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Introduction: Pete Townshend and the Fender Eric Clapton model Stratocaster

Beginning with the first Who reunion tour in 1989, to the present, Pete Townshend has used the Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster model on stage, with the Who exclusively, and for solo shows, primarily. Each tour presents different customizations to the guitar’s features, though all are stock models.

General model specifications:

• Contoured alder Stratocaster body.
• Special ‘V’-shape maple neck (9.5″ radius); 25½″ scale; Bi-Flex truss rod; Micro-Tilt neck adjustment.
• Three Gold Fender-Lace Sensors, with five-position switch.
• TBX (master) circuit (in place of second control); 25db active mid-boost circuit (in place of third control).
• Eric Clapton signature decal on headstock.
• Fender vintage machine heads.
• Single-ply white pickguard, with vintage-style screwholes (on some models).

The guitars are strung with light-gauge nickel strings (either Ernie Ball or D’Addario), .011–.052 (.011, .015, .018p, .032, .042, .052); the neck is set straight with medium action. The guitars are numbered (a la the ’76-’79-era Les Paul Deluxes) with small black-on-white stickers at the heel of the guitar.

Amplification:

• 1989, 1996–1997:

  • Two to four rack-mounted Mesa/BOOGIE Studio Preamps, no pedal effects.

• 1999:

  • One or two Hiwatt DR103W amplifier heads into Hiwatt SE4123 4x12 extension cabs; effects are MXR Dyna-Comp into Boss OD-1 Overdrive.

• 1998, 2000–2005:

  • One or two Fender Vibro-King 3x10 combos and 2x12 extension cabs; effects are MXR Dyna-Comp into Boss OD-1 Overdrive.

2000–2002 signal path:

See the main equipment index for full rig details.

Selected quotes from Pete Townshend

All quotes and references are copyright their original owners and are included for reference only.

Pete, on his guitar sound in 1996:

“I hope that prior to the tour I didn’t raise fan’s [sic] hopes that I was going to play electric all the way through the show. In fact at the first dates, and even later in the electric Love Reign O’er Me, there was a bit of an illusion going on. Although I was holding a Stratocaster all the way through the first two dates in the USA it was heavily modified. I was actually playing via an acoustic transducer fitted into the guitar which produced a rhythm sound very close to my white Gibson J200. I only used the electric channel a few times in the set.”

“The lead v. acoustic thing is not just about my hearing, my intransigence, my fear of spearing myself or my musical preferences, it is not just about ‘Pete.’ It is about musical and presentational dynamics as well. Remember that I write mainly on acoustic guitar. A lot of the songs from Quadrophenia, like a lot of Who songs, sound best when I play acoustic. Ideally I’d like to play acoustic and electric at the same time on stage. Simon did a fantastic job on electric and covered me very well. I settled for what I think all Who fans would have wished — the best mix.”

Guitar World, November 1989

Pete’s main solidbody electric is an Eric Clapton Signature Strat made by Fender. The Guitars are custom fitted with Kahler 2710 locking twang bars. The electronics (all stock) include three Fender Gold Lace sensor pickups, a five-position switch, master volume and a patended TBX master tone control (the TBX acts like a normal tone pot; however, clicking it past 10 produces a slight boost which creates a super-bright vintage sound). Exclusive to the E.C. model is Fender’s active mid-range boost, located where the second tone control is normally found. By gradually rotating the pot, the mid-range is boosted and the output of the guitar is somewhat increased. The Fender sports .011–.052 Ernie Ball nickel strings, a guage or two lighter than Townshend has used in the past.

Guitar Player, September 2000

How is the action set on your guitars?

I like an absolutely dead-flat neck with medium action — not too low. I know some players likel to let a little curve in the middle of the neck so they can keep the action lower, but I think guitars are meant to have a dead-flat neck. My tech tends to reset guitars every night because when they travel, they bend a little bit.

Guitar Player, September 1989

You know, the acoutic guitar is very much a symbol. And I don’t play acoustic on everything now. I’ve found that i can get away with playing what I’ve found to be a very good guitar which Eric championed for Fender, the Eric Clapton Model, which is a wonderful all-around guitar for me. It’s one of those guitars where the actual rhythm sound on it, the undistorted sound, the pickup, and the string balance are very good. I don’t know how they’ve achieved it, but it’s very, very good — it’s almost as good as an acoustic. Also, if you wind it back, it’s got an active distortion pad in it, where it gets distorted without the volume increase, and that enables me to get just the right amount of dirt, but keep the level low.

Alan Rogan:

“Pete’s using an old Clapton Strat, meaning it has the Lace Sensors rather than the Noiseless pickups. It does have a Fishman on board with the extra knob, but otherwise it’s stock, and he goes through the one or two Vibro-Kings. All my buddies come to the show, incuding John Porter, the producer and a great guitar player himself. They all say they never heard a live sound — anywhere, ever — as good as Pete’s.”

Fender Europe note on Pete’s customised Stratocasters:

That Strat® has a Fishman/EMG acoustic pickup in the body. The extra knob is used to blend in the pickup, creating a range of sounds from 100% acoustic to electric. This was fitted by a chap called Gordon Wells, who lives and works in Surrey.

Gordon is the son-in-law of the late luthier-to-the-stars, Dick Knight (1907–1996) who was a well respected British guitar maker to clients such as Dave Gilmour, Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, and Mike Rutherford (among others).

Resources and Information

Acknowlegements

• Thanks to Ron Kiska

Manufacturer’s links:

• Fender: fender.com
• EMG: emgpickups.com
• Fishman: fishman.com
  • Fishman VMV Powerbridge Tremolo: fishman.com/products/details.asp?id=63
• Floyd Rose: floydrose.com

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