I've also always been fascinated by the fate of that beautiful 360/12 - if it is indeed one and the same - which has extra enigmatic rock lore.
My supposition is also that the 1972 date seems questionable. There are a couple of audio recordings of the Munich show on YouTube with cover photos showing an era-correct unmodified (2 mini humbucker) Les Paul Deluxe and the guitar played throughout the show to the end is clearly not a 12 string Rickenbacker. Sounds pretty much like an Deluxe to me. https://youtu.be/qcsHsy7mgzs?si=nz5PFY6a9yk6z0jB
But if we go back to the known photographed instances of the Mapleglo 360/12, there's a promo film shot at Chelsea Barracks in Nov 66, a photo of the band sometime in 67 with Jimi Hendrix at the Saville Theatre in Jan 67 and finally (here's where it gets interesting), backstage in Rome Feb 67. I can't find it now, but I'm pretty sure I've seen a wider-angle shot from that backstage photo, or another in the set, that shows damage to the pickguard, suggesting the guitar had already been bashed about a bit by they time it made it to Rome. Are these all the same guitar? Maybe not, but I'm inclined to think they are.
Most of the shows from that date are from the first of the two shows, with Pete playing a red Strat. But if we look at the photos shared by Marc Starr on Facebook, he seems to be smashing up a guitar that - from behind - looks a lot more like a Rick than a Strat, and a lighter-coloured instrument at that: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3259378371005428&set=pcb.3257571041186161
Have a look at the full set and make yer own mind up :) I've nothing more evidentiary than these photos, but that's where my detective mind landed, rather sadly as it's such a gorgeous guitar. That it apparently was previously owned by Graham Nash (given or sold?) adds an extra dimension. Smashed in the second set at Palazzo de Sport in Rome, Italy on February 26th, 1967, is my hypothesis.
Who knows when or how the autograph was added, or who it was made out to. Could it have been that night? Sure, I guess...
Also interesting is that Townshend's Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck first appeared later in 1967, perhaps suggesting that he needed that 12-string jangle but no longer had a Rickenbacker to fulfil the role by then. Also always wondered what finally happened to that double-neck after it got split up and re-glued!
A wild side theory. In Aug 67, the Who played the Kiel Opera House and again there was an unusual appearance of a Rickenbacker 360 (Fireglo). Might have belonged to Herman's Hermits, but it seemed to get bounced a couple of times, if not worse. This was Kiel St. Louis, Missouri, not Kiel Schleswig-Holstein, but could the tale have been told and retold over the years over pints in smokey bars with cities and dates and locations becoming somewhat muddled with the passage of time? Who knows, but that at least that seems more plausible than a mid-60s Rickenbacker 12-string getting smashed by Pete Townshend on a stage in Germany in 1972. But I guess stranger things have happened!
If I were to be spending that kind of money on something, which I would never do or care to do, I’d have Pete give it the once over. I would think he’d remember it. Maybe not, but these kind of items never interested me really.
Interesting, I was kind of curious about what happened to that 360/12. Looking at the fragment and whatever decent-quality photos I could find of it in action, there's some woodgrain patterns that look like they *might* line up near the top and bottom pickguard screw holes, but it's hard to tell without seeing a photo that shows the grain more clearly. But I have a hunch it might be the same guitar, somehow.
Speculative, but I also wouldn't be surprised if Pete might have been in a hurry or something when autographing the guitar, and misspelt Heino as 'Hinoe' in his haste; the line in between the 'o' and 'e' could have been him correcting himself mid-stroke. Or perhaps a pun on his name, who knows?
I've also always been fascinated by the fate of that beautiful 360/12 - if it is indeed one and the same - which has extra enigmatic rock lore.
My supposition is also that the 1972 date seems questionable. There are a couple of audio recordings of the Munich show on YouTube with cover photos showing an era-correct unmodified (2 mini humbucker) Les Paul Deluxe and the guitar played throughout the show to the end is clearly not a 12 string Rickenbacker. Sounds pretty much like an Deluxe to me. https://youtu.be/qcsHsy7mgzs?si=nz5PFY6a9yk6z0jB
But if we go back to the known photographed instances of the Mapleglo 360/12, there's a promo film shot at Chelsea Barracks in Nov 66, a photo of the band sometime in 67 with Jimi Hendrix at the Saville Theatre in Jan 67 and finally (here's where it gets interesting), backstage in Rome Feb 67. I can't find it now, but I'm pretty sure I've seen a wider-angle shot from that backstage photo, or another in the set, that shows damage to the pickguard, suggesting the guitar had already been bashed about a bit by they time it made it to Rome. Are these all the same guitar? Maybe not, but I'm inclined to think they are.
Most of the shows from that date are from the first of the two shows, with Pete playing a red Strat. But if we look at the photos shared by Marc Starr on Facebook, he seems to be smashing up a guitar that - from behind - looks a lot more like a Rick than a Strat, and a lighter-coloured instrument at that: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3259378371005428&set=pcb.3257571041186161
Have a look at the full set and make yer own mind up :) I've nothing more evidentiary than these photos, but that's where my detective mind landed, rather sadly as it's such a gorgeous guitar. That it apparently was previously owned by Graham Nash (given or sold?) adds an extra dimension. Smashed in the second set at Palazzo de Sport in Rome, Italy on February 26th, 1967, is my hypothesis.
Who knows when or how the autograph was added, or who it was made out to. Could it have been that night? Sure, I guess...
Also interesting is that Townshend's Gibson EDS-1275 double-neck first appeared later in 1967, perhaps suggesting that he needed that 12-string jangle but no longer had a Rickenbacker to fulfil the role by then. Also always wondered what finally happened to that double-neck after it got split up and re-glued!
A wild side theory. In Aug 67, the Who played the Kiel Opera House and again there was an unusual appearance of a Rickenbacker 360 (Fireglo). Might have belonged to Herman's Hermits, but it seemed to get bounced a couple of times, if not worse. This was Kiel St. Louis, Missouri, not Kiel Schleswig-Holstein, but could the tale have been told and retold over the years over pints in smokey bars with cities and dates and locations becoming somewhat muddled with the passage of time? Who knows, but that at least that seems more plausible than a mid-60s Rickenbacker 12-string getting smashed by Pete Townshend on a stage in Germany in 1972. But I guess stranger things have happened!
Yes- this is the model I had. Mine was black. I can relate to why Pete smashed his.
I sold mine, and used the money for a brake job.
Looks like "Hi Love" to me. I write that poorly that it is familiar!!
Fools and their money....
Despite the great detective work(which i enjoyed and do myself on occasion), I'll be THAT guy......
1. What a waste and
2. No.
At least not to me.
Hinote. That's what it looks like to me. And that can be linked to PT.
Interesting article, Andy!
If I were to be spending that kind of money on something, which I would never do or care to do, I’d have Pete give it the once over. I would think he’d remember it. Maybe not, but these kind of items never interested me really.
Yea, for that amount you can get quite a few really nice RICs and be playing happily!!
Interesting, I was kind of curious about what happened to that 360/12. Looking at the fragment and whatever decent-quality photos I could find of it in action, there's some woodgrain patterns that look like they *might* line up near the top and bottom pickguard screw holes, but it's hard to tell without seeing a photo that shows the grain more clearly. But I have a hunch it might be the same guitar, somehow.
Speculative, but I also wouldn't be surprised if Pete might have been in a hurry or something when autographing the guitar, and misspelt Heino as 'Hinoe' in his haste; the line in between the 'o' and 'e' could have been him correcting himself mid-stroke. Or perhaps a pun on his name, who knows?