Pete Townshend

Pete uses this microphone for his guitar cabinets, accirding to Shure's official website.

A Martin D-35 acoustic guitar, serial no. 281698. Purchased from Manny’s on 31 July or 1 August 1971. Sold by Wiggy Wolff, the Who’s production manager, in October 1996 to a private collector.

According to vintageinstrumentcenter.com/martin-guitar-serial, the serial number 281698 was made in 1971, which tallies with the account given by John “Wiggy” Wolfe, production manager for The Who.

According to Wiggy Wolff, this guitar was used to write some songs during the 1971 tour. From the letter by Wiggy included with the instrument:

"...we both returned to Manny’s to stock up for the rest of the current tour, it was on this visit that Henry Manny himself, knowing of our love of the Martin sound, showed us a D35 which he said was better than all of the others that he had had recently, and easily comparable to the more expensive D45 that he had in stock.... Pete used it to write some some songs during the tour, but don’t ask me which ones."

Pete Townshend acquired a small-bodied Martin acoustic, possibly as early as 1979 or 1980, and used it on 1989’s Iron Man and subsequent recordings. He purchased this guitar from Frank Lucido, California Guitar in Los Angeles.

"Pete used this cherry sunburst 1973 Les Paul Custom guitar for perhaps only one show: Newcastle Odeon on 7 November 1973. However, it is immortalized in the promotional poster for The Kids Are Alright film soundtrack."

"Pete Townshend used a Fylde Ariel model small-bodied acoustic guitar in the studio and for solo performances. He began using this guitar in 1979 as his “on the road” guitar in place of his 1968 Gibson J-200. In the studio, he used it likely on Empty Glass, as well as Iron Man and Psychoderelict. He also used it on Driftin’ Blues in 1981, which appears on Another Scoop. In 2006 he used this guitar on Endless Wire. For 1996-era solo shows, he used this for solo acoustic numbers, such as I Am An Animal and A Friend is A Friend, fitted with a Fishman Acoustic Matrix pickup system. He continued to use it for solo appearances in 2006 with Rachel Fuller.

According to thewho.net website, Townshend used Harmony Sovereign H1270 12-string acoustic.

According to Collings' website, Townshend uses Collings OM3.

The earliest appearance of Pete’s use of the Gibson SG Special (other than one he borrowed in 1966 from a support group the Tages) is July 1968, likely purchased at Manny’s Music, New York, though regular use wouldn’t come until late 1968. Throughout his use of this guitar from 1968–1971, he usually used 1966–1970 models, which feature the full black wraparound pickguard. He did, however, occasionally use pre-1966 models, which feature the small pickguard, especially in 1971 as the available supply began to dry up. In all, Pete likely went through dozens of these guitars between 1969 and 1971.

After using the SG special, Pete moved on to the Les Paul Deluxe. He has a few of them with one modified with a full-sized hum bucker in the middle position.

He is mostly using the Eric Clapton Fender Signature model with the original Lace Sensor pickups which were present on all the first made Eric Clapton signature Stratocasters.

In 1989 he would come back to the Stratocaster with the Fender Eric Clapton model Stratocaster. There is quite impressing story behind this one. Eric Clapton bought six guitars for 100$ each in 1970, he gave one to George Harisson, one to Steve Winwood, and one to Pete. Sold at Pete’s Oxfam auction in May 2000, first to David Bowie/Pete Townshend/Mick Jagger, who gifted the item to U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair; it was returned to auction by Blair and sold for £75,650 to a private collector.

Pete usually began switching to another guitar for smashing, often the very rugged Fender Telecaster or the very inexpensive Danelectro guitars, including the Guitarlin Longhorn 4123 model and the Standard Shorthorn.

"Pete usually began switching to another guitar for smashing, often the very rugged Fender Telecaster or the very inexpensive Danelectro guitars, including the Guitarlin Longhorn 4123 model and the Standard Shorthorn."

Pete Townshend used a three-pickup Grimshaw Short Scale semi-hollow guitar from December 1965 to January 1966 similary to this.

12 November 1966, promotional appearance at the Duke of York’s Barracks, Kings Road, Chelsea. 1965 or 1966 360/12 Mapleglo (New Style). A Rose, Morris Co., LTD, 1998 lies in wait. Amps are Marshall JTM45 100 100w Tremolo head (top), and 1967 Marshall Major (“Pig”) 200w head (bottom), with Marshall 8x12 cabinet.

This was Pete's acoustic guitar from about 1968 through the '70s and again almost exclusively since 1996 on stage and in the studio.

In this live performance of "Magic Bus", at :15s Pete says he's playing a '52 Telecaster. Pete also says in a 1983 Schecter advertisement, “My favourite guitar is a rare and expensive ’52 Telecaster.”

In this photo from a concert in Flint, Michigan, 23.8.1967, Pete is playing his custom EDS-1275. According to this article from Gibson "Townshend was using a black EDS-1275 6/12 to play 'Substitute' live. He even maimed that guitar – there are photos of Townshend in 1967 at London’s Saville Theatre with the 6/12 guitar, obviously rebuilt, as the necks are at splayed angles and a there’s clearly visible repair in the body between the necks."

In this photo Pete Townshend is holding his 1964 Rickenbacker Rose Morris 1998 (345). According to this article, "this guitar was the first (of many) to turn to smithereens, when its neck snapped off against the ceiling of the Railway Hotel, Harrow and Wealdstone, in September 1964 (according to Eyewitness The Who, 8 September)."

Music Radar talks about this guitar in this article saying "Townshend used the hollow-body on many of his post-Tommy Who recordings - Who’s Next and Quadrophenia are two stunning examples - and, after the instrument was repaired (only the neck was broken), he continued to employ it on both band and solo albums."

In this photo, one can see Pete Townshend putting a string on fireglo Rickenbacker 335.

In this photo, one can see Pete Townshend playing Rickenbacker 345.

Townshend used this guitar around 1963. Here, he is seen playing the guitar with an acoustic pickup.

use live acoustic 2005

In this video, Townshend can be seen playing Gibson SJ 200.

In this photo, we can see Townshend with Fender Electric XII. Judging by the headphones, Pete might recorded...something with that guitar.

In this photo, we can see Townshend with Fender Jazzmaster. Jazzmaster was used during 1967 and 1968. After a Grand Marquee gig, this guitar was stolen. However, in this photo from Virginia Dome concert, we can see that Townshend had more Jazzmasters.