Leo Fender couldn’t have foreseen John 5 when the first Telecaster rolled off the line 75 years ago. But since going public in the late-’90s as the chalk-faced sideman for Marilyn Manson, the Michigan-born shredder has been arguably the heavy mob’s greatest ambassador for the model.
As 5’s career has twisted and turned – from early shifts with David Lee Roth, Manson and Rob Zombie to his solo career and recent stunt-guitar duties for Mötley Crüe – his appreciation of the Tele has evolved in lockstep.
