfan715]

I don't think it was stolen. I think the only stolen guitar was the Les Paul. As for it's whereabouts I don't really know. Ev might know though or try SteveAJones.

[Henrik]

Wasn't the neck used for his brown B-bender tele?

[Katuschka]

Wasn't the neck used for his brown B-bender tele?

Yes.

[slave to zep]

thanks so much for the info guys! i actually asked this question on behalf of a muso friend that was visiting. he thought it had a dragon design, but all i can make out is some sort of artwork, does anyone know what the design is? and why he painted over it? thanks

[LeZoso]

thanks so much for the info guys! i actually asked this question on behalf of a muso friend that was visiting. he thought it had a dragon design, but all i can make out is some sort of artwork, does anyone know what the design is? and why he painted over it? thanks

here more infos:

[Otto Masson]

Just to clear up some confusion. Jimmy joined The Yardbirds in August 1966, replacing the group's bass player, Paul Samwell-Smith. He played bass for a few weeks with the group, while Chris Dreja played rhythm guitar and Jeff Beck played lead. Then Chris switched to bass and Jimmy joined Jeff Beck as a second lead guitarist. That line-up lasted a few more weeks. Jeff Beck then left the group, and Jimmy became the only guitarist in a four-piece band.

Now, while Jimmy and Jeff were both members of the group the latter gave Jimmy that Telecaster, white with those big dots on it. What Jimmy did was to first remove the dots, and then later he handpainted the guitar himself. It was the fashion then - after all this was in the psychedelic era.

This was Jimmy's favored instrument throughout his period with The Yardbirds, and into early Led Zeppelin, from late 1966 until May 1969. The Telecaster's tone is beautiful, but relatively thin and icy, not a lot of sustain, and as Jimmy has said himself, it makes you 'work harder'. Jimmy had played a Gibson Les Paul through most of his session work, i.e. the 'Black Beauty' with a Bigsby tremolo arm, and also used that guitar for some songs with early Led Zeppelin (you can see it in the Royal Albert Hall gig on DVD). But in 1969, while LZ were touring the U.S. Joe Walsh (of Eagles fame) offered him a 1958/59 Les Paul with a very thin neck, because he figured Jimmy would like the instrument. Jimmy loved it so much it's been his favored instrument ever since (since May 1969 that is).

The Telecaster was still used in the studio sometimes; the famed solo on Stairway, for instance, is actually the Tele. At some point in the 70s somebody meant to once again change the way it looked, but messed up so badly the body of it had to be discarded, and that's when the neck was moved to the make Botswana brown Tele with the B-bender device.

And here are some pictures where you can follow this whole story through.

First, early Yardies - with the dots still there:

Dots removed:

Jimmy's handpainting - still The Yardies:

[Otto Masson]

And here Jimmy is playing with Led Zeppelin at Staines, in the Supershow (Dazed & Confused on DVD is from there), March 1969:

And another early LZ pic - in May 1969, shortly before he switched to the Les Paul:

[mos6507]

This is another guitar Jimmy should have a signature version of, even though he's probably too close to Gibson for that.

[Cav]

This is another guitar Jimmy should have a signature version of, even though he's probably too close to Gibson for that.

I seen somewhere recently that there is a guy who does Fender custom work for the company and will do an aged Jimmy Page Tele for you with the Dragon motif. If i can find the website again i will post it.

Regards

Cav

[Otto Masson]

As it turns out I wasn't remembering 100% correctly. Here are some details about the neck issue:

# 1959 Fender Telecaster

# A gift from Jeff Beck in 1966

# Originally decorated with 4 silver circles

# Stripped down and handpainted by Jimmy Page in late 1966

# Stripped down again, painted "Botswana Brown" and fitted with a Parsons B-Bender in 1976

# Temporarily swapped rosewood neck to maple neck in April-May 1977

This info is taken from Achilles Last Stand

It was the red Les Paul that was messed up badly, as somebody has pointed out in the Jimmy's Guitars thread.

[oceangal]

The tele in 1977:

[Otto Masson]

^ That's a nice picture from the July 24, 1977 show at Oakland, but well, it's tinted. Here's the Tele now:

And just so that people can get an idea of what it means when you set up a B-bender - this is on the back of a Telecaster that has been fitted with one:

(I should add I can't remember who posted that last picture originally - but at any rate, thanks).

[Anarchy2Howard]

There's a guy who makes really amazing and accurate replicas of Page's tele. If you're interested in purchasing one from him his email is jokerace72@aol.com. I haven't actually tried it so it might not work.

Here's a picture of one of his replicas:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v40/fabg...le/ppdone13.jpg

As you can see it's VERY accurate, right down to the ciggarette burn on the headstock. Apparently it comes with the bow in the picture and the case is optional.