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Pete Townshend donates his synth collection to his alma mater


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https://www.uwl.ac.uk/study/study-facilities/the-townshend-studio?fbclid=IwY2xjawF_UKVleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbJsZvQKR-7AZRtCcCl62N9MSP_1c1lycNZWa5v0YhOE2I2Ll642SojMsw_aem_U0ZHfnIOlw_3AO4tWAJeUg

 

The studio is a collection of instruments used by Pete Townshend, co-founder of The Who and Ealing School of Art (now UWL) alumnus, who described his time at the School as “a revelation”. The collection is comprised of 12 principal synthesisers, plus many other instruments which have been used by Pete throughout his career.

 

synths in the collection:

 

https://www.uwl.ac.uk/study/study-facilities/the-townshend-studio/synthesisers?fbclid=IwY2xjawF_T_pleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHX6EQ1GZgnWMv4sN9IcWxV20ttoTgVskHiutr3kKH3B0zRpEg2xCDdKxNg_aem_IvMgb-OwOhg0KoB6AU29_Q

 

This is not a museum; this is a hands-on space:

 

Pete Townshend has worked closely with the University’s academic and technical staff to design and build a studio which will empower students, artists and researchers to fully explore the cybernetics-inspired vision of Roy Ascott through the connection of hardware, software, people and space. 

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Well, now we know where one of the <10 Yamaha GX-1s was hiding...

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The Players:  OB-X8, Numa Compact 2X, Kawai K5000S, cheap Korean guitars/basses, Roland TD-1KV e-drums.  Eurorack/Banana modular, Synth/FX DIY.

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Gotta admit -- that's pretty dang cool!  How admirable.

 

As for me, I plan to leave my keyboards to the local "School Of Rock" to help them teach the next younger generation(s) about rock music (sure hope they're not in a rush!).  I won't get a whole studio, but will bequest that a small plaque be added to each board with some type of "Donated in memory of..." comment.

 

Old No7

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Yamaha MODX6 * Hammond SK Pro 73 + Keystation 61 in "B3" Shell * Roland Fantom-08 * Mojo Pedals * Mackie Thump 12As * Tascam DP-24SD + JBL 305 MkIIs

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I'm fainting... and dreaming of going to West London University... :freak: :D

 

Jokes aside, it was a remarkable, generous gesture. Now, good luck to the people at West London, having to take care of all that stuff...

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Old material for most on here, but I never tire of watching it...the GOAT on one of the <10 GX-1s.

 

 

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The Players:  OB-X8, Numa Compact 2X, Kawai K5000S, cheap Korean guitars/basses, Roland TD-1KV e-drums.  Eurorack/Banana modular, Synth/FX DIY.

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There's an interesting Venn diagram to be had, where the original, working hardware diminishes, while clonettes and software expand. Someday, the last playable CS-80 will give up the ghost and people will have to embrace it through reimaginings and Vangelis videos. Even money says the Synthi 100 will gather the most dust. It should be in a warehouse in Area 51.

 "Sometimes not giving up is the most heroic thing you can do."
      ~ "Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom"

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The whereabouts of the so far publicly known GX1s is fairly well documented, including this one, list from gearspace, published by the engineer who renovated Benny's unit some years ago.

 

The number of units made has been debated since forever basically, some claim up to 70 units where produced and that less than 40 left Yamaha, with rumours saying the rest got scrapped in the end for tax reasons (inventory value?). Looking at the serial numbers one can only speculate.

 

A friend if mine worked at the Austria state radio for years and claimed they had a huge white Yamaha spaceship organ in a storage room in their recording studio under a cover, never used to his knowledge (he did not work in their studio). I asked him to snoop around to find out more about it, but suddenly one day when he made his way in there again, it was gone, never got any verification of the model but it can't, to my knowledge, have been anything else than a GX1. 

 

GX-1 #5088 - SWE - Benny Andersson.

 

GX-1 #5080 - JPN - Private owner - Previously owned by committee members of a temple JPN.

 

GX-1 #5076 - ITA - Riccardo Grotto - Previously owned by John Paul Jones, Keith Emerson, Hans Zimmer et al.

 

GX-1 #5074 - ENG - Richard D James - Previously owned by Mickie Most.

 

GX-1 #5073 - ENG - Gordon Reid - Previously owned by Yamaha HQ AUS, private owner AUS.

 

GX-1 #5050 - JPN - Yamaha Corporation HQ (Innovation Road) - Previously displayed at Electone City.

 

GX-1 #5049 - CAN - Private owner - Previously owned by private owner CAN.

 

GX-1 #5046 - ITA - Riccardo Grotto - Previously owned by Keith Emerson, painted black.

 

GX-1 #5041 - ENG - Pete Townshend - Previously owned by private owners AUS.

 

GX-1 #5040 - USA - EMEAPP - Previously owned by Yamaha Dealers Association AUS, private owners AUS.

 

GX-1 #5023 - USA - Dion Singer - Previously owned by private owner JPN.

 

GX-1 #5020 - JPN - Private owner - Previously owned by private owner JPN.

 

GX-1 #5019 - USA - Merlin Entertainment (Madame Tussauds) - Previously owned by Rock Circus ENG.

 

https://gearspace.com/board/showpost.php?p=14291388&postcount=287

"You live every day. You only die once."

 

Where is Major Tom?

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PC3, HX3 w. B4D, 61SLMkII, SL73, Prologue 16, KingKORG, Opsix, MPC Key 37, DM12D, Argon8m, EX5R, Toraiz AS-1, IK Uno, Toraiz SP-16, Erica LXR-02, QY-700, SQ64, Beatstep Pro

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1 hour ago, hurricane hugo said:

didn't Stevie Wonder own one?

 

I recall reading he owned two, no idea if he still does, seems the collective serial number squad has not been able to gain access to them at least. Anyone been working with Stevie here and have any input?

"You live every day. You only die once."

 

Where is Major Tom?

- - - - -

PC3, HX3 w. B4D, 61SLMkII, SL73, Prologue 16, KingKORG, Opsix, MPC Key 37, DM12D, Argon8m, EX5R, Toraiz AS-1, IK Uno, Toraiz SP-16, Erica LXR-02, QY-700, SQ64, Beatstep Pro

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I think some of the synthesisers Pete Townshend used on Who’s Next and Quadrophenia were actually given to him by Joe Walsh. I know both the Who and Joe Walsh used ARP and Moog synths (namely the ARP 2600), and those synth sounds are typical of the early seventies.

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