Pete Townshend revealed the first time he smashed a guitar Share The Who’s Pete Townshend is arguably one of the greatest songwriters that Britain has ever produced, but it’s not just his creative prowess that built his immense reputation. Hardly. But he doesn’t repair guitars – he destroys them. It was used on stage and in the studio from 1976 to 1979. Includes a full history timeline as well as equipment detail pages on notable equipment. I’m heartbroken. After one retake, there was an anxious moment when Townshend’s falling Les Paul grazed … Visit our corporate site. SUB/FRIEND MR. MOODY HYADD YO! The Who’s Pete Townshend smashed his guitars up carefully so they could be repaired and re-used, singer Roger Daltrey reveals Townshend, 74, first demolished a Rickenbacker during a London show in 1964 Fans came to expect destruction and guitarist glued instruments together after Daltrey, 76, said his bandmate would carefully […] Name: Pete Townshend. You will receive a verification email shortly. It was insane, the stuff we were playing! SMASHED GUITARS AND SILENT CROWDS. What a cheapskate. Or that Keith Richards could only get off drugs by having his blood replaced at an expensive Swiss clinic. I suppose that’s better than nothing. The Who’s Roger Daltrey claims in his new memoir, ‘Thanks a lot Mr. Kibblewhite,’ that Pete Townshend only smashed his guitar to impress women. (In case Bryan Adams is reading this, one other factoid: During the summer of ‘69 , Pete … He had them numbered from 1 to 9 based on the tuning requirements of various songs. From the mid ’60s to mid-‘70s – for many The Who’s glory days – Townshend relied on a … By Richard Bienstock 15 October 2020 “As long as the neck didn’t break you could glue the body back,” frontman Roger Daltrey explains. “Jimi was an absolutely amazing performer, but what people don’t realize is that a lot of Jimi’s showmanship, when he stated digging his guitar into the amps and the feedback and all that, most of that he copied from Townshend,” Daltrey said. But breaking a guitar onstage is also expensive. The U-WHO: why Pete Townshend glued together his smashed guitars It’s one of rock’n’roll’s defining images of excess. So Pete and Jimi flipped a coin and Pete won and we chose to go on first. Sold for About $30,000. Last week, Pete Townshend claimed he was asked by Michael Jackson to play on Thriller – but recommended Eddie Van Halen for the gig instead. I thought I had no other recourse but to make it look like I had meant to do it so I smashed this guitar and jumped all over the bits and then picked up the 12-string and carried on as though nothing had happened. Those guitars Pete Townshend smashed onstage with the Who? During one energetic song, Pete Townshend inadvertently cracks his guitar on the low ceiling, snapping the end of the neck. And by the time we got to smash it again the glue got set.”, But, he continued, “They weren’t prop guitars. The Who’s Pete Townshend has played – and smashed – many different guitar brands over the years. But he had a ripe period when he played – and again smashed – Gibsons. According to an analysis by TheWho.net, Townshend broke more than 35 guitars in 1967 alone. A date/venue listing of known guitar destruction. Pete Townshend’s Guitar Gear History. He has since admitted that he made that story up. The Who’s Roger Daltrey tells all in memoir. Which is why the pop star came up with a clever plan to fix his instrument – and keep his reputation, Last modified on Fri 16 Oct 2020 10.34 BST. A date/venue listing of known guitar destruction. Read . PETE TOWNSHEND. “Very rare,” says Garry Shrum, director of entertainment and music memorabilia for Heritage Auctions. “So by the time we got to Monterey in ‘67, Pete’s going, ‘Well, that’s my whole show! A date/venue listing of known guitar destruction. BA1 1UA. We ARE gonna fake it! Do say: “The Who’s reputation is in tatters.”, Don’t say: “Someone get me a Pritt Stick.”. Hey, I don’t have any money either. To make it easier to repair his broken guitars, he went to great lengths to smash them up as carefully as possible. “As long as the neck didn’t break you could glue the body back,” frontman Roger Daltrey explains. April 2020. We worked out very cleverly that very rarely did the neck break. About this page. That’s berserk. An overview of the guitars, amplifiers and effects that Pete Townshend used on stage and in the studio throughout his career, both solo and with The Who, from 1956 to the present. We were a pop band with these weird singles like I’m a Boy and Happy Jack and a mini-opera called A Quick One While He’s Away. The show gained legendary […] If it helps, there is a chance that this is just Daltrey deliberately trying to sabotage Townshend’s reputation. “We would do our two hits, I Can’t Explain and My Generation, smash all the gear up and leave,” Daltrey recalled. Oh, for a minute, I thought you were talking about Pete Townshend of the Who. Of course, he didn’t. Fake it till you make it: The Who's Pete Townshend smashed his guitars up carefully so they could be repaired and re-used, singer Roger Daltrey reveals October 14, 2020. The Who’s Pete Townshend has played – and smashed – many different guitar brands over the years. May 6, 2016 - Pete Townshend’s guitar history ... of smashed guitars. I know a couple of collectors who own multiple stage-played guitars. Nate D. Sanders Auctions has sold the following similar items: As Daltrey explained on Chris Evans’ How to Wow podcast, these guitars were carefully smashed and then glued back together in order to live to be smashed another day. It’s one of rock’n’roll’s defining images of excess. However, as Who frontman Roger Daltrey recently revealed, this act wasn’t quite as wild as it seemed. We’d love to stay in touch, sign up for the Guitar World team to contact you with great news, content and offers. He glued them back together in order to smash them again. That’s the bit after the concerts, where Townshend would creep around the stage collecting up all the bits of smashed guitars so he could glue them back together again. For years, Townshend developed a reputation as the wild man of rock, often finishing concerts by smashing his guitars into smithereens. I’m so disappointed. Below is a recent realized price for a The Who Pete Townshend stage used and smashed Fender Stratocaster guitar. Please, at least tell me that Alice Cooper really once bit the head off a bat. But that’s only half the story. Alan Rogan onstage during a concert by the Who in an undated photo. It’s gonna be a long night on the glue … Townshend judiciously smashes up a guitar. The SG was clearly marked as a Pete Townshend limited edition model and came with a special case and certificate of authenticity, signed by Townshend himself. Fans of the band came to expect destruction at every concert after Townshend, 74, first demolished a Rickenbacker at the Railway Tavern in Harrow and Wealdstone in September 1964. Do you know why Townshend had to glue all his guitars back together? I am talking about Pete Townsend of the Who. I am talking about Pete Townshend of the Who. Well, that’s partly true. Pete Townshend’s smashed ’64 Strat to be auctioned off . Shares (Image credit: Chris Morphet/Redferns) There are few images that more perfectly encapsulate the wildness and abandon … “Usually Pete smashed a guitar until it was in shreds. We at Nate D. Sanders Auctions can obtain up to this amount or more for you: Who Pete Townshend Stage Used Smashed Fender Stratocaster Guitar. The pair interact as little as possible these days, doing separate interviews, having separate backstage areas at concerts and even recording entire albums without seeing each other. All rights reserved. Pete Townshend smashed his last guitar in Yokohama on July 24, 2004. But he had a ripe period when he played – and again smashed - Gibsons. THE remains of an electric guitar that legendary rocker Pete Townshend smashed to pieces has emerged for sale for a staggering £14,000. Age: 75. As long as the neck didn’t break, you could glue the body back,” he said. Rolling Stone Magazine included his smashing of a Rickenbacker guitar at the Railway Tavern in Harrow and Wealdstone in September 1964 in … Guitar.com - 6th April 2018. This piece of performance art inspired guitarist Pete Townshend of the Who, who was the first guitar-smashing rock artist. That isn’t very rock’n’roll. I hate to break this to you, but Alice Cooper did not bite the head off a bat. Smashed Guitars | Pete Townshend’s Guitar Gear | Whotabs. It was a simple case of frugality. By way of example, he told a story about the Who coming to America to appear on the Murray the “K” show alongside Cream, Wilson Pickett and other acts, where they would play three to four sets a day. Also false, I’m afraid. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Introduction. Nov 3, 2020 - Pete Townshend’s guitar history ... of smashed guitars. It can be seen pictured in the 1979 Tour program as well as in the movie The Kids are Alright. Listen, it’s important to remember that even rock stars are people, and they have to deal with the same mundanities as the rest of us. We could make it work.”. How rare are genuine stage-played 1960s-era smashed Pete Townshend guitars? The Who guitarist Pete Townshend used to smash guitars carefully so they could be pieced back together after the gig, his bandmate has confessed. What? Well, that’s partly true. There are few images that more perfectly encapsulate the wildness and abandon of rock ‘n’ roll as Pete Townshend, in all his youthful, late ‘60s glory, smashing an electric guitar onstage at the climax of a Who show. It gets worse. There was a problem. Thank you for signing up to Guitar World. Later on in the conversation, talk turned to another onstage smasher of guitars, Jimi Hendrix, and the famous story of Townshend and Jimi flipping a coin backstage at the Monterey Pop Festival to determine who would perform first. You’ll be telling me next that Gene Simmons never had a cow’s tongue surgically grafted on to his own tongue. Please refresh the page and try again. But he doesn’t repair guitars – he destroys them. It's 1964 and The Who are playing their regular Tuesday night slot at the Railway Tavern, a tiny pub in northwest London. Ole Pete explains the...well just watch. But breaking a guitar onstage is also expensive. There are several Gibson Pete Townshend signature guitars, such as the Pete Townshend SG, the Pete Townshend J-200, and three different Pete Townshend Les Paul Deluxes. And it was always a great finale.”. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Because the Who didn’t have any money. "So we thought, well, we’re gonna get slaughtered if he goes on before us. What’s the other half? Bath 0 . Because that’s our whole show, done. © “But then, of course, Jimi came on and blew us all away anyway.”. “They were real guitars, but we worked out very cleverly that very rarely did the neck break. From the mid '60s to mid-‘70s – for many The Who’s glory days – Townshend relied on a … Jul 15, 2016 - Pete Townshend’s guitar history ... of smashed guitars. This is all according to his bandmate Roger Daltrey, at least. But Ozzy Osbourne did, if that’s any consolation. Pete had numerous Les Paul's modified by adding a humbucking pickup. The Who’s Pete Townshend smashed his guitars up carefully so they could be repaired and re-used, singer Roger Daltrey reveals. He continued, “You know, we didn’t really quite have confidence in the music. Yikes. Watch the video and find out what happened to the guitar after that! 5 November 1973 Odeon Cinema, Newcastle Courtesy Clint Nurse. On the How to Wow podcast, he revealed the careful process behind Townshend’s destruction. The Who frontman Roger Daltrey explained why bandmate Pete Townshend became known for smashing guitars at the end of shows, saying it had … As Daltrey also pointed out: “It was costly in glue.”. Occupation: Guitar repairman. As long as the neck didn’t break you could glue the body back. When Evans pointed out it sounded “quite costly to smash four lots of gear up a day,” Daltrey replied that it was “costly in glue because as fast as we were smashing it, we had four sets but as one got smashed it then got glued. 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