John Page

Signature The DL

- By Paul Riario

ALTHOUGH HE ISN'T related to Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, John Page can also be considered a guitar legend - not as a musician but as one of the world's most respected guitar designers and innovative luthiers. With an esteemed background as the co-founder and former head of the Fender Custom Shop, Page has closely worked with and created instruments for some of the most celebrated rock stars in the biz, including Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and Pete Townshend.

Page eventually left Fender to pursue other interests but ultimately returned to his passion by launching his own brand, John Page Classic Guitars, in 2015. During this time, I became intimately familiar with two of his premier models: the Ashburn and AJ, both of which were designed by him but made in Japan. These are inspiringly great guitars that I still own and play today, and the main reason I'm excited to review yet another stellar instrument from the John Page line, The DL. What's different this time around is that Page moved production away from Japan and assembled a team of top-notch builders to handcraft what is now a “Signature” guitar collection made in the USA. The DL — the initials of Page’s wife — is a stirring new hybrid model and part of that Signature line hand-built in their Ohio custom shop, and it’s every bit as captivating as his other designs.

Build Quality