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Pete’s Gear: Grimshaw Guitar

27 Jan. 1966, Grimshaw on Ready Steady Go

Pete Townshend used a three-pickup Grimshaw Short Scale semi-hollow guitar from November 1965 to January 1966. He began using this guitar for stage work soon after the first use of the Marshall 100w amps and 8×12 speaker cabinets were delivered in November 1965.

Grimshaw guitars were manufactured in the U.K. by Emile Grimshaw and Son. Notable users of Grimshaw guitars from the late ’50s/early ’60s were Bruce Welch of The Shadows, Tony Sheridan, Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, and studio session player Joe Moretti (who recorded with Johnny Kidd & the Pirates — of “Shakin’ All Over” fame — among others).

Pete’s model is likely a late-1950s edition, block inlays, trapeze tailpiece, tune-o-matic bridge. This guitar was fitted with a Rickenbacker truss-rod cover, thus causing considerable confusion about its provenance. He also replaced the pickups with three Rickenbacker “toaster”-style pickups and possibly a Rickenbacker tune-o-matic bridge. How he lost this guitar is unknown. However, it is now known how and why Pete acquired this guitar, thanks to Guy MacKenzie. From Guy:

I have always wanted to know why Pete Townshend’s Grimshaw had a Rickenbacker truss rod cover on its headstock. Now I have the answer thanks to Frank Allen, bass player with the Searchers for 43 years, who contacted Pete direct and then forwarded his reply to me — which is as follows:

“I bought the guitar at Ivor Maraints, I’d always wanted one (was it because Joe Brown played one?). At the time I was used to Rick pickups so when I ran out of Rickenbackers one day I rigged the Grimshaw with the pickups and added the headstock blazer as deception. However, when people asked me what model of Rick it was, I told them it was a Grimshaw. It played beautifully.”

Thanks to Guy Mackenzie: theguitarcollection.org.uk.

Max the Mod: This guitar sounded absolutely amazing. Pete could toggle the pickups. Listen to Dancing in the Street … It’s played on the bass pickup and the selector switch is pushed to clip a high treble sound in tune to the beat. He did this by increasing the volume on the treble pickup … It was fascinating watching!

Photo Gallery

19 November 1965, at the Glad Rag Ball, Wembley, the first known photographed use of the new Marshall 8×12 cabinets.

13 Nov. 1965, at La Locomotive Club, Paris, the first known photographed use of the new Marshall 8×12 cabinets. Pete appears to be playing through two Marshall JTM45 100 Tremolo (prototype 1959T JTM100 Super Lead) 100-watt amplifiers driving two Marshall 8×12 cabinets; John is using two 1959 JTM100 Super Lead 100-watt amplifiers driving two Marshall 8×12 cabinets. Pete’s guitar is also the first known use of the Grimshaw.

Grimshaw 2

8 Jan. 1966, Jigsaw Club, Manchester, backstage tuning up with Grimshaw.

Grimshaw 3
Grimshaw 4

8 Jan. 1966, Jigsaw Club, Manchester, with Grimshaw.

Grimshaw 5
January 1966, with John and Pete both playing through two Marshall JTM45 100-watt Super Lead amplifiers, connected by Y-cable.

26 Jan. 1966, Locarno Ballroom, Stevenage, with Grimshaw, playing through two Marshall JTM45 100 Tremolo 100-watt amplifiers, connected by Y-cable, and driving two Marshall 8×12 cabinets. (Two Marshall 1968 Super P.A. P.A. heads visible in front of drum riser.)

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This page last updated 3 December, 2007