John Entwistle Gear: 1967–1971

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1967–1968
1968–1971

1967–1968

The “Frankenstein” Precision bass (refinished)

Click to view larger version: The “Frankenstein” 1965 Precision bass (refinished), with new pickguard.

Basses

Vox ~~Cougar~~ Sidewinder IV V272 bass in a burgundy-grain finish (as seen on Smothers Brothers show, September 1967)
Fender Bass VI.
Custom “Axe” Jazz bass.
Custom-made “Spider” bass
1966 Fender Precision Bass (slab) in Olympic White, with maple neck
Sunburst Fender Precision Bass with rosewood fretboard (1968).
1965 sunburst (later refinished Fiesta Red/salmon pink) “Frankenstein” Fender Precision Bass with maple neck.
- Assembled from various basses, including the chrome pickup cover from a Fender Jazz Bass; the neck pickups and circuitry from two of John’s three “dead” slab basses.
- Serial no. 13081
- Used beginning 1967.
  
  JE: I put this together in San Francisco on a day off part way through a Who tour. It’s the remains of five smashed basses hence the name ‘Frankenstein’. In the mid 70’s it was retired from stage work so I had it refinished from sunburst into its present pink colour. I used this baby from 1967 onwards through ‘Tommy’ and all the tours up to ‘Quadrophenia’...The neck, pickups and circuitry are from a ‘dead’ slab bass, the tailpiece from a Jazz bass, the pickguard from a black P bass and the machine heads from 2 white P basses...Two hours with a Phillips screwdriver and a soldering iron and I was ranting around my hotel room screaming “It’s alive, it’s alive!”
  
  Quote from April 1994 Bassist interview
  
  Which sound was responsible for that amazing sound on Won’t Get Fooled Again?
  
  “That was Frankenstein, which I made from dead parts. I had a day off in San Francisco once and spent it screwing a bass together from five smashed Precisions including a couple of slab ones of which they only made about 20. I took the pickup and scratch plate from one of the slab Precisions, the neck from another, machineheads from a Jazz Bass, the body off a sunburst Precision and the tailpiece from another. The slab Precisions were like white, squared-off Telecasters, with a split pickup, a maple neck, black scratch plate and what looked like blue veins coming through the white paintwork. I don’t know what they used on them but those basses had a sound of their own, really raunchy with more of a growl than a regular Precision. I have about 35 Precisions, all with different colours and from different yeras, but I always go back to Frankenstein.
  
  “I used Frankenstein through Hiwatts for the whole of ‘Tommy’, ‘Live At Leeds’ and ‘Who’s Next’ but by ‘Quadrophenia’ and Who By Numbers I was playing Gibson Thunderbirds. I felt I was getting stuck in a rut, using all the treble.

Amplification

Two Marshall 1959 JTM100 Super Lead amplifiers into Marshall 1960A (angled front) and 1960B (straight front) or 1982A (angled front) and 1982B (straight front) speaker cabinets.
One (with another Marshall amp) or two Marshall 1967 Major Lead (The “Pig”) 200-watt amps into Marshall cabinets (as above).
U.S. Thomas Organ (Vox) V1141 Super Beatle solid-state amps and cabs (U.S./Canada tours only).
- Used on North American tours and acquired through Vox deal signed in States by Chris Stamp.
Two Sunn 100S amplifiers with two or four Sunn 200S 2x15 cabinets (U.S./Canada tours only)
- Purchased from Manny’s Music in New York on or about 27 Nov., 1967, and first used on 29 Nov., 1967, at Union Catholic High School Gymnasium in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.
- The Sunn gear was abandoned at Canadian customs in July 1968.
Two modified Sound City L100 amps with four Sound City 4x12s (UK/Europe tours only).

From Guitar Player, October 1967

Excerpts from an interview with John Entwistle and Pete Townshend conducted June 18, 1967, in San Francisco, just prior to the Who’s appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival.

GP: What is your amp volume setting on a ratio of ten?

Entwhistle [sic]: Five or six, full treble. I use two amps: full treble and full base. The cabinets are split, so the treble comes out on top of the amp. I set my guitar about two-thirds on, and then at the end I turn it full up.

GP: What about amps?

Entwhistle: Sound City, they’re an English amp. We both use sixteen twelve-inch speakers and two two-hundred watt amps. That way we get a nice even sound.

Townsend [sic]: We use Vox in the States . . . Super Beatles, four altogether.

GP: Picks and strings?

Entwhistle: We both use Herco heavy-gauge nylon picks. And I use Roto-Sound heavy-gauge wirewound strings; they’re only available in England.

Difference in gear from UK to North America

The reason for the difference in gear in the 1967 U.S./Canadian shows was that the group could not afford the cost of importing their full gear and, instead, hired or borrowed gear once arriving in the U.S. Because of their financial straits, Chris Stamp, the Who’s manager, signed the group to an exclusive agreement with Vox to use their gear in the States.

On the first 1967 U.S. tours, including the March/April 1967 “Murray the K – Music in the Fifth Dimension” shows in New York, and the Monterey Pop festival in June, the Who used rented U.S. Thomas Organ (VOX) V1141 ‘Super Beatle’ 120w solid amplifiers and 4x12 (w/two horns) cabinets. The inferior quality of the gear is evident in the Monterey Pop show, where Jimi Hendrix, who had “learned” his gear setup from The Who, was able to bring his Marshall 4x12s and 100-watt amps, to great effect.

Following the use of the Super Beatles, Pete and John began using two Sunn 100S 60-watt amplifiers (featuring KT88 valves) powering two or four JBL-loaded 2x15 cabinets. The first documented use of Sunn is November 1967. They would continue to use the Sunn gear until July 1968, when they abandoned their gear at Canadian customs in Toronto after Pete and Roger had their passports stolen and were unable (or unwilling) to satisfy a $20,000 customs bond.

Beginning sometime in August 1968, they began using their Sound City gear in North America, with first known date at the Singer Bowl, 2 August 1968.

Ca. May 1967, with Fender Bass VI.

Ca. 1967, with two modified Sound City L100 amps and two 1982B (extra tall) Marshall 4x12s (tops) and 1982A (straight-front) Marshall 4x12s (bottoms). Bass is the 1966 slab Fender Precision Bass.

Ca. 1967, in the U.S., with two Sunn 100S amplifiers and Sunn 200S 2x15 cabinets. Bass is custom “Axe” bass.

Ca. 1967, in the U.S., with two Sunn 100S or 200S amplifiers and Sunn 200S 2x15 cabinets. Bass is custom “Axe” bass. Courtesy Mark Herman.

Ca. 1967, backstage with the custom “Boris the Spider” bass.

Ca. 1967, in the U.S., with one Sunn 100S amplifier and two Sunn 200S 2x15 cabinets.

Ca. 1968, in the U.S., four Sunn 200S 2x15 cabinets stacked vertically. Bass is sunburst Fender Precision Bass with rosewood fretboard.

Ca. July 1967, U.S. tour with U.S. Thomas Organ (Vox) V1141 Super Beatle solid-state amps and cabs.

Ca. July 1967, U.S. tour with Pete and John using U.S. Thomas Organ (Vox) V1141 Super Beatle solid-state amps and cabs.

Ca. 1967, with two modified Sound City L100 amps and four Sound City 4x12 cabs.

Ca. 1967, with two modified Sound City L100 amps and four Sound City 4x12s. Bass is the 1966 slab Fender Precision Bass.

August 1968, at the Singer Bowl, New York, with two Sunn 100S amplifiers and two Sunn 200S 2x15 cabinets. Bass is sunburst Fender Precision Bass with rosewood fretboard.

1968–1971

Bass

Vox Violin Bass
- Used on Magic Bus
  
  I played that on a Vox violin bass. Absolutely revolting thing that looked like a mint humbug. Vox gave us two guitars each.
1965 sunburst (later refinished salmon pink) “Frankenstein” Fender Precision Bass (see 1967).
Sunburst Fender Precision Bass with rosewood fretboard.
Late ’60s black Fender Precision Bass with rosewood fingerboard (1970).
1967 Rickenbacker 4005L “Light Show” bass (1969/1970 studio only, including The Seeker)
- Serial no. GE2208

Amplification

Sound City:
- Two Sound City L100 amps customized to the CP103 spec, unbadged or badged as Hiwatt.
- Two or four Sound City 4x12 cabinets with 50-watt Fane speakers.
Hiwatt
- Three Hiwatt DR103 100-watt amps customized to the CP103 spec (i.e., no “The Who” faceplate).
- Beginning early 1970: three Hiwatt CP103 100-watt amps. Two Hiwatt DR201 200-watt amps and one customized Hiwatt DR103 100-watt amp.
- Four Hiwatt SE4123 4x12 cabinets.
- Two Hiwatt SE4151 4x15 cabinets and two Hiwatt SE4123 4x12 cabinets.

December 1968, from the Rolling Stones Rock&Roll Circus, closeup of John’s Sound City L100 badged as Hiwatt, showing CP103-style four-channel volume control.

December 1968, from the Rolling Stones Rock&Roll Circus, closeup of John’s Sound City L100 amp badged as Hiwatt, showing CP103-style four-channel volume control. Speakers are Fane-loaded Hiwatt SE4122 4x12 or Sound City 4x12 badged as Hiwatt. Bass is “Frankenstein,” with chrome Fender Jazz pickup cover.

Ca. 1969, showing Hiwatt rig. Courtesy The Who Netherlands Photo Gallery. ©Henk Hulstkamp.

Sept. 29, 1969, Amsterdam, Concertgebouw. Showing Hiwatt rig: top, customized Sound City L100 amp badged as Hiwatt (unused, as backup); bottow two, customized Hiwatt DR103, customized to the CP103 four-channel specification (i.e., no “The Who” faceplate). Top cabinets are Hiwatt SE4123 4x12s; bottom two are Hiwatt SE4122 4x12 or Sound City 4x12 badged as Hiwatt. Courtesy The Who Netherlands Photo Gallery. ©Henk Hulstkamp.

Ca. 1970, showing Hiwatt rig, as well as the “Frankenstein” Fender Precision bass. Top and bottom amps are Hiwatt CP103; middle amp is Hiwatt DR103 customized to the CP103 spec (i.e., no “The Who” faceplate). Top cabinets are Hiwatt SE4123 4x12s; bottom two are Hiwatt SE4151 4x15s. Three other Hiwatt 4x12s are providing foldback from Pete’s rig.

Ca. August 1970, third Isle of Wight festival, with two Hiwatt SE4123 4x12s and two Hiwatt SE4151 4x15 cabinets, playing late ’60s black Fender Precision Bass with rosewood fingerboard.

On stage, ca. 1969, with the “Frankenstein” Fender Precision bass.

On stage, August 1969, with the “Frankenstein” Fender Precision bass.

On stage, August 1969, second Isle of Wight festival, with the “Frankenstein” Fender Precision bass.

Ca. 1969 or 1970, tuning up in the dressing room with the “Frankenstein” Fender Precision bass.

In the studio, ca. 1969, with Fender Precision bass with rosewood fretboard.

Ca. February–March 1969, recording sessions for Tommy, with both Pete and John using unlabeled customized Sound City L100 amplifier heads, with Hiwatt-style chicken head knobs, with each amp driving one Sound City 4x12. John’s bass is the Fender Precision bass with rosewood fretboard.

John Entwistle’s 1971 Hiwatt CP103 amp (serial no. 1705)

Hiwatt DR103 modified to CP103 specification that originally belonged to John Entwistle. Sold for £2,900 (approximately U.S.$4,800) via auction by Cooper Owen on 25 September 2003. Courtesy Hiwatt Story (members.tripod.com/~dcsbulldog/) ~~hiwattstory.com (offline).~~