“It’s got the fattest neck Jackson has ever made… I said, ‘Am I going to be able to play this thing?’” Jackson has made Phil Collen a Tele-style model with a neck twice as thick as a regular guitar’s – and a signature version could be in the pipeline

Phil Collen of Def Leppard performs onstage during the "Summer Stadium" tour at Truist Park on July 13, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Throughout his time with Def Leppard, Phil Collen has most commonly been associated with Stratocaster-style electric guitars. They’ve appeared in various forms over the years, but the double-cut design has always been Collen’s preferred axe of choice.

However, that looks like it’s all about to change after Collen took delivery of a rather special custom shop creation that he says is his “new favourite guitar” – and, in what will come as a surprise to many, it’s inspired by the Fender Telecaster.