Known for his pummeling guitar work with The Who, Pete Townshend introduced a new sonic and visual vocabulary to rock ‘n’ roll with his masterful playing, inspiring countless guitarists to pick up their guitars and play. His innovative songwriting powered The Who’s rise to the forefront of the British Invasion and his auto-destruct-powered live performances set the standard of showmanship for rock guitarists. Since 1989 Townshend has played a Fender Stratocaster modified to meet his unique needs—and now the Fender Custom Shop is proud to present the Limited Edition Pete Townshend Stratocaster to players and fans.

One of Townshend’s hallmarks as a songwriter is his use of intertwined electric and acoustic guitar sounds. At his request, Fender incorporated a method for him to easily access both voices without switching guitars. A two-post Fishman™ Powerbridge tremolo bridge provides a palette of acoustic and hybrid acoustic/electric tones for Townshend to easily access as dictated by his needs.

Townshend has never been one to shy away from incorporating technology into his sound; the Townshend Stratocaster uses three Lace Sensor Gold™ single-coil pickups for noise-free performance inspired by classic, crisp, bell-like Fender tone. The pickups’ signal is boosted by an onboard Fender preamp to drive a tube amp into gloriously creamy and harmonically rich overdrive.

Designed to meet Townshend’s wide-ranging needs while performing his classic catalog, this instrument is the perfect palette for guitarists who need both acoustic and electric sounds without switching instruments. Blending modern musical technology with Fender’s timeless guitar design, the Limited Edition Pete Townshend Stratocaster is perfect for players who need a flexible guitar that will easily stand up to a few windmilled chords while sounding great all night long.