Guild Custom F-512-NT 12-string acoustic
Pete Townshend has used a Guild F-512-NT 12-string guitar on most solo and Who recordings beginning with 1971’s Who’s Next. Prior to 1971, he had used a Harmony Sovereign H1270 12-string. He continues to use this guitar for stage performances today. (It is unknown whether Pete owns more than one of these guitars.)
First introduced in 1968 (as special order), the Guild F-512 featured a jumbo natural-finish body with spruce top and double-bound solid rosewood back and sides, double truss-rod system in a 14/20-fret bound three-piece mahogany neck with maple strip, rosewood bridge, ebony fingerboard, custom oblong single/double inlays and G-branded headstock with gold tuners. These guitars are renowned for being very loud yet with clarity and definition of sound not normally associated wtih 12-string guitars (see Guild).
Pete currently has this guitar fitted with Fishman Acoustic Matrix pickup system.
Photo Gallery
Ca. 1976/77, Rough Mix recording sessions at Olympic.
Click to view larger version. Ca. 2006, with Guild F512-NT, performing with Rachel Fuller.
Pete also used the six-string version of this guitar, the Guild F50.
Resources and Information
Links
- Guild Guitars: guildguitars.com
- Guitar History: The Guild Guitar, by Ted Beesley
- Guild Guitar Book, by Hans Moust