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Re: Townshend guitars



Yesterday I wrote:

>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.<

Somebody, and I'm sorry, I deleted your e-mail by accident, wrote me back to
point out that he had used MESA cabinets with Hiwatt heads on the '82 tour.
 True enough.  I think (and I could be wrong) that Hiwatt had gone out of
business by that time (I know they were defunct for a large part of the
'80's).  That could well be why he used MESAs instead of Hiwatts, or maybe he
just liked the sound better.  I don't know.  Although every speaker cabinet
(and speaker) has a slightly different sound (I prefer blue label Jensens,
myself), the amplifier is still the driving force in what kind of sound
you're gonna get.

My point was that on the '89 tour he was using MESA amplifiers, not Hiwatts.
 Solid state amps to boot, if I'm not mistaken.  That's gonna be a RADICALLY
different sound than a Hiwatt.  Not every guitar/amp combo is gonna sound
good.  I don't think a Fender sounds good through a Hiwatt.  I've never
played a solid state MESA, but maybe they sound good with Fenders and notso
hotso with humbuckers.  Of course, the Clapton Strat has those Lace sensors
on it, to muck up the issue further. . . 

The place is really jumpin' to the Hiwatt amps. . .
AThosWhite