Pete Townshend

JakeDobner

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
5 News Pins

Posted on Jan 25 2007 12:53 AM

Here is Pete with some cool Fender amps.

Pete: Yeah. I never used Marshall amps, I didnât like them. I had Fender amps, a Fender Pro and a Fender Bassman and two 4 x 12s. Each one didnât drive its own speakers, it drove those two Marshall 4 x 12 cabinets. And I kept that set-up for a long time.

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JohnnyMosrite

Joined: Jun 14, 2006
Posts: 909
New York City area

Posted on Jan 25 2007 07:57 AM

Jake.. all well and good
BUT..
Pete Townsend (and the WHO) subsequently endorsed (which means they USED) SUNN amplfiers. I have a Sunn Solaris - with 2 EL34 power tubes. it's the functional equvalent of a Marshal JCM800 i.e. it sounds more MARSHALL than FENDER.
Maybe the MARSHALL sound was an "acquired taste" for ol' Petey??

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Rick_Volcano

Joined: Mar 05, 2006
Posts: 289
Detroit
1 Calendar Pin

Posted on Jan 25 2007 10:31 AM

Cool pics, Jake!
I wonder how easy it was to find Fender amps in Britain at that time.

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dp

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
United States

Posted on Jan 25 2007 10:56 AM

Pete used all kinds of amps during live performances: Fender, Marshall (yes, even though he said he didn't care for them...see pic below of PT kicking mucho Marshall ass....), HIWATT, Mesa, Sunn, Vox etc.

Pete used tons of different guitars live: Vox, Fender (Tele, Strat, JM), Rickenbacker, Gibson (SG, LP), Schecter, Gretsch...etc.

Typically, for most recording purposes, he's only uses one setup: a big orange Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins and an old style 1959 Fender Bandmaster.

since about 2001, during live performances, Pete's been playing a red Stratocaster (with tremolo bar and some sort of cool "PT-extra-white-knob-mod") through Fender amplification:

image

Last edited: Jan 25, 2007 15:55:56

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JakeDobner

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
5 News Pins

Posted on Jan 25 2007 11:00 AM

JohnnyMosrite
Jake.. all well and good
BUT..
Pete Townsend (and the WHO) subsequently endorsed (which means they USED) SUNN amplfiers. I have a Sunn Solaris - with 2 EL34 power tubes. it's the functional equvalent of a Marshal JCM800 i.e. it sounds more MARSHALL than FENDER.
Maybe the MARSHALL sound was an "acquired taste" for ol' Petey??

According to the amazing who gear page I visited Pete used Fenders for only a couple years in the beginning before switching over to other stuff.

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IronMaiden

Joined: Nov 02, 2006
Posts: 564
Virginia Beach

Posted on Jan 25 2007 11:17 AM

Whatever he used on 'Live at Leeds' was the sh*t!

Ever read his book 'The Horses Neck' (I think its called) in it the main character dreams about getting a forced enema;

Last edited: Jan 25, 2007 12:08:19

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JohnnyMosrite

Joined: Jun 14, 2006
Posts: 909
New York City area

Posted on Jan 25 2007 11:52 AM

IronM..thanks for sharing that with us

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JoshHeartless

Joined: Jun 17, 2006
Posts: 1010
Bay City, Michigan
United States

Posted on Jan 25 2007 01:01 PM

He also used Sound City as well.

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BillAqua

Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1054
Chicago IL.
3 POTD Pins

Posted on Jan 25 2007 01:49 PM

lol he's an old creeper now.

—

"as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"

https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDragstripVipers/

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dp

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
United States

Posted on Jan 25 2007 01:50 PM

re: Pete's "Live at Leeds" gear setup...

looks like Gibson SG sporting Townshend-modded P-90 pickups through HIWATT amplification.

image

Pete used HIWATT amplification onstage from @ 1968-1985

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krupanut

Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 492
Austin Texas
2 News Pins

Posted on Jan 25 2007 04:56 PM

I hate to think what might have happend to that Jazzmaster.

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The Thunderchiefs

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dp

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
United States

Posted on Jan 25 2007 06:07 PM

here he is in 1965 spearing a Vox AC-100 with a Danelectro Longhorn guitar!

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dp

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
United States

Posted on Jan 25 2007 06:13 PM

according to www.thewho.net

the jazzmaster survived long enough to appear as one of the guitars used to record "Tommy", but, unfortunately, was later stolen...

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dp

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
United States

Posted on Jan 25 2007 06:25 PM

he also used a stand-alone reverb unit for a while: a Grampian

shown on top of Townshend's early dual-Marshall head setup.

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spskins

Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 3787
tn
United States

Posted on Jan 25 2007 06:36 PM

he did earn extra points when he put the whammy bar through his hand.

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https://satanspilgrims.bandcamp.com/
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dp

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
United States

Posted on Jan 25 2007 06:56 PM

image

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RobbieReverb

Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2387
San Jose, Ca.
3 News Pins

Posted on Jan 26 2007 01:29 AM

JakeDobner
Here is Pete with some cool Fender amps.

Pete: Yeah. I never used Marshall amps, I didnât like them. I had Fender amps, a Fender Pro and a Fender Bassman and two 4 x 12s. Each one didnât drive its own speakers, it drove those two Marshall 4 x 12 cabinets. And I kept that set-up for a long time.

When I saw Pete in '68 he had a wall of Fender piggyback amps.
My ears are still ringing from that show!

My favorite sound of Pete's was the "Live @ Leeds"-era Gibson SG
through Hiwatts.

He sounded great with Les Pauls through Mesa Boogies, too.

The last decade or so, he's playing a strat through Fender Vibro
Kings, and sounds awesome.

Bob

—

Bob

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JakeDobner

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
5 News Pins

Posted on Jan 26 2007 08:28 AM

image

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JakeDobner Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle	Posted on Jan 25 2007 12:53 AM Here is Pete with some cool Fender amps. Pete: Yeah. I never used Marshall amps, I didnât like them. I had Fender amps, a Fender Pro and a Fender Bassman and two 4 x 12s. Each one didnât drive its own speakers, it drove those two Marshall 4 x 12 cabinets. And I kept that set-up for a long time. Top
JohnnyMosrite Joined: Jun 14, 2006 Posts: 909 New York City area	Posted on Jan 25 2007 07:57 AM Jake.. all well and good BUT.. Pete Townsend (and the WHO) subsequently endorsed (which means they USED) SUNN amplfiers. I have a Sunn Solaris - with 2 EL34 power tubes. it's the functional equvalent of a Marshal JCM800 i.e. it sounds more MARSHALL than FENDER. Maybe the MARSHALL sound was an "acquired taste" for ol' Petey?? Top
Rick_Volcano Joined: Mar 05, 2006 Posts: 289 Detroit	Posted on Jan 25 2007 10:31 AM Cool pics, Jake! I wonder how easy it was to find Fender amps in Britain at that time. — The Volcanos Top
dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Jan 25 2007 10:56 AM Pete used all kinds of amps during live performances: Fender, Marshall (yes, even though he said he didn't care for them...see pic below of PT kicking mucho Marshall ass....), HIWATT, Mesa, Sunn, Vox etc. Pete used tons of different guitars live: Vox, Fender (Tele, Strat, JM), Rickenbacker, Gibson (SG, LP), Schecter, Gretsch...etc. Typically, for most recording purposes, he's only uses one setup: a big orange Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins and an old style 1959 Fender Bandmaster. since about 2001, during live performances, Pete's been playing a red Stratocaster (with tremolo bar and some sort of cool "PT-extra-white-knob-mod") through Fender amplification: image Last edited: Jan 25, 2007 15:55:56 Top
JakeDobner Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle	Posted on Jan 25 2007 11:00 AM JohnnyMosrite Jake.. all well and good BUT.. Pete Townsend (and the WHO) subsequently endorsed (which means they USED) SUNN amplfiers. I have a Sunn Solaris - with 2 EL34 power tubes. it's the functional equvalent of a Marshal JCM800 i.e. it sounds more MARSHALL than FENDER. Maybe the MARSHALL sound was an "acquired taste" for ol' Petey?? According to the amazing who gear page I visited Pete used Fenders for only a couple years in the beginning before switching over to other stuff. Top
IronMaiden Joined: Nov 02, 2006 Posts: 564 Virginia Beach	Posted on Jan 25 2007 11:17 AM Whatever he used on 'Live at Leeds' was the sh*t! Ever read his book 'The Horses Neck' (I think its called) in it the main character dreams about getting a forced enema; Last edited: Jan 25, 2007 12:08:19 Top
JohnnyMosrite Joined: Jun 14, 2006 Posts: 909 New York City area	Posted on Jan 25 2007 11:52 AM IronM..thanks for sharing that with us Top
JoshHeartless Joined: Jun 17, 2006 Posts: 1010 Bay City, Michigan	Posted on Jan 25 2007 01:01 PM He also used Sound City as well. — The Tremblors on Facebook! The Tremblors on MySpace! Top
BillAqua Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 1054 Chicago IL.	Posted on Jan 25 2007 01:49 PM lol he's an old creeper now. — "as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there" https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/ https://www.facebook.com/TheDragstripVipers/ Top
dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Jan 25 2007 01:50 PM re: Pete's "Live at Leeds" gear setup... looks like Gibson SG sporting Townshend-modded P-90 pickups through HIWATT amplification. image Pete used HIWATT amplification onstage from @ 1968-1985 Top
krupanut Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 492 Austin Texas	Posted on Jan 25 2007 04:56 PM I hate to think what might have happend to that Jazzmaster. — The Thunderchiefs Top
dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Jan 25 2007 06:07 PM here he is in 1965 spearing a Vox AC-100 with a Danelectro Longhorn guitar! Top
dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Jan 25 2007 06:13 PM according to www.thewho.net the jazzmaster survived long enough to appear as one of the guitars used to record "Tommy", but, unfortunately, was later stolen... Top
dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Jan 25 2007 06:25 PM he also used a stand-alone reverb unit for a while: a Grampian shown on top of Townshend's early dual-Marshall head setup. Top
spskins Joined: Feb 27, 2006 Posts: 3787 tn	Posted on Jan 25 2007 06:36 PM he did earn extra points when he put the whammy bar through his hand. — http://www.satanspilgrims.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/Satans-Pilgrims/8210228553 https://satanspilgrims.bandcamp.com/ http://www.surfyindustries.com Top
dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Jan 25 2007 06:56 PM image Top
RobbieReverb Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 2387 San Jose, Ca.	Posted on Jan 26 2007 01:29 AM JakeDobner Here is Pete with some cool Fender amps. Pete: Yeah. I never used Marshall amps, I didnât like them. I had Fender amps, a Fender Pro and a Fender Bassman and two 4 x 12s. Each one didnât drive its own speakers, it drove those two Marshall 4 x 12 cabinets. And I kept that set-up for a long time. When I saw Pete in '68 he had a wall of Fender piggyback amps. My ears are still ringing from that show! My favorite sound of Pete's was the "Live @ Leeds"-era Gibson SG through Hiwatts. He sounded great with Les Pauls through Mesa Boogies, too. The last decade or so, he's playing a strat through Fender Vibro Kings, and sounds awesome. Bob — Bob Top
JakeDobner Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle	Posted on Jan 26 2007 08:28 AM image Top

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Pete Townshend