Pete Townshend
His combative guitar style, theatrical sensibilities and thirst for volume defined the essence of hard rock. He was also behind the creation of every hard-rock guitarist’s favorite piece of kit — the double stack.
NO GUITARIST OF the 1960s brought as much volume, aggression or savagery to rock and roll as the Who’s Pete Townshend. Much of that is down to his use of distortion, feedback and power chords, but it was also due to the sheer volume he would achieve onstage. Indeed, Townshend was one of a handful of guitarists — including Ritchie Blackmore and Big Jim Sullivan — who pushed Jim Marshall to make his amps louder. And it was Townshend, along with Who bassist John Entwistle, who blazed the trail for the 4x12 double stack, now and forever a mainstay in hard rock.