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Post subject: Neck on Jimmy Page's Dragon Telecaster
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 8:48 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 4:04 pm
Posts: 388
Location: Lititz, PA
I got pulled into a project recreating a Telecaster with the Jimmy Page Dragon design. I'm not a
Telecaster expert; I'm doing the paint job. The guitar doesn't have to be accurate in every single
detail but we would like to get it reasonably close.

Jimmy Page had a 1958 or 1959 (depending where you look) Telecaster. I happened to notice
that, unlike some (perhaps many) American Telecasters, it has 21 frets.

What models/years of Telecaster would I be looking for to get that style of guitar (with
particular emphasis on matching the neck)? I would prefer it to be American (assuming
JP's guitar was American [not sure]). We'll probably be looking for used or reissued guitar or parts.

Any information on that pick guard? It looks like it's covered with aluminum foil to me but
I'm guessing it is probably something else.

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Post subject: Re: Neck on Jimmy Page's Dragon Telecaster
Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:17 pm
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Professional Musician
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Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:45 pm
Posts: 2770
Location: Kansas
I'm pretty sure Page's Tele was a '59; I don't think Fender did rosewood boards until 1959. It was a real USA model (they were all USA back then); also Fender Teles never had 22 frets until 1985 (MIJ Contemporary models), and no USA Tele had 22 frets until the American Standards came out at the end of 1986.

How close are you trying to get to Page's real Tele - specific neck depth, or just a pre-CBS rosewood board? I believe a real '59 neck would be slightly thicker in depth than the rosewood board reissues you can easily find. Assuming you aren't hung up on the actual '59 shape, you could get a neck from these models (arranged cheapest to most expensive):

1. Classic '60s Tele - MIM, current production
2. '60s Reissue Tele - MIJ - not available in USA any more
3. American Vintage '62 Tele Custom - USA, current production
4. Time Machine '63 Tele - USA Custom Shop, either "NOS" or "Relic"

Anything else would be a more expensive CS model. All of these would have a bit thinner depth than what I would expect to find on a genuine '59 Tele. The AV '62 would be nice but it has a bound body; if money is no object look for a CS '63 Tele.

Another issue is that Page's Tele had a top-loading bridge - the strings didn't go through the body but through a small hole in the back of the bridge. Vintage-style bridges like these are hard to find as they were only made for 2 years (1958-1959).

The foil on the pickguard was "prism" foil that would reflect light like a prism; not just aluminum foil. I'm sure that could be found somewhere.

Sounds like an interesting project; good luck and make sure you post some photos of the finished product.


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Post subject: Re: Neck on Jimmy Page's Dragon Telecaster
Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 12:21 pm
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Good luck on your project. A friend of mine consulted with Don Mare and built one several years ago. I have a pic of it right here :

Image

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

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Post subject: Re: Neck on Jimmy Page's Dragon Telecaster
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:01 am
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John C wrote:
The foil on the pickguard was "prism" foil that would reflect light like a prism; not just aluminum foil. I'm sure that could be found somewhere.

Sounds like an interesting project; good luck and make sure you post some photos of the finished product.


Ditto

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!


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Post subject: Re: Neck on Jimmy Page's Dragon Telecaster
Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 2:42 am
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Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:25 pm
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I would recommend that you check out http://www.warmoth.com for parts to.
They have all you need, and are both Fender licensed and american ;)


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