The Led Zeppelin legend had a fleeting partnership with the six-string, which was given to him during an impromptu jam session in 1991
(Image credit: Gotta Have Rock and Roll)
Jimmy Page’s name is associated with a number of electric guitars, from his iconic Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck to the equally intriguing Fender Dragon Telecaster. Chief among the lot, of course, is his iconic 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, which is synonymous with the guitar great.
As it happens, though, Page also once had a fling with an Olympic White 1971 Fender Stratocaster during the early ‘90s – an instrument that is about to hit the auction block over at Gotta Have Rock and Roll.
As far as provenance goes, the guitar itself came into Page’s possession in 1991, when the Led Zeppelin man moved to Lake Tahoe for the Coverdale/Page recording sessions. Upon attending a Public Eye gig at the local Legends bar, Page was given the Strat by the band’s lead guitarist, Robbie Cade, to play on stage.
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(Image credit: Gotta Have Rock and Roll)
(Image credit: Gotta Have Rock and Roll)
The impromptu jam session was followed up with another onstage appearance from Page, who was once again given Cade’s vintage Strat to wield. As a gesture of goodwill, the Public Eye guitarist gifted Page the instrument once their fleeting stage-sharing escapades came to an end.
Eventually, the guitar found its way back into Cade’s hands, with Page returning to Legends at the end of the month to hand over the six-string to its rightful owner.
While by no means a longstanding servant in the annals of Page’s guitar gear folklore, it did fall into his hands for for a period of time, having been corroborated by a certificate of authenticity from Gotta Have Rock and Roll, a signed letter of provenance from Robbie Cade, and a photo-matched cigarette burn located on the bottom of the neck.
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(Image credit: Gotta Have Rock and Roll)
(Image credit: Gotta Have Rock and Roll)
Aside from the much-faded Olympic White finish, which sports some subtly authentic road scars, the CBS-era Strat features a period-standard oversized headstock, a maple neck and fretboard, and a trio of EMG single coils.
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If you’re curious about how the axe sounds, check out the video below, which sees Music is Win’s Tyler Larson put the Page-played six-string through its paces.
The auction is set to go ahead today (August 11) at 9am ET.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
