Pete Townshend booked into The 45 Factory in Waterford, Michigan on Friday night to cut a few tracks for an acoustic project that he is working on. The 45 Factory is a vintage inspired recording studio located 20 Miles North of Detroit, where The Who kicked off their US leg of the tour the following night. The session was engineered by Ryan McGuire, who for years has helped outfit Pete’s personal studios via his role with the Ferndale-based gear company Vintage King. The Who’s long time sound engineer Bob Pridden also attended the recording session to view the studio. This is the second time that Pete has booked into a studio in the US during The Who Hits 50 tour. He also recorded new acoustic songs at Welcome to 1979 studio in Nashville in May 2015.
Ryan McGuire posted about the 45 Factory session on his Facebook page:
What an absolute honor to have none other than "The Who's," Pete Townshend, along with his live sound man of 40 years, Bob Pridden, into the studio yesterday to record some acoustic tracks for an upcoming project. Pete's a true icon and recording him was an experience I'll never forget. Pete sent me these kind words this morning about his experience:
"I had a great direct-to-tape session at the 45 Factory. Wonderful sound, the way it always used to be for me, and very close to the sound I get in my own “Vintage” style studio. But at the 45 Factory most things are new, or fully restored to new condition and everything works beautifully. I had a fantastic time recording a new song direct to an old Ampex 351 1/4" stereo tape machine. Some great music is going to come out of the 45 Factory."
To learn more about the 45 Factory, please visit their website at the45factory.com or contact them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Photos: Deni Mesanovic
