Pete Townshend - the first guitar he every played as a boy - Radiotone circa 1935 - in black canvas case with associated paperwork
170
Pete Townshend's 1936 Radiotone guitar, the first guitar he played as a boy,
the cello guitar made for J.E. Dallas and Son in Czechoslovakia by Höfner or Alfred Borst, with associated paperwork, in modern soft case
Sold for £9,000 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • A statement which accompanies this lot, dated 24th September 2007 and signed by Pete Townshend, reads:

    'First Guitar I Ever Played
    This was my Uncle Jack's guitar. He died a few years ago and left this to my Mother who gave it to me. This is the first guitar I ever touched, long before I could play. I was between 7 and 10 years old and still trying to learn the chromatic harmonica. Jack lived in a little house in Kingston full of electrical gadgets (he was a Ham Radio expert). He had worked in the war on Radar, and also on developing guitar pickups for Gibson.'

    Pete gave the guitar to his partner, Rachel Fuller, to raise funds for a charity project in 2007, when it was purchased by the current owner.

Category: Collectibles / Entertainment Memorabilia

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Contacts

Stephanie Connell Bonhams
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General Enquiries, Specialist - Entertainment Memorabilia