Pete’s Gear: Takamine Guitars

Click to view larger version. 1996 Takamine ad featuring Pete with FP360SC.

News (16 November 2011): The Arvon Foundation auctioned a Pete-donated Takamine guitar on 14 Nov., 2011, at its Grand Fundraiser 2011 event. The auction realised £4,000 ($6,360).

According the event programme:

LOT 11: This beautiful Takamine guitar (with case) has been owned by Pete for many years and played live in concert for his solo shows, in recordings (from 1985 to 1993) and during the Who’s 1989 tour of America. The guitar will be accompanied by a signed letter of provenance from Pete, plus he will sign the guitar for you if you wish.

See arvonfoundation.org

News (June 2010): Christie’s auctioned a Takamine EN-20 acoustic, as part of its Popular Culture: Rock and Pop Memorabilia sale, held on 24 June 2010. The instrument was previously owned by Brad Rodgers of whocollection.com.

Rock Stars Guitars for sale at Christie’s

Four iconic guitars feature from Brad Rodgers at www.whocollection.com — the largest single-owner collection of The Who memorabilia to ever appear at auction — two previously owned by Pete Townshend, and two by John Entwistle [...] as well as Pete Townshend’s Takamine acoustic guitar from The Who’s 1989 tour and following few years (estimate: £6,000–8,000).

See christies.com

Realised: £10,000 ($14,960)

See lot details on christies.com.

Pete used various Takamine models on stage and in the studio between 1986 and 1993, including the 1989 Who tour and the 1993 Psychoderelict recording and tour. The last known stage use of a Takamine was the 29 June, 1996, Quadrophenia performance at Hyde Park, London.

The primary model Pete used on stage was the FP360SC. He has also used the EN-20, EN-10C and EG40SC.

Specifications

The FP360SC featured:

dreadnought-sized cutaway white-bound body with solid spruce top and rosewood back and sides, 14/20 mahogany neck with white-bound rosewood fretboard with dot inlays and 25½″ scale, rosewood bridge, black & white purfling, black pickguard, chrome hardware, and the Takamine AccurAcoustic EQ pickup system (3-band EQ and volume). In 1989, some may have had Kaman active transducer pickup.
The EN-10C featured:

dreadnought-sized cutaway body with solid cedar top, solid mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboard with no inlays, black & white purfling, no pickguard, gold hardware.
The EN-20 featured:

jumbo body with no cutaway, solid cedar top with solid mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboard with no inlays; gold with pearl tuners; Takamine electronics with 3-band EQ and volume.
The EG40SC featured:

solid cedar top with solid mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, gold/pearl tuners.

Partial list of known Takamine models owned by Pete, courtesy Brad Rodgers (whocollection.com).
#	Model	Whereabouts	Serial Number
1	FP-360SC	Used extensively on 1989 tour. Whereabouts unknown, but presumably still with Pete.
3	FP-360SC(?)	Apparently smashed by Pete in front of the Hard Rock London as part of a fund-raising/charity event. Unknown if ever played in concert or merely a spare. Sold at auction in 1999 to raise funds for the Nordoff-Robbins charity. Currently owned by a Northern California private collector.
4	EN-20	Owned by Brad Rodgers; used on the 1989 tour for the song A Little Is Enough every time and occasionally on the songs Baba O’Riley and Join Together.	88100291
9	FP-360SC	Pictured below. Used on 1989 tour. Sold by Pete at Oxfam auction on May 17, 2000, for £3,192 to a private collector. Sold via eBay May 2003 for $4,200. Now available for sale at rockstarsguitars.com.
–	EN-10C	Cutaway model used at Brixton Academy concert in 1985. Signed by Pete on the front and sold to raise money for the academy. Currently on display at the Hard Rock Cafe Vault in London. See Brad Rodgers’ whocollection.com for photos.	84041044

Pictured below is Pete Townshend’s Takamine FP360SC. Used on stage for 1989 Who tour. Sold by Pete at Oxfam auction on 17 May, 2000, for £3,192 to a private collector.

Oxfam auction info (May 2000): An acoustic that has met a ‘nasty accident’. Broken at the neck this Takamine (number FP-360SC) is numbered 9 of Pete’s collection. Guitar case is also numbered.