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Jimmy Page Signature Sundragon Amp, Commemorating 50th


Gianluca

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Hi all, I know it's an handmade amp like many others, but being a fan in my youth....I find it intriguing. Given the upcoming Jimmy Page Drangon Slayer Telecaster made in four kinds (2 Custom Shop and 2 standard production)

First 50 pcs handmade (and will cost a fortune...?) and following will be made a standard production model.

https://www.sundragonamp.com/

 

JP151118_0603d.jpg

 

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It does look like fun..  but I'll say that I don't feel the need for more amps right now. 

Here's the low down...

"Sundragon is a faithful recreation of the amp that Jimmy used exclusively to create the groundbreaking sounds on Led Zeppelin I and other notable recordings, such as Joe Cocker’s With a Little Help from My Friends."

"Jimmy’s original amp started out life as a Supro Coronado. After falling out of the back of the band’s van during an early pre-Zeppelin tour, the amp was restored and modified in significant ways. Jimmy realised that the sonic palette of his amp had changed to something new and unique. After being shrouded in mystery for more than 50 years, Jimmy has decided to share this extraordinary amplifier with the world.

Working together closely with Mitch Colby and Perry Margouleff they have recreated this legendary amp for the first time.

“I had been impressed with the forensic analysis both Mitch and Perry had put into the research of the sonic reproduction of the original Supro amp to arrive at the Sundragon”, said Jimmy."

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Yes, maybe I get your point and we already have Supro (and many others handmade worldwide) doing a great job

I do not own a tube amp strait to the point like it appears to be, but again a used Supro could do for the guitar player I am

(ps: forgot to attach the link to the JP Tele: https://www.fender.com/articles/gear/chasing-the-dragon-the-magical-mystery-of-jimmy-page-s-painted-telecaster )

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Hopefully, it'll be something good. Mitch Colby has helped resurrect the "Park" line of amplifiers, which were originally Marshall's "Value" line, which they sold direct outside of their distribution contracts.

Still, for the average person, the "Black Magick" amplifier from Supro will get you as close to early Led Zeppelin as you need.

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On 1/23/2019 at 3:31 PM, tbonesullivan said:

Hopefully, it'll be something good. Mitch Colby has helped resurrect the "Park" line of amplifiers, which were originally Marshall's "Value" line, which they sold direct outside of their distribution contracts.

Park amps certainly weren't a "value" line - they were basically Marshalls with minor changes to the circuit and different cosmetically. From Wikipedia...

Marshall entered into a 15-year distribution deal with British company Rose-Morris during 1965, which gave him the capital to expand his manufacturing operations, though it would prove to be costly. In retrospect, Marshall admitted the Rose-Morris deal was "the biggest mistake I ever made. Rose-Morris hadn't a clue, really. For export, they added 55% onto my price, which pretty much priced us out of the world market for a long time."

The new contract had disenfranchised several of Marshall's former distributors, among them his old friend Johnny Jones. Marshall's contract did not prevent him from building amplifiers outside the company, and so Marshall launched the Park brand name, inspired by the maiden name of Jones's wife. To comply with his contract stipulations, these amplifiers had minor circuit changes compared to the regular Marshalls, and minor changes to the appearance. For instance, often the Parks had silver or black front panels instead of the Marshall's gold ones, some of the enclosures were taller or shaped differently, and controls were laid out and labelled differently.

Starting in early 1965, Park produced a number of amplifiers including a 45-watt head. Most of these had Marshall layout and components, though some unusual amplifiers were made, such as a 75 watt keyboard amplifier with KT88 tubes. A 2×12-inch combo had the option of sending the first channel into the second, probably inspired by Marshall users doing the same trick with a jumper cable.[8] The 1972 Park 75 put out about 100 watts by way of two KT88s, whereas the comparable 50-watt Model 1987 of that time used 2 EL34tubes.

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Thanks for the info! I guess I was thinking more of the "second coming" of Park, when it was the "value line", which quickly went away. I had a solid state Park amplifier when I was in middle school.  I know that people are raving about the current incarnation of the Park amplifiers, so if the guy can make those right, he's certainly the one to turn to to reissue this amplifier.

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not strictly related but I thin this interview is interesting: 

maybe already viewed since it's not new

interesting explanations and tales, giving a wider view than "how did you play ..." or "what rig you used during..."

the vision he shares of what made Led Zeppelin looking and sounding different, the importance of being broadcasted in US, the 4 stars band he envisioned ...well spent 50mins imHo

 

 

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I saw the price tag on this... $1399.  

My only guess its MIM.

Here's the Spec per Sweetwater:

2-piece ash body with custom Jimmy Page artwork; satin nitrocellulose lacquer finish
Maple neck, Jimmy Page Custom Thin D profile, Road Worn nitro finish
Rosewood fingerboard, 7.25" radius, 21 vintage frets, dot inlays
Bridge pickup: Jimmy Page Custom '59 single-coil
Neck pickup: Jimmy Page Custom '59 single-coil
3-way pickup selector
Master Volume and Tone controls
3-saddle vintage-style string-through/top-load bridge
1.65" synthetic bone nut; 25.5" scale length
Fender vintage-style tuners
Factory strings: Fender NPS 10–46, standard tuning
Single-action truss rod, neck heel access
Included vintage-style hardshell case

Oddly enough, there is no origin markers on it.

Fender Specs vary from Sweetwaters above:

Neck Shape Jimmy Page Custom "Oval C"

I looked on Fender's website, nothing marked on the guitar to its origins.  I find that rather odd.

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as of now I can only find two of them in the shops and some is in pre-order:

Fender Jimmy Page Mirror Tele White Blonde RW

Mirror White Blonde https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/listing/fender-artist-jimmy-page-telecaster-mirror-white-blonde-pre-order/18724983 the more expensive

and,

 

Fender Jimmy Page Tele Natural RW

 https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/listing/fender-artist-jimmy-page-telecaster-graphic-natural-pre-order/18725305 the cheaper

 

in UK shops is the same, they weren't available on websites before NAMM

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ah....and I see different signatures in the rear of headstock, the dragon seems to not have it, the Mirror White Blonde is black and the Mirrored seems to be original signature in silver

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I've been digging :-)

specs of http://www.fendercustomshop.com/series/artist/jimmy-page-dragon-tele/ differ from specs of https://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-artist-series-jimmy-page-dragon-telecaster-rw-natural/923365 that is, specs of the Custom Shop edition differs from what it appears to be the standard production(body finish, nut bone material, etc.)

 

it makes me thinking that the Custom Shop Dragon Slayer is another price and edition not yet available in the shops(...) as in the first announce they told about 4 models, counting is at three as of now: the White Mirror, The mirrored, the (cheap)Dragon.

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I've just been informed by a famous guitar shop in London that the Custom Shop version of the Dragon Tele comes in a set of Two with the Mirrored. It's hard to find available, they're being sold fast.

so, this: http://www.fendercustomshop.com/features/jimmy-page/ is a Set of two guitars sold together

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So many Teles. So many Strats. I'm just glad my Tele is from back when there only two kinds, the regular Tele and the new-fangled thinline.

Simpler times for simpler minds.

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