Maybe Santa will put a Page Tele under your tree tonight if you were good this year! 🔴Buy on Reverb: reverb.com/item/37924513?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly 🍭Buy at Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/kLN40 ❓Private Help Sessions: troglysguitarshow.com/help-appraisals/ 👕 Merch: teespring.com/basic-logo-4245?pid=211
@@vlady8me that thing is as hideous as either of these two. The mirrored is fine if you junk all the mirrors. And a mirrored Tele will always be a Syd thing in my book.
Yep and the majority of the time recording and live, the 58and mostly the 59 Gibson Les paul. the telecaster just wouldn't have cut it live with the brutal volume of Led Zeppelin.
Jimmy is much more a Fender player than people give him credit for. Not only on many Zep recordings even after Zep he played his brown Tele B-Bender as his number 1. Page used his Les Paul's live for more output. With that being said, he would have his toggle switch on both pick ups to get simular Tele sounds lol.
All my kids pitched in and got me the Dragon Tele for my big Christmas gift. 😢I was overwhelmed to say the least. I really love it. Sounds great. No complaints. It's my number 1. Thanks Jimmy P! You brought joy to this dad.
Reportedly: Jimmy recorded a ton of Zep songs on a tele through a Supro amp. The Rig didn't work well on stage so the LP & Marshalls took over for live performances...
He said he chose Marshall amps because of their reliability and if something did go wrong, he would be able to find a replacement no matter where he was touring around the world.
JImmy really liked the Supro (he modified) for recording in Zep. He used it quite a bit on the first three albums and a fair amount on the fourth. The Tele was used in his Yardbird days playing guitar (before that he played bass) and pretty much all you hear on the first few albums (as far as electric goes) is the Tele. Not to be forgotten Jimmy's solo's playing with the Violin Bow started with the Tele and his big bends on the earlier recordings use to push down behind the nut on the high E & B strings to get that trem/ bend effect that is hard to do on a LP. Tele truly doesn't get the respect it should being played on Zep albums. LP is fantastic but all has it's place. EVen his 59 Danelectro (Kashmir)
@@dlewtweentorla1210 So true, David! Studios have the album shaping ability, stage is a different congress... Buzzy guitars, delay though long cables, effect malfunctions.... It all leads to "Management" taking over.... Maybe the band would have put out something different in later years, but "management" pushed the group to the point... I often think of the Pink Floyd lyric of 1980, "You may feel a little pin prick, is there anyone home". Tele is , in my mind, a Zeppelin standard.
I searched all over the interwebs for the actual neck dimensions of these models and then I remembered that you always take measurements so I tuned into this video. i got the info that I was looking for and a whole lot more. I love your videos. I ended up picking up a used USA mirror version. Thanks for the work you put into your content!
Towards the end of another year, almost 4 years of watching this channel, learned so much, seen so much, and I never get tired of it, whether or not you see this I just want to say thank you since you edit these videos yourself and this is your job, we appreciate it, keep up the good work, have a brilliant Christmas and a happy new year too.
I agree. This is fantastic content that would not be available without the tech we take for granted and I am grateful for Austin's willingness to put the work in to share his passion and knowledge with the world. It's a tremendous thing.
In the studio he used multiple guitars. And you can tell by the tones on the album he used the Tele quite often. Live he favored Gibson LP and double neck SG. But live (to me) never sounded the same or as good as the studio. This was because of Jimmy’s sound engineering magic. He did things in the studio that would be pretty much impossible to play live, unless you use feeds like some newer groups do. Anyway I grew up in through the late 60’s and early 70’s (my high school years) and Jimmy was the biggest influence on my guitar playing.
"In case you're not familiar with who he is" If you don't know who Jimmy Page is, put your guitar down and don't pick it back up until you know who he is :)
I ADORE my Mirror Tele. I can't hardly put it down. I won't put the mirrors on it though because the finish is just so awesome I can't bring myself to do it. I actually think the mirrors look stupid but man without them it's a BEAUTIFUL Tele.
I know you're a Gibson specialist, but I love when you review other makers. Always fun to hear what features/specifications appeal to you or things that surprised you.
You should definitely check out the Fender “Road Worn” series! They were mim guitars with a very light paint and clear nitro coat so it wears away vert quickly so it doesn’t take years to get that “road worn” look and feel.
Fender and Wildwood came up with a “Ready to Relic” nitrocellulose formula and it’s a pretty neat idea. The guitars age a lot faster but look brand new at first. I wouldn’t be surprised if Fender started using it on a lot more “Vintage Style” guitars. Optional of course. I just got a “Mary Kaye” Custom Shop 57 Closet Classic Strat for Christmas. I can’t wait for it to start wearing in. One piece ash bodies are fantastic!
I laughed when you said that people would prefer the MIM neck in the review and then completely changed your opinion after the playing demo. Also your playing demo was great in this one. Very nice!
I'm using high quality headphones and during the blind test, I thought the mirror tele sounded significantly better. It had a more open, fuller sound, like night and day.
I've got the Mirror Tele and it's seriously awesome. I've played the Dragon one as well and it felt like total trash to me. Beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder though.
your so right Larry, during the blind test I thought to myself whatever the blue Trogly is, is the winner lol. I'll get the Mirror one for sure its $1100 more for a lot of reasons. If you want the Dragon kool look I can understand the people that do. Id rather spend the money for what I really want. I gotta get one lol.
It was never about jimmy’s lead playing for me.. I always loved his production and orchestration. Rain Song, Ten Years Gone, In My Time of Dying, Stairway. He always had a wonderful ability to write intricate parts and pair those parts with bold and strange guitar tones. He’s not like a Slash or a Brian May where you can pin one guitar on him… he had a lot of tools in his tool box.
Trogly, from listening to Page in interviews and reading various articles, Jimmy stated he took the Mirrors off the Tele and painted the Dragon Motif ( he was an art student) when Zep started as a New and Fresh Start. Even his clothes changed, trying to show this new band was different and more than a continuation of the Yardbirds. Cheers! Thanks for what you do The coil cable was included because Jimmy used it back in the day and he believed the coil and length changed the tone of the guitar.
Woo Hoo! I was afraid we weren't going to get a Christmas episode. Kind of strange that Trogs would do one on such an obscure guitarist, but still glad to get it. Merry Christmas to Mr. Trogly and all the Troglydytes!
That dragon Telecaster pioneered zeps sound. Whole first album with a supro amp was recorded with this. I hand built a replica of this guitar and it turned out awesome. Page used 8-38s for crazy bending on this guitar
@@mcamp9445 lol no Quite a few players tuned down a half step to lower tension more than anything. A singlecut LP Junior's factory strings were .14s, for example. Ernie Ball eventually did put out Slinkys but I doubt many outside of Nashville (which Jimmy was obsessed with) were running 8s at this time. The trick of the day was tossing your wound G, buying a bajo string & using it as your E, moving the stock B & E to lower positions. Still left one with bridge cables for bass strings.
He did have a three pickup Black Beauty since 1968, which was used extensively in LZ I and II, but yes, the Tele was his main live guitar (so, as a recording guitar that preference is also to be expected).
The Tele was the most played on Zep I and II. Page played Les Pauls live for more output. Both The Tele and Les Paul make Led Zeppelin. I love both guitars.
Thanks so much for breaking down and doing a demo on both guitars! I've been so curious about these models. I think this is my favorite Trogly video of the year!
The fastest I ever clicked on a video, been waiting for someone to do a solid comparison between these two. I really want to get one but not sure which is better. The Dragon looks cooler, but the Mirror is MIA.
The neck on my MIM Dragon tle is just the same, aged checking around the headstock and a semi satin finish on the neck, however that plays to a kind of gloss pretty quickly because you can't stop playing these guitars, they feel and sound amazing. My favourite guitar to play possibly ever, and the sound of the Jimmy Page pickups is so accurate when you use them with a vox.
One of my favorite Jimmy’s, stairway to heaven was the first song I played on a acoustic guitar. Thank you for spot lighting one of my favorite guitarist and band. Since I’ve been loving you. No quarter, tea for one and dazed and confused are my favorite especially live at the garden. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
I just tried the white one today. Plays lovely and was very well set up. I never thought a 7.25 inch neck radius would play like this..even did some David Gilmour bends on it with no fretting out issues at all! Very impressed with the quality and sound.
Great video. I think the reason why the neck is road worn on the dragon is because it was more used by the time the white tele became the dragon tele, after all they were the same guitar. Also from what i've read and heard on different videos they're the same pickups just branded different, which would make sense cause once again they were the same guitar. I went with the dragon model because it's unique, i mean you can always get a white tele 😀 mine also has a thicker sound, they probably aimed that sound with those models, a thicker sound was also one of the reason why i went with that one. After your video i examined mine and found that luckily mine seems to be a one piece ash body with some small marks in the wood which probably wouldn't happen with the usa model. However they're not visible on the first look and are only present at the back and the side. I really had to search for them to see. Didn't have any issues with the rosewood fingerboard or the neck, comfortable for me but i usually never have any issues with guitar necks unless they're v shaped or painted. After watching your video i gave it a second close look and still found it comfortable. However i should mention that the fingerboard doesn't sound as dark as the others rosewood fretboards that i've played with but since i always prefer maple no issues there for me, it sounds somewhere between maple and rosewood. And i also got some sharp frets but i've seen it with other usa models too. The only thing i truly disliked about both models is the bridge, those saddles are a pain in the ass, after wanting to keep it original for some time i finally ordered a 6 saddle bridge. Overall i would say thay the positive side of this beast heavily outweighs the negative side. Cheers 😀
Most of Jimmy Page's leads were on a Tele and most of Presence and In Through The Out Door were recorded on Strats (and his electric DADGAD stuff was on a Danelectro) :)
I want to Specially appreciate you for being a big fan.💞 Thanks for your nice comment on my post, it means a lot to me. I want you to send me a direct message💌 via hangouts using my personal email or you can as well add me up on WhatsApp through my mobile number that will be indicated below. Also endeavor to add your name to the text so I can know you are the one texting because I don’t reply unnecessary messages. Hangouts mail: JimmyPageactive@gmail.com WhatsApp number: +1(325) 221-5738
The guitar was destroyed sometime in the mid to late 70s. He used the Dragon Tele for the Stairway To Heaven solo. He eventually took the neck off the guitar when it was ruined and used it on his brown telecaster with the B Bender, which he used live for Ten Years Gone. I heard he restored it a few years ago, which I presume was then used as a template for this reissue.
When doing the "blind" test, I could immediately tell that the white U.S. model had a richer, fuller sound, whereas the Dragon was not quite as full and a bit brittle sounding, IMO. The sonic quality of my hearing is a bit compromised these days, but even with that issue, it was still easy to tell the two apart on the clean setting. With the distortion, it became more difficult to tell them apart. I would definitely spend the extra $$$ for the white Tele though. Often it is the little things that, when added up, make the difference!
I have owned the Dragon Telecaster since may. It really needed fret polishing badly. Once that was done with a good setup for 9s, it has been rock solid in its performance. The thick neck takes some getting used to. Getting that Led Zeppelin 1 tone or (STH Solo tone) is very easy with this guitar. Its actually the nicest Mexican Fender I have ever played. Also, I believe it will be the last Mexican Fender to feature Rosewood on the neck.
Just wanted to say, as a graphic designer/illustrator, I really appreciate that you don't try too hard with the edited In text, I see a lot of people with fancy editing that doesn't look good imo, but you embrace the edit n it brings a smile to my face
the dragon is by far the best of the three! the blond is nice but to spendy for me. the new mim fenders are hard to beat for the price, the older mim are impossible to beat if you can find one for three hundred dollars,that leaves you money for upgrades, and the one thing i dont like is the thick Polly finish! its worth it to me to use a heat gun and remove the rather thick crap they are finished with and do a nitro re spray. its alot less work than a good oil finish under a amber nitro, witch is my fav look.
I have the Dragon and love it, but the video made the white one sound so much better. I’ve been playing a Les Paul for years, but other than a brief period with a Squier Strat, this is my first Fender.
you see it a lot more if you look at Jimmys actual dragon tele . The head is facing backwards just left of the bridge on the top left corner. You can see it a lot easier on the actual page tele. I actually have both of these teles and honestly I changed the saddles on the dragon to wilkensen compensated brass saddles. Made a huge difference. It is way brighter now. Mine also has a lot of checking on the neck. They are both really nice guitars and sound great clean or with gain.
It's an interesting neck, gets quite beefy towards the body but very shallow shoulders so its quite manageable. I tried it in store and liked it right away.
I saw Led Zeppelin three years in a row at the Forum, during the early 1970's, and they were magnificent. Page was using the Les Paul by then, but the Telecaster was on the first recording, which they made in 30 hours. I like the blond, but not the mirrors...well, maybe just one? The strings go through the bridge on 1958-early 1959 model, instead of through the body, which changes the feel. With both options, some like 3 through body and 3 through bridge, for plain and wound strings. Some copper tape inside the routes would help quiet the noise. Rubbing the back of the polished nitrocellulose lacquer with a scouring pad, will safely smooth the feel. Page worked with Fender to voice the pickups, at least on the USA model. Coincidently, I had just watched a video of Page discussing this guitar earlier today. Cheers!!
My white Squire @ $199 w/Fender .10's through my G-Major & Marshall half-stack is fine for me. The tone is fat & sweet. Always play clean w/no listening fatigue.
I almost bought the dragon Tele but went to my local GC and they had both so I played them both. I agree that the neck on the mirror Tele felt much smoother but I actually preferred the "chonkiness" of the dragon neck and it had a really great sound. However, I did notice the flaws, and the overall build quality on the Dragon was disappointing. I really wanted to like it more, but I put them both back. Full disclosure - I've never liked the look of the Telecaster, but lately, they have grown on me. I am also impressed with the range of tones a basic Tele can produce, but clean and distorted. I will certainly add a Tele to my private collection at some point, but it probably won't be one of the Jimi Page models. If they actually made a better quality US version of the Dragon that wasn't insanely expensive, I'd buy it.
Thank you Trogly, I've owned the dragon tele for a year and was always hoping you might review it and give more info. Like you, I was shocked by the checking on the neck when I got it but glad to know it's sort of a feature rather than a fault, the board was so nice and dark on mine I was never going to send it back. The body was originally mean't to be nitro but they changed last minute much to the annoyance of many as the price remained the same. I can only assume they were concerned about how a nitro finish might interact with the decal underneath.
You might find this interesting as far as the production numbers of the Dragon Tele (Mexico). As a dealer I ordered these at the launch at the NAMM show and the first two I received were numbered in the 300's and 700's serial numbers...with your's being #3348 it's obvious to me that there are not alot of these out there.
Trogly, I purchased the dragon tele early on and the case I received was the tweed one - not the black one.....Also mine when unboxing was bounced around too. So much so that it actually damaged the case a little. Wonder if the black case is of better fit and quality? I let the guitar sit for a long while before unboxing, and my first impression was that the guitar needed a drastic setup, So much so when playing it for the first time the b string broke. I do like the sounds from the custom wound pickups. Mexican Quality needs to be better for this price point for sure.
Thank you for the video. I don't know if you are aware that the last minute or so there are two big rectangles on the screen with suggested videos covering your presentation of the guitars in black light. You might try to fill the last minute of the next video with blank screen or some non-important stuff and present your good work before the ads kick in
Cool! A couple little things you missed Trog, (understandably as you are more of a Gibson guy) That the S.N. is stamped on the plate on the MIM one is interesting and cool because they are usually on the back of the headstock, and it looks like they both have "clay" fingerboard marker dots instead of the usual white. And the pickups on the MIM one look made in USA with the cloth covered wire. Nice touch on the lacquer on the MIM one. I like the USA one better personally, not a big fan of the dragon. Would have been cool if they would have made the dragon an included decal like the mirrors, but then I think more people would have bought the MIM one . Nice playing demo!
The mystical Dragon Tele and the supro amp that made wonders in Led Zeppelin I, it also made history during the Stairway To Heaven solo, he used the same gear from LZ I, not sure if it was the dragon Tele, which wasn’t a dragon Tele anymore cause of the guy who painted it while he was on tour in ‘69 to “make a surprise” a bad surprise according to Jimmy, who didn’t understand after a while, (the Tele was striped at some point , but the neck lived in his brown B-bender Tele which was used a lot) it’s been a long time since I’ve been waiting for this review!
Mirror Page Tele for me is the best one. Not just louder, more detailed, and when you hit that low E string sold me. The Dragon Jimmy is cool and all but Id rather have the mirror one being a fan and all but wouldn't want the world to know when I play it.
Merry Christmas all. Trogly, this is the first time I've wanted a Tele... and it would likely be the Mexican. With that said, listening to the very first part of the blind comparison there is a clear difference in the bridge pickups. I got a little Strat from the MIM while the US came across as 100% Tele. Maybe that was due to the volume adjustment, but there is definitely something different there. Cheers, and keep up the great work!
I remember reading about these when they were in development and swore to myself I'd get the Dragon. Fast forward, got it, love it, do not regret it, at all.
Yep, the bridge pickup got completely destroyed by the paint, the solo in stairway is the neck pickup of the reassembled tele, as he took the neck off and put it on a B-bender tele. After stairway was recorded he put the neck back on the B-bender and left the body alone until fender spec’d it out
Sadly we won't be getting anymore ash bodies from Mexico, I bought a 70' vintera stratocaster back in July and then I found out they were discontinued and ash will only be used on USA fenders now. Merry Christmas Trogley !
I bought the Dragon got a fret job and a plex on it but you are correct it sounds so thin its really obvious which one is which. Now I have to buy some 59 throbak's to replace the pickups.
Cool to have the different price points, nice to have the string through option. I'd love to know what your thoughts on aftermarket PAF clone pick ups is. DO you have a favorite? Hope you and your family have a great holidays!!!
Maybe Santa will put a Page Tele under your tree tonight if you were good this year!
🔴Buy on Reverb: reverb.com/item/37924513?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly
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❓Private Help Sessions: troglysguitarshow.com/help-appraisals/
👕 Merch: teespring.com/basic-logo-4245?pid=211
Cool Review(s).
Rubber Grommet = Surgical Tubing (seriously, that is what they use).
Merry Christmas Austin, thank you for you content.
Lets see them compared to the Terry Kath CHICAGO Fender Baja Telecaster Tribute. Kinda apples and oranges, but circles, man.
@@vlady8me that thing is as hideous as either of these two. The mirrored is fine if you junk all the mirrors. And a mirrored Tele will always be a Syd thing in my book.
After listening to the demo the American Tele/Pickups sound a little fuller with more authority.
Walmart
Nothing sold more LP's than Jimmy Page's Telecaster..
You mean albums or Les Pauls?
😂
@@josemariareyes3448 Both..
Yeah that’s a good way to think about it.
Also, many double neck Gibsons owe their sales to a Fender 12 string Strat.
Well almost sold more. Slash saved the whole Gibson company.
Merry Christmas, Page actually recorded quite a bit with a Tele.
The stairway to heaven solo was recorded on a tele
Yep and the majority of the time recording and live, the 58and mostly the 59 Gibson Les paul. the telecaster just wouldn't have cut it live with the brutal volume of Led Zeppelin.
@@CaptainCraigKWMRZ "You Shook Me" was recorded with a Gibson Flying V. Id kill to have seen that.
Jimmy is much more a Fender player than people give him credit for. Not only on many Zep recordings even after Zep he played his brown Tele B-Bender as his number 1. Page used his Les Paul's live for more output. With that being said, he would have his toggle switch on both pick ups to get simular Tele sounds lol.
The saying goes, "Page's Telecaster sold a ton of Les Paul's"!
All my kids pitched in and got me the Dragon Tele for my big Christmas gift. 😢I was overwhelmed to say the least. I really love it. Sounds great. No complaints. It's my number 1. Thanks Jimmy P! You brought joy to this dad.
First Zep album: telecaster
Stairway solo: telecaster
Ten years gone solo: telecaster
Ten Years Gone was a strat no?
You Shook Me is a Flying V.
@@adolfoholguin8169 Nope, Tele.
@@Zoso_1990 Flying V!!!
Reportedly: Jimmy recorded a ton of Zep songs on a tele through a Supro amp. The Rig didn't work well on stage so the LP & Marshalls took over for live performances...
He said he chose Marshall amps because of their reliability and if something did go wrong, he would be able to find a replacement no matter where he was touring around the world.
JImmy really liked the Supro (he modified) for recording in Zep. He used it quite a bit on the first three albums and a fair amount on the fourth. The Tele was used in his Yardbird days playing guitar (before that he played bass) and pretty much all you hear on the first few albums (as far as electric goes) is the Tele. Not to be forgotten Jimmy's solo's playing with the Violin Bow started with the Tele and his big bends on the earlier recordings use to push down behind the nut on the high E & B strings to get that trem/ bend effect that is hard to do on a LP.
Tele truly doesn't get the respect it should being played on Zep albums. LP is fantastic but all has it's place. EVen his 59 Danelectro (Kashmir)
@@dlewtweentorla1210 So true, David! Studios have the album shaping ability, stage is a different congress... Buzzy guitars, delay though long cables, effect malfunctions.... It all leads to "Management" taking over....
Maybe the band would have put out something different in later years, but "management" pushed the group to the point...
I often think of the Pink Floyd lyric of 1980, "You may feel a little pin prick, is there anyone home".
Tele is , in my mind, a Zeppelin standard.
@@edwardmonsariste4050 Sure, why wouldn't you when you are touring??
@@electroKrunch That was from The Wall album circa 1979, and the lyrics aren’t in order, but point taken :)
I actually own the dragon tele model and absolutely love it, for 1400 bucks it’s definitely worth the money in my opinion
Is the art a decal?
does yours have that much checking on the neck? mine hardly has any...
First coincidentally opening my first tele for Christmas in a few hours a deluxe
Awesome and Congrats, a very good Christmas for you Harry.
Got my first Tele this Christmas as well! I hope yours makes you as happy as mine did. I know it will. Merry Christmas.
Wow! What a gift.
please ...be sure to remove all the staples from the box BEFORE sliding the case out
I searched all over the interwebs for the actual neck dimensions of these models and then I remembered that you always take measurements so I tuned into this video. i got the info that I was looking for and a whole lot more. I love your videos. I ended up picking up a used USA mirror version. Thanks for the work you put into your content!
Towards the end of another year, almost 4 years of watching this channel, learned so much, seen so much, and I never get tired of it, whether or not you see this I just want to say thank you since you edit these videos yourself and this is your job, we appreciate it, keep up the good work, have a brilliant Christmas and a happy new year too.
Here here!
I agree. This is fantastic content that would not be available without the tech we take for granted and I am grateful for Austin's willingness to put the work in to share his passion and knowledge with the world. It's a tremendous thing.
I love it too but the playing is rough.
@@IrisGalaxis i remember this channel back before the "headless sg" became one of the most popular video by him. Time sure flies
In the studio he used multiple guitars. And you can tell by the tones on the album he used the Tele quite often. Live he favored Gibson LP and double neck SG. But live (to me) never sounded the same or as good as the studio. This was because of Jimmy’s sound engineering magic. He did things in the studio that would be pretty much impossible to play live, unless you use feeds like some newer groups do. Anyway I grew up in through the late 60’s and early 70’s (my high school years) and Jimmy was the biggest influence on my guitar playing.
"In case you're not familiar with who he is" If you don't know who Jimmy Page is, put your guitar down and don't pick it back up until you know who he is :)
One word, Kashmir
Enough said
@@truckercowboyed2638 kasmire got my into zeplin but what got me playing was dazed and confused live 1969
100% right Thor. It should be a written rule lol.
I ADORE my Mirror Tele. I can't hardly put it down. I won't put the mirrors on it though because the finish is just so awesome I can't bring myself to do it. I actually think the mirrors look stupid but man without them it's a BEAUTIFUL Tele.
they look stupid anyway imho. something to do with witchcraft anyway.
I know you're a Gibson specialist, but I love when you review other makers. Always fun to hear what features/specifications appeal to you or things that surprised you.
It's really something to admire when a wood cutout gets different colors.
You should definitely check out the Fender “Road Worn” series! They were mim guitars with a very light paint and clear nitro coat so it wears away vert quickly so it doesn’t take years to get that “road worn” look and feel.
The Nashville deluxe tele is a screaming deal as well....
I got one a t a pawn shop for $250. I guess that thought it was just a beat up guitar.
Thank you for finally taking a look at these great guitars. I love my Dragon Tele, very versatile instrument
Fender and Wildwood came up with a “Ready to Relic” nitrocellulose formula and it’s a pretty neat idea. The guitars age a lot faster but look brand new at first. I wouldn’t be surprised if Fender started using it on a lot more “Vintage Style” guitars. Optional of course.
I just got a “Mary Kaye” Custom Shop 57 Closet Classic Strat for Christmas. I can’t wait for it to start wearing in. One piece ash bodies are fantastic!
Stairway to heaven solo was recorded using a telecaster
AND his Fender 12.
"Whole Lotta Love" and "Rain Song".
@@markjamesmeli2520 Vox phantom xll
You’re the first person to mention this under a Jimmy Page video
@@Zeppelin180 I know I'm edgy af
The dragon caster appears on LZ 1 and the Untitled 4th album, StH solo
I laughed when you said that people would prefer the MIM neck in the review and then completely changed your opinion after the playing demo. Also your playing demo was great in this one. Very nice!
I'm using high quality headphones and during the blind test, I thought the mirror tele sounded significantly better. It had a more open, fuller sound, like night and day.
Me too.
I've got the Mirror Tele and it's seriously awesome. I've played the Dragon one as well and it felt like total trash to me. Beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder though.
your so right Larry, during the blind test I thought to myself whatever the blue Trogly is, is the winner lol. I'll get the Mirror one for sure its $1100 more for a lot of reasons. If you want the Dragon kool look I can understand the people that do. Id rather spend the money for what I really want. I gotta get one lol.
It was never about jimmy’s lead playing for me.. I always loved his production and orchestration. Rain Song, Ten Years Gone, In My Time of Dying, Stairway. He always had a wonderful ability to write intricate parts and pair those parts with bold and strange guitar tones. He’s not like a Slash or a Brian May where you can pin one guitar on him… he had a lot of tools in his tool box.
The mirror one will be in my house in a couple days!! Cant wait. Great video between the two thank you!
Trogly, from listening to Page in interviews and reading various articles, Jimmy stated he took the Mirrors off the Tele and painted the Dragon Motif ( he was an art student) when Zep started as a New and Fresh Start. Even his clothes changed, trying to show this new band was different and more than a continuation of the Yardbirds. Cheers! Thanks for what you do
The coil cable was included because Jimmy used it back in the day and he believed the coil and length changed the tone of the guitar.
Cable length when long enough does effect tone, they make pedals that simulate it
Merry Christmas all! 😃Cheers from Newfoundland
Merry Christmas!
How ya gettin' on? Merry Christmas
Been waiting for you to review these for almost 2 years. THANK YOU TROGLY
Woo Hoo! I was afraid we weren't going to get a Christmas episode. Kind of strange that Trogs would do one on such an obscure guitarist, but still glad to get it. Merry Christmas to Mr. Trogly and all the Troglydytes!
Merry Christmas Austin!
I've been waiting for this for over a year and what a great Christmas present this is
that ash is so nice in that finish being natural
That dragon Telecaster pioneered zeps sound. Whole first album with a supro amp was recorded with this.
I hand built a replica of this guitar and it turned out awesome. Page used 8-38s for crazy bending on this guitar
And a borrowed Flying-V on You Shock Me.
Eights were pretty common back than as well, nines were heavy than, 10,11,etc are really only late eighties
@@mcamp9445 One common gauge back in the late 60's (Ernie Ball Rock and Rolls) was 10 on top and 38 on the low E, kinda like what Hendrix used.
@@mcamp9445 lol no
Quite a few players tuned down a half step to lower tension more than anything.
A singlecut LP Junior's factory strings were .14s, for example. Ernie Ball eventually did put out Slinkys but I doubt many outside of Nashville (which Jimmy was obsessed with) were running 8s at this time.
The trick of the day was tossing your wound G, buying a bajo string & using it as your E, moving the stock B & E to lower positions.
Still left one with bridge cables for bass strings.
Pull those damn staples with a pair of pliers . . . they can do a worse gash to your arm.
Didn't he record the absolute masterpiece Led Zeppelin debut with mostly a Telecaster?
Entirely with it. He didn't have the les Paul.
Were all (or most of) the songs on the supro?
He did have a three pickup Black Beauty since 1968, which was used extensively in LZ I and II, but yes, the Tele was his main live guitar (so, as a recording guitar that preference is also to be expected).
Also the stairway to heaven solo
The Tele was the most played on Zep I and II. Page played Les Pauls live for more output. Both The Tele and Les Paul make Led Zeppelin. I love both guitars.
Thanks so much for breaking down and doing a demo on both guitars! I've been so curious about these models. I think this is my favorite Trogly video of the year!
The fastest I ever clicked on a video, been waiting for someone to do a solid comparison between these two. I really want to get one but not sure which is better. The Dragon looks cooler, but the Mirror is MIA.
The neck on my MIM Dragon tle is just the same, aged checking around the headstock and a semi satin finish on the neck, however that plays to a kind of gloss pretty quickly because you can't stop playing these guitars, they feel and sound amazing. My favourite guitar to play possibly ever, and the sound of the Jimmy Page pickups is so accurate when you use them with a vox.
Great video of Jimmy playing the Dragon with the Yardbirds Dazed and confused on UA-cam.A must see!
One of my favorite Jimmy’s, stairway to heaven was the first song I played on a acoustic guitar. Thank you for spot lighting one of my favorite guitarist and band. Since I’ve been loving you. No quarter, tea for one and dazed and confused are my favorite especially live at the garden. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
I just tried the white one today. Plays lovely and was very well set up. I never thought a 7.25 inch neck radius would play like this..even did some David Gilmour bends on it with no fretting out issues at all! Very impressed with the quality and sound.
Merry Christmas Trogly, hope you and your family have a great time!
Great video. I think the reason why the neck is road worn on the dragon is because it was more used by the time the white tele became the dragon tele, after all they were the same guitar. Also from what i've read and heard on different videos they're the same pickups just branded different, which would make sense cause once again they were the same guitar. I went with the dragon model because it's unique, i mean you can always get a white tele 😀 mine also has a thicker sound, they probably aimed that sound with those models, a thicker sound was also one of the reason why i went with that one. After your video i examined mine and found that luckily mine seems to be a one piece ash body with some small marks in the wood which probably wouldn't happen with the usa model. However they're not visible on the first look and are only present at the back and the side. I really had to search for them to see. Didn't have any issues with the rosewood fingerboard or the neck, comfortable for me but i usually never have any issues with guitar necks unless they're v shaped or painted. After watching your video i gave it a second close look and still found it comfortable. However i should mention that the fingerboard doesn't sound as dark as the others rosewood fretboards that i've played with but since i always prefer maple no issues there for me, it sounds somewhere between maple and rosewood. And i also got some sharp frets but i've seen it with other usa models too. The only thing i truly disliked about both models is the bridge, those saddles are a pain in the ass, after wanting to keep it original for some time i finally ordered a 6 saddle bridge. Overall i would say thay the positive side of this beast heavily outweighs the negative side. Cheers 😀
digging the demo playing on this one! i'm feeling the dragon one. i like the look of the dragon over the natural wood grain.
The neck on the dragon has a road worn lacquer finish. I had to fine sand mine a couple of times because it was sticky, but now it is smooth as silk.
Most of Jimmy Page's leads were on a Tele and most of Presence and In Through The Out Door were recorded on Strats (and his electric DADGAD stuff was on a Danelectro) :)
I want to Specially appreciate you for being a big fan.💞 Thanks for your nice comment on my post, it means a lot to me. I want you to send me a direct message💌 via hangouts using my personal email or you can as well add me up on WhatsApp through my mobile number that will be indicated below. Also endeavor to add your name to the text so I can know you are the one texting because I don’t reply unnecessary messages.
Hangouts mail: JimmyPageactive@gmail.com
WhatsApp number: +1(325) 221-5738
The guitar was destroyed sometime in the mid to late 70s. He used the Dragon Tele for the Stairway To Heaven solo. He eventually took the neck off the guitar when it was ruined and used it on his brown telecaster with the B Bender, which he used live for Ten Years Gone. I heard he restored it a few years ago, which I presume was then used as a template for this reissue.
When doing the "blind" test, I could immediately tell that the white U.S. model had a richer, fuller sound, whereas the Dragon was not quite as full and a bit brittle sounding, IMO. The sonic quality of my hearing is a bit compromised these days, but even with that issue, it was still easy to tell the two apart on the clean setting. With the distortion, it became more difficult to tell them apart. I would definitely spend the extra $$$ for the white Tele though. Often it is the little things that, when added up, make the difference!
Well said.
Merry Christmas and great video as always!
A need that dragon🐉tele in me life ......a true bit of rock n roll history 🤘
I have owned the Dragon Telecaster since may. It really needed fret polishing badly. Once that was done with a good setup for 9s, it has been rock solid in its performance. The thick neck takes some getting used to. Getting that Led Zeppelin 1 tone or (STH Solo tone) is very easy with this guitar. Its actually the nicest Mexican Fender I have ever played. Also, I believe it will be the last Mexican Fender to feature Rosewood on the neck.
I got a mirror. It's the only non Les Paul guitar I have and I love it!
I have a dragon tele, and im in love! I was waiting for a proper review of this guitar
I like the Dragon WAY better. It's been on my shopping list. Maybe it's time to start shopping for a used one.
That pickguard swap is on point
Just wanted to say, as a graphic designer/illustrator, I really appreciate that you don't try too hard with the edited In text, I see a lot of people with fancy editing that doesn't look good imo, but you embrace the edit n it brings a smile to my face
The USA sounds so much better but I like the look of the Dragon Happy Holidays !
the dragon is by far the best of the three! the blond is nice but to spendy for me. the new mim fenders are hard to beat for the price, the older mim are impossible to beat if you can find one for three hundred dollars,that leaves you money for upgrades, and the one thing i dont like is the thick Polly finish! its worth it to me to use a heat gun and remove the rather thick crap they are finished with and do a nitro re spray. its alot less work than a good oil finish under a amber nitro, witch is my fav look.
I have the Dragon and love it, but the video made the white one sound so much better. I’ve been playing a Les Paul for years, but other than a brief period with a Squier Strat, this is my first Fender.
That guitar came with a really nice chord, I use a orange cable like that.
Waking up to Trogly's show on Christmas is pretty awesome. I hope you have a good one man. ::)
Still don't see the dragon, guess I don't have an artistic eye 😅. Merry Christmas all!
you see it a lot more if you look at Jimmys actual dragon tele . The head is facing backwards just left of the bridge on the top left corner. You can see it a lot easier on the actual page tele. I actually have both of these teles and honestly I changed the saddles on the dragon to wilkensen compensated brass saddles. Made a huge difference. It is way brighter now. Mine also has a lot of checking on the neck. They are both really nice guitars and sound great clean or with gain.
Merry Christmas
I preferred the dragon for looks and sound to my ears. I’d have to play one to see if I like the oval neck.
It's an interesting neck, gets quite beefy towards the body but very shallow shoulders so its quite manageable. I tried it in store and liked it right away.
I have one, its a joy to play
@@henrykelly1183 Thanks that’s what I thought. Trogly didn’t think much of it but he is used to les Paul’s.
jimmy page really just coppied early syd barret pink floyd esquire with mirror!!!!
I saw Led Zeppelin three years in a row at the Forum, during the early 1970's, and they were magnificent. Page was using the Les Paul by then, but the Telecaster was on the first recording, which they made in 30 hours. I like the blond, but not the mirrors...well, maybe just one? The strings go through the bridge on 1958-early 1959 model, instead of through the body, which changes the feel. With both options, some like 3 through body and 3 through bridge, for plain and wound strings. Some copper tape inside the routes would help quiet the noise. Rubbing the back of the polished nitrocellulose lacquer with a scouring pad, will safely smooth the feel. Page worked with Fender to voice the pickups, at least on the USA model. Coincidently, I had just watched a video of Page discussing this guitar earlier today. Cheers!!
ive wanted the dragon tele for so long and im glad to see a review on it
I would go with the mexican one without a doubt.
My white Squire @ $199 w/Fender .10's through my G-Major & Marshall half-stack is fine for me. The tone is fat & sweet. Always play clean w/no listening fatigue.
Merry Christmas to all troglys
They BOTH sound VERY GOOD. I agree about the Page sounding better overall though. Very interesting.
Merry Xmas EVERYONE!! Hope it gets Better for all !!!!! God bless Us Everyone!!!!!
niiiice. havent watched the video yet but i have been waiting for this specific video since march of last year
I almost bought the dragon Tele but went to my local GC and they had both so I played them both. I agree that the neck on the mirror Tele felt much smoother but I actually preferred the "chonkiness" of the dragon neck and it had a really great sound. However, I did notice the flaws, and the overall build quality on the Dragon was disappointing. I really wanted to like it more, but I put them both back. Full disclosure - I've never liked the look of the Telecaster, but lately, they have grown on me. I am also impressed with the range of tones a basic Tele can produce, but clean and distorted. I will certainly add a Tele to my private collection at some point, but it probably won't be one of the Jimi Page models. If they actually made a better quality US version of the Dragon that wasn't insanely expensive, I'd buy it.
So the neck on the "Dragon" Tele is fatter than the neck on the "Mirror" Tele?
Merry Christmas!! Anyone else think the mirror one looks like Noddy Holder's hat at Winterland?
Really interesting to see them side by side. Fab review!
Thank you Trogly, I've owned the dragon tele for a year and was always hoping you might review it and give more info. Like you, I was shocked by the checking on the neck when I got it but glad to know it's sort of a feature rather than a fault, the board was so nice and dark on mine I was never going to send it back. The body was originally mean't to be nitro but they changed last minute much to the annoyance of many as the price remained the same. I can only assume they were concerned about how a nitro finish might interact with the decal underneath.
You might find this interesting as far as the production numbers of the Dragon Tele (Mexico). As a dealer I ordered these at the launch at the NAMM show and the first two I received were numbered in the 300's and 700's serial numbers...with your's being #3348 it's obvious to me that there are not alot of these out there.
Trogly, I purchased the dragon tele early on and the case I received was the tweed one - not the black one.....Also mine when unboxing was bounced around too. So much so that it actually damaged the case a little. Wonder if the black case is of better fit and quality? I let the guitar sit for a long while before unboxing, and my first impression was that the guitar needed a drastic setup, So much so when playing it for the first time the b string broke. I do like the sounds from the custom wound pickups. Mexican Quality needs to be better for this price point for sure.
Thank you for the video. I don't know if you are aware that the last minute or so there are two big rectangles on the screen with suggested videos covering your presentation of the guitars in black light. You might try to fill the last minute of the next video with blank screen or some non-important stuff and present your good work before the ads kick in
I have one of the Dragon-Teles and I LOVE it! 🎸
Great „fat“/„warm“ sounding Tele Singlecoil-Pickups - oh it’s one of my favourites!
About time! I don't care which one sounds a little better everyone wants the dragon tele including me
Merry Christmas to the Trogly family
Cool! A couple little things you missed Trog, (understandably as you are more of a Gibson guy) That the S.N. is stamped on the plate on the MIM one is interesting and cool because they are usually on the back of the headstock, and it looks like they both have "clay" fingerboard marker dots instead of the usual white. And the pickups on the MIM one look made in USA with the cloth covered wire. Nice touch on the lacquer on the MIM one. I like the USA one better personally, not a big fan of the dragon. Would have been cool if they would have made the dragon an included decal like the mirrors, but then I think more people would have bought the MIM one . Nice playing demo!
The mystical Dragon Tele and the supro amp that made wonders in Led Zeppelin I, it also made history during the Stairway To Heaven solo, he used the same gear from LZ I, not sure if it was the dragon Tele, which wasn’t a dragon Tele anymore cause of the guy who painted it while he was on tour in ‘69 to “make a surprise” a bad surprise according to Jimmy, who didn’t understand after a while, (the Tele was striped at some point , but the neck lived in his brown B-bender Tele which was used a lot) it’s been a long time since I’ve been waiting for this review!
Ive been waiting for this video. Merrry Christmas Troglodytes!
Love the Dragon. It looks so mysterious.
Mirror Page Tele for me is the best one. Not just louder, more detailed, and when you hit that low E string sold me. The Dragon Jimmy is cool and all but Id rather have the
mirror one being a fan and all but wouldn't want the world to know when I play it.
Merry Christmas all. Trogly, this is the first time I've wanted a Tele... and it would likely be the Mexican. With that said, listening to the very first part of the blind comparison there is a clear difference in the bridge pickups. I got a little Strat from the MIM while the US came across as 100% Tele. Maybe that was due to the volume adjustment, but there is definitely something different there. Cheers, and keep up the great work!
I remember reading about these when they were in development and swore to myself I'd get the Dragon.
Fast forward, got it, love it, do not regret it, at all.
I think Sweetwater offers a pleck service now, so if you are in the market for one of the dragon tele's that could be an option
You could use heated tongue oil on the back of the dragon telecaster. It would do alot. Merry Christmas!!!
isnt the reason that the dragon tele got destroyed was because jimmy page’s housekeeper decided to give him a suprise one time and refinished it?
Yep, the bridge pickup got completely destroyed by the paint, the solo in stairway is the neck pickup of the reassembled tele, as he took the neck off and put it on a B-bender tele.
After stairway was recorded he put the neck back on the B-bender and left the body alone until fender spec’d it out
@@Sunburn77 pretty sure it got destroyed while he was on tour in 75 which would be after stairway.
@@IJIIKY9192 well I could definitely be wrong but that’s what I was once told
Sadly we won't be getting anymore ash bodies from Mexico, I bought a 70' vintera stratocaster back in July and then I found out they were discontinued and ash will only be used on USA fenders now. Merry Christmas Trogley !
I bought the Dragon got a fret job and a plex on it but you are correct it sounds so thin its really obvious which one is which. Now I have to buy some 59 throbak's to replace the pickups.
Christmas eve is not complete without a dose of Trogly!
that little hole isnt a marking for MIM's its a place where the CNC mounts!!
Merry Christmas could you do a musicman stingray guitar
Jimmy also had a Stratocaster. Theres quite a few songs on Presence and ITTOD.
I'm Dazed and Confused!!!! Happy Holidays Trogly!!!!
Cool to have the different price points, nice to have the string through option. I'd love to know what your thoughts on aftermarket PAF clone pick ups is. DO you have a favorite? Hope you and your family have a great holidays!!!