pete townsend .....who knew?

[Bill Hatcher]

[Dale Rottacker]

Those guys have to keep that a little quiet or they'll lose their Cred

[Jeremy Reeves]

is that the one he tossed in the Thames?

[Ken Byng]

is that the one he tossed in the Thames?

That's the one!

[Jack Hanson]

A poor choice of instruments for windmilling.

[Bill Hatcher]

is that the one he tossed in the Thames?

That's the one!

whats the story on that? thx!

[Ian Worley]

Here is Pete Townshend on steel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qGz9zO9gjQ

Here he is as "Bijou Drains" with Thunderclap Newman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKgL1Cq2Jhg

[Ken Byng]

There is a fuller story on this incident on the Sho~Bud in Denmark Street thread on this site.

This is as related to me by Ron Mawn who worked in the Sho~Bud (London) store in the 70's and half of the 80's. Pete Townshend acquired his Sho~Bud in the mid 70's, and after a period of trying to get a grip with the guitar and doing a few recordings with it, was so frustrated with his lack of ability to keep it in tune that he ended up throwing it into the Thames. However, it wasn't as dramatic as it could have been, as the tide was out and the guitar landed in mud!

Townshend's roadies retrieved the 'Bud from the mud, and wisely took it to the Sho~Bud London shop. Ron Mawn stripped the guitar body down to the bare bones, thoroughly dried, cleaned it, and polished the metal parts. He re-assembled the parts, lubricated and re-strung it, and gave it a comprehensive set up. Once Ron had worked his magic, the guitar was returned to Townshend's team, and Ron heard nothing else from them afterwards. Ron did tell me that he was very sure that Townshend had 'fiddled around' with the guitar, and put it miles out of whack. There were a number of British rockers who bought pedal steels around that time, but I think that life in the Who was short lived for that particular Sho~Bud.

[Ian Worley]

Great story Ken. The Thunderclap Newman track was released in '69, so he apparently did have a steel in the late '60s, maybe a different one? The other track is from an '80s solo album but I don't know when it was actually recorded. Perhaps that was the mud-Bud!

[Tucker Jackson]

...he ended up throwing it into the Thames.

I totally get why a noob steel player would chuck his guitar in a river. The only thing that saved my guitar was that the Thames doesn't run anywhere near here.
.

[Larry Bressington]

Good story Ken, crikey mate it hurts thinking about it...a real boat anchor?

[Mike Bacciarini]

Rusty Young finally figured out some stage antics with psg....

[Joachim Kettner]

https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-who-129-1323103
Ken, does the river Thames run anywhere close to Shepherds Bush, where the Who came from? I'm just curious.

[Ken Byng]

Shepherds Bush is less than a mile from the River Thames.

[Joachim Kettner]

Thank you!

[Roy Heap]

Joachim,
Roger Daltrey and most of the Who came from Acton just up the road from where I was born in Chiswick. I worked as a record salesman in a large record shop in Chiswick and knocked about with Roger Daltrey and others before getting married and moving to Bristol in the West Country.. Shepherd Bush was further up the road from Chiswick and Acton.

[Jim Fogarty]

https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-who-129-1323103
Ken, does the river Thames run anywhere close to Shepherds Bush, where the Who came from? I'm just curious.

By the point Pete would've tried to drown his steel, he was living on a houseboat with a studio on it, on the Thames. Convenient!

[Bill Cunningham]

There is a fuller story on this incident on the Sho~Bud in Denmark Street thread on this site.

This is as related to me by Ron Mawn who worked in the Sho~Bud (London) store in the 70's and half of the 80's. Pete Townshend acquired his Sho~Bud in the mid 70's, and after a period of trying to get a grip with the guitar and doing a few recordings with it, was so frustrated with his lack of ability to keep it in tune that he ended up throwing it into the Thames. However, it wasn't as dramatic as it could have been, as the tide was out and the guitar landed in mud!.

That reminds me. I ain’t no Pete Townsend but my first guitar was a brand new early ‘70’s ShoBud The Professional. My dad was a musician and wanted me to have the best. It would not stay in tune even after two trips back to 416 Broadway. I nearly gave up out of frustration until I traded for a new MSA Classic. A Super Pro in the 80’s was much better except for those flying left knee levers.

[Mike Harris]

when you say it would not stay in tune are you referring to the open strings or to the applied levers/pedals (or all of the above)? I'm guessing pedals/levers...