The original '76 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Gold Top used by Pete Townshend during the 1970's is one of his most recognisable instruments, heavily modded to achieve his trademark powerful tone. In 2005, Gibson commissioned a run of 75 replicas to be built in the Custom Shop, working with Townshend to perfectly match the spec to the original. This guitar, with the serial number "PETE 000," is a pre-production prototype made especially for and previously owned by Pete Townshend himself.
This guitar sticks firmly to the original '70s build specs of the model, with a 3 piece Mahogany & Poplar pancake body and a 3 piece Maple top finished in the classic Bullion Gold found on '70s Les Paul Deluxe guitars. The 3 piece maple neck features a Rosewood board, '70s style volute, and custom Pete Townshend neck profile to match the feel of the original Les Pauls used by Pete, the neck profiles of which were re-profiled by his guitar tech at the time. The body is fitted with two Gibson mini humbucker pickups with a Di Marzio Dual Sound in the middle position, which also features controls for coil tapping and phase switching, again in line with the original. Other features include chrome hardware, custom strap locks, and #3 decal on the front and back of the body.
This guitar has been given a full service by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, and includes a 3 year warranty. It was in the possession of Pete Townshend, and was later gifted to his long time tour manager before coming to us. This guitar includes its original case, certificate and relevant provenance.
