Pete Townshend's Solid Body Electric Guitars

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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In this photo, we can see Townshend playing Fender Telecaster.

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"Sometime in 1975 or earlier, Joe Walsh (who had also given Pete his Gretsch Chet Atkins, Fender Bandmaster and Edwards volume pedal) gifted a 1958 Gibson Flying V guitar to Pete. This guitar was used on The Who By Numbers, as can be heard in his blistering leads on songs like In a Hand or Face and Dreaming From The Waist, as well as 1980 for Empty Glass and in 1982 for All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, on at least Slit Skirts.

On the cover of Chinese Eyes, Pete appears with this guitar held upside down. (He is also photographed in Psychoderelict photo sessions — and repeated in the Coolwalking liner — with a Flying V, but this is a borrowed white-pickguard model.)"

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"I find I can get the sound I want from any guitar. At the moment I’m using Gretsches with double-pole pick-ups. In the studio I use a Chet Atkins-type Gretsch. On stage I use the ‘Les Paul’ Gretsch. It’s the same shape as a Les Paul, but it sounds like a Gretsch. Those pick-ups have a fantastic sound. I think it’s mainly the set-up, you know. I’ve got amps specially made for me by Hi-Watt. They don’t make it any more for the open market, but they do especially for me. They’re incredibly robust, very loud, distorted in the right way, and clean when I want them to be clean. It’s the only common denominator about my sound. I swap guitars around. I use Gretsches, Gibsons and sometimes Fenders, for their strength. I know people like Ronnie Wood had their guitars especially made for them, custom made. Never been moved that way myself. I can get away with anything because the amps are so good." - Townshend about his Gretsch Duo Jet.

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in this youtube video at 3:00 and throughout the entire concert you can see him using a schecter PT. Roger Daltrey also uses them.

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"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."

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"Pete Townshend’s occasional use of a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Custom “Black Beauty” guitar. Notably seen on “Relay” as mimed on the Russell Harty Show television program, 3 Jan. 1973. The Black Beauty featured one black P-90 pickup in the bridge position and one Alnico V pickup in neck position."

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"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."

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Pete used this guitar in 1970, it is seen in his Twickenham studio.

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This guitar was used briefly during July 2002 for "Baba O' Riley" and "I Can't Explain".

"For one song in each of two consecutive shows in July 2002 (Baba O’Riley at Tweeter Center For the Performing Arts, Mansfield, Massachusetts, 26 July, 2002; and I Can’t Explain at Tweeter Center at the Waterfront, Camden, N.J., 27 July, 2002), Pete Townshend used a black Fender Stratocaster guitar equipped with two P-90-style pickups, rather than the usual Gold Lace Sensor pickups found in the Eric Clapton model guitars. This guitar was also customised with the Fishman Powerbridge and additional blend control knob, although the traditional controls consisted of only two knobs (presumably volume and tone), rather than the traditional three, and a traditional Fender-style “blade” pickup selector."

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Original '70s construction techniques bring to life this '76 Les Paul Deluxe Goldtop, based on a guitar originally played by Pete Townshend on stage and now displayed in London's Victoria & Albert Museum. Pete's beloved DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker joins two Mini-Humbuckers for modded tone. Limited to 150 units only!

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Pete is well known for using SG special and his 3 Polaris ones (in pics in the link) followed him for a while before he moved to strats. In this link you can see Pete with his Gibson SG Special in Polaris white from 1963.

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In a Yahoo Entertainment article, Pete Townshend discusses purchasing a Jackson guitar and expresses his fondness for it. While the specific model is not explicitly mentioned, it is confirmed that he acquired and enjoys using a Jackson guitar. Some have speculated that it is either a Jackson Soloist SL3 or a Jackson Virtuoso

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This is a community-built gear list for Pete Townshend.

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