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Pete Townsend Early Tone


burton4snow

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I'm trying to find out what Pete used for the song "I Can't Explain", So I can dial it in on my Podxt. Anyone have a clue? I think I saw a video of it where he was using a Fender head with a marshal cab. Any ideas on type of head and cab and settings?

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Actually, not very much. He used Rickenbackers exclusively in 1964 but I believe he switched to Telecasters around 1965 with some oddballs here or there. Then he switched to Stratocasters for '67-'68 and to the SG's with P90's in 1969.

 

this is going off of Anyway Anyhow Anywhere (the book) but I haven't read it in a while.

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That's a promo video Christ Stamp shot in early 1965 I think? I'm not sure on the date. Yeah, I strayed from the subject. When he was playing I Can't Explain live near the time it was written he was using Rickenbackers exclusively. just about any guitar will do, though, he's used every guitar imaginable to play that song at one point or another.

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That's a promo video Christ Stamp shot in early 1965 I think? I'm not sure on the date. Yeah, I strayed from the subject. When he was playing I Can't Explain live near the time it was written he was using Rickenbackers exclusively. just about any guitar will do, though, he's used every guitar imaginable to play that song at one point or another.

 

 

I think that for the last 20 years or so, he's been pretty consistently using a Strat (Clapton sig?) with the acoustic system built in. PT's style is all about quick, stacatto chording and a lot of control with the right hand. I love his playing. Personally, I think he's more interesting to listen to than David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, or any other Brit popster. He's never been stuck on using the same guitar live that he used in the studio, but he's able to capture the original tone through his tremendously controlled playing.

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I think that for the last 20 years or so, he's been pretty consistently using a Strat (Clapton sig?) with the acoustic system built in. PT's style is all about quick, stacatto chording and a lot of control with the right hand. I love his playing. Personally, I think he's more interesting to listen to than David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, or any other Brit popster. He's never been stuck on using the same guitar live that he used in the studio, but he's able to capture the original tone through his tremendously controlled playing.

 

 

 

Yup, he switched to an Eric Clapton signature strat in 1986. At first without any modifications, then he added a piezo pickup for the 1996 Quadrophenia tours. Now he plays those with gold lace sensors. (they're definitely all lace sensors but I'm not sure if he has different types for different guitars - he goes through several throughout shows nowadays)

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Yup, he switched to an Eric Clapton signature strat in 1986. At first without any modifications, then he added a piezo pickup for the 1996 Quadrophenia tours. Now he plays those with gold lace sensors. (they're definitely all lace sensors but I'm not sure if he has different types for different guitars - he goes through several throughout shows nowadays)

 

 

True, but when he played I Can't Explain in '89 he briefly switched to a Rick. It sounded great at the show I saw (the second one at Foxboro stadium). Since then, he's played it on a strat. I prefer the Rick, but I'm not going to tell The Man which guitar to play.

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Pete famously used the Ric model#1997, it as a 330 with an f-hole (not catseye), part of a unique line ordered by Rose-Morris in the '60's.

 

Ric released a Pete Townsend signature version in the late '80's or early '90's and offer the 1997 as part of their RI series during the mid '90's.

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Pete famously used the Ric model#1997, it as a 330 with an f-hole (not catseye), part of a unique line ordered by Rose-Morris in the '60's.


Ric released a Pete Townsend signature version in the late '80's or early '90's and offer the 1997 as part of their RI series during the mid '90's.

 

 

Yeah--the Tweed models or whatever Line 6 calls them should do the trick. If I recall, the original had a bit of reverb too--more like a room verb than a hall.

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