How to Sound Like Pete Townshend — The Who Guitar Tone Guide

Pete Townshend is one of the most physically demanding and conceptually original rhythm guitarists in rock. His "windmill" strumming technique, his use of feedback as composition, and his ability to make a single guitar sound like a full orchestra — playing full barre chords with maximum force — created a template for power-chord rock that defined an entire generation.

His tone is not complex in electronic terms. What is complex is the playing: the force, precision, and physicality of his approach.

The Guitars

Gibson SG Special (Late 1960s – Early 1970s)

Townshend's most iconic guitars are Gibson SG Specials — the single-cutaway SG with P90 pickups. The SG Special from this era has:

• P90 pickups: Single-coil but housed in a soapbar format, louder and more aggressive than standard Strat or Tele pickups, with a midrange punch that sits between single-coils and humbuckers
• Lightweight mahogany body: The SG is thinner and lighter than a Les Paul, making it agile for the physical demands of Townshend's strumming
• Set neck: Mahogany neck glued into the body provides sustain transfer and contributes to the warm, punchy character

Why SG over Les Paul: The SG's lightweight nature and double-cutaway design give better upper-fret access and a physically easier instrument to wield during aggressive playing. The P90 pickups cut more than humbuckers while retaining more warmth than standard single-coils.

Famous SGs: The most celebrated Townshend guitar is a 1968 Gibson SG Special that he famously destroyed at various concerts. He also used an SG Custom with three P90s.

Fender Stratocaster (Mid-1970s Onwards)

From around 1974 onwards, Townshend adopted Fender Stratocasters — modifying them significantly, including adding humbuckers, extra switches, and distinctive graphics. His Strats were heavily personalised.

The Stratocaster's single-coil bridge pickup gave a brighter, more cutting character suitable for the arena-rock production of Quadrophenia and Who Are You.

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe

Used throughout the early 1970s alongside the SG. The Les Paul Deluxe uses mini-humbucker pickups rather than standard full-sized humbuckers, giving a character between the SG's P90s and a full-humbucker Les Paul.

For recreation:

• Gibson SG Standard (£1,400) — comes with humbuckers; replacing bridge pickup with a P90 or P90-voiced pickup approximates the SG Special character
• Gibson SG Special (P90 version, around £1,100) — direct equivalent
• Epiphone SG Special-I (£180) — budget approach, genuine P90s in some configurations

The Amplifier: Hiwatt DR103

The Hiwatt DR103 is the definitive Townshend amplifier. It was designed and built by Dave Reeves in Britain in the late 1960s. The DR103 is a 100-watt all-tube amplifier with hand-wired components and a very specific character:

Hiwatt Characteristics

High headroom: The Hiwatt is extraordinarily clean compared to Marshall amplifiers. Where a Marshall at high volume will saturate and distort, the Hiwatt remains clean, clear, and defined at far higher volumes. This is a deliberate design choice.

Why Townshend needed headroom: The Who played extremely loud — among the loudest bands of their era. Keith Moon's drumming required the bass and guitar to operate at similarly extreme volumes to cut through. A Marshall at that volume would be completely saturated. The Hiwatt's cleaner high-headroom design meant Townshend could operate at extraordinary volume while retaining chord definition and transient clarity.

Natural compression: Despite being cleaner than Marshall, the Hiwatt does compress and saturate at very high volumes — but more gradually and more musically. This controlled saturation at extreme volumes is the core of the Who's live sound.

The Fane speaker: Hiwatt's original speaker cabinets used Fane speakers (specifically the Fane Studio 12L). The Fane driver has a specific warmth and efficiency that differs from Celestion speakers. Townshend's live sound relied on this specific speaker character.

For recreation:

• Hiwatt Custom 50 (current production, around £1,800) — continuation of the original circuit
• Hiwatt Custom 100 DR103 (around £2,200) — the original specification
• Used Hiwatt DR103 (vintage, £2,000–5,000+)
• Alternative: Orange Rockerverb 100 MkIII (£1,650) — not identical but British, high-headroom character

The Signal Chain

Townshend's signal chain is notably direct:

Guitar → occasionally a few simple effects → Hiwatt DR103 → speaker cabinets

He did not use extensive pedalboards in his classic period.

MXR Phase 100

A phaser pedal appears on certain recordings and live performances, particularly for "Baba O'Riley" (the synthesiser-like phased guitar parts) and some Quadrophenia material. The MXR Phase 100 has 10 speed settings; Townshend uses slow phasing for the rotating speaker effect.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Wah appears in specific songs — "My Generation" features wah in the solo section. Not a constant element.

Feedback (Used Compositionally)

Townshend was among the first rock guitarists to use feedback — the amplified sound of the speaker's vibration re-entering the guitar pickup and creating sustained pitch — as an intentional compositional element. The sustained, growing feedback at the end of "My Generation" and "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" are early examples of feedback as music rather than accident.

Creating feedback: Stand close to the amplifier (3–5 feet), face the speaker, with the guitar's pickups aimed at the speaker cone. Individual notes will sustain into feedback. The pitch of the feedback can be partially controlled by the guitar's position relative to the amp.

Playing Technique: The Windmill

Townshend's windmill strumming — a full circular arm motion from the shoulder that brings the picking hand down onto the strings with maximum force — is more than visual spectacle. It generates significantly more string-striking force than conventional strumming, producing louder transients and a more percussive attack.

The Physical Demands

Playing in Townshend's style requires:

• Barre chord strength: Full six-string barre chords sustained through aggressive strumming require significant left-hand grip
• Pick endurance: Aggressive strumming wears out picks quickly; Townshend went through numerous picks per performance
• Shoulder and arm flexibility: The full windmill requires a range of shoulder motion that casual playing doesn't develop

The Musical Function

The windmill and other aggressive physical gestures are not separate from the music — they produce the aggressive transients and high-velocity string strikes that give The Who their percussive guitar character. The guitar functions as a percussive instrument alongside Moon's drums, not merely a harmonic one.

Amp Settings for The Who Tones

Classic Who Sound (Won't Get Fooled Again, Who Are You)

Using a Hiwatt or high-headroom 100-watt British amplifier:

• Normal channel input
• Volume: 7–9 (high, approaching the amp's natural saturation point)
• Bass: 6
• Middle: 6
• Treble: 7
• Presence: 7 (the Hiwatt's presence control is particularly effective)
• Brilliant switch (if present): Off — the Normal channel voicing suits Townshend's character

The key is volume. A Hiwatt at bedroom levels sounds thin and clean. The characteristic sound emerges only when the amplifier is working hard.

Baba O'Riley Synth-Guitar Tone

For the phased guitar parts that open "Baba O'Riley":

• MXR Phase 100 (Speed: 5–6, slow/medium rate)
• Clean amp — the phasing effect must be on a clean, clear signal
• Single-note playing with the phase effect sweeping slowly

Feedback Passages

• Volume at maximum
• Stand close to the speaker
• Use neck pickup for warmer, more sustained feedback
• Touch the strings to nodes to encourage specific pitch feedback

Budget Recreation Setups

Under £500 — Core Approach

• Guitar: Epiphone SG Standard (£320) — humbuckers, SG body, good starting point
• Amp: Any loud, relatively clean amplifier — a Marshall DSL20CR at 20 watts or Blackstar HT-20, run at high volume

The most important element is playing approach: play harder than you think you should, with full barre chords.

£500–1,200 — Proper Setup

• Guitar: Gibson SG Standard (£1,400) — genuine mahogany/rosewood construction, P490 humbuckers
• Pedal: MXR Phase 100 (£90) for Baba O'Riley passages
• Amp: Marshall DSL100HR (£950) or Marshall JVM205H — British character at manageable price

£1,200–3,000 — Near-Authentic

• Guitar: Gibson SG Special (P90 version, £1,100) or Gibson SG Standard with P90 pickup swap
• Pedal: MXR Phase 100 (£90) + Dunlop Cry Baby (£80)
• Amp: Hiwatt Custom 50 (£1,800) — current production Hiwatt, correct circuit character

Key Songs and Their Tonal Signature

Frequently Asked Questions

What guitar did Pete Townshend use? Gibson SG Specials (late 1960s to early 1970s) with P90 pickups, then various Fender Stratocasters from the mid-1970s onwards. Also Gibson Les Paul Deluxes in the early 1970s.

What amplifier did Pete Townshend use? Hiwatt DR103 (100-watt, hand-wired) is the definitive Townshend amplifier. He used multiple Hiwatt heads for live performances, running them into WEM and Marshall speaker cabinets.

What is the windmill strumming technique? A full circular arm motion from the shoulder that brings the picking hand down onto the strings with maximum velocity. It produces louder transients and a more percussive attack than conventional strumming and is associated visually and sonically with Townshend's playing.

How do I get the Won't Get Fooled Again guitar sound? High-wattage, high-headroom amplifier run at high volume, Gibson-style humbucker or P90 guitar, full barre chord playing with aggressive pick attack. The Hiwatt DR103 at high volume is the correct amp; a Marshall or similar British amplifier at high volume approximates it.

Did Pete Townshend use many effects pedals? No. His classic sound is minimal — primarily guitar directly into a loud Hiwatt. He used a Phase 100 for specific songs and a Cry Baby wah occasionally. The sound came from playing power and amplifier volume rather than effects.