Re: Townshend guitars

Litgo-

re:
>He played Strats early on, after the Rickenbackers, along with others as
well. In 89 he played the Clapton Strat.<

Yeah, there was a period there from around 66-68 before he discovered the SG
where he played a little bit of everything.  I've seen films and pictures
from that period where he was playing Strats, Teles, Voxes, a Jazzmaster, an
ES-335, a Fender Electric XII--everything but the kitchen sink.  I don't
think he latched onto the Strat as his guitar of choice for long, though.  I
seem to recall an interview circa 70-71 where he talked about how Fenders
just weren't beefy enough for him.

Of course, he has taken to Fenders lately.  I never understood why the
Clapton Strat on the '89 tour.  Maybe with the MESAs it was the sound he was
looking for.  But now he's playing Teles a lot (and I recall a picture of him
as early as '89 with one).  My best guess is now that he's going for a
cleaner (and more audible) sound Fenders are working better.  For my money
the Tele neck pickup is the best rhythm pickup in the history of electric
guitars.  I guess my point was to tell whoever suggested there should be a
Townshend model Strat that one tour does not create a product association in
the buyer's mind.  When I think Townshend I think Rick, I think Les Paul, I
think Schecter...I do not think Strat.

>If I recall correctly, it used to take him and Alan quite a while to find
acceptable product from Gibson. They'd send him a bunch of Les Paul customs
(with J-200s this was the case as well, he said), and he'd maybe be able to
find one or two that were acceptable.<

I remember that as well.  And the ones that were ok at the beginning of a
tour weren't a few weeks in and so on.  That's what the whole "number" thing
was about--to be able to quickly identify which guitar they were talking
about.  BTW he did the same thing in '89 with the Takamines and Fenders.  The
number was on the neck bolt plate on the Strats and on the top side of the
Takamine by the neck.  He played the #7 Takamine and #3 Strat most of the
Raleigh/Durham NC show (I was backstage!!!).  Didn't see any numbers on the
Ricks...doesn't mean it wasn't there.


Baby baby, that's why they call me the Twang Bar King. . .
AThosWhite