Cheap TrickVeteran US power-pop-rock quartet Cheap Trick's stage presence is probably almost as — if not equally — renowned as their music, and a large part of that has to do with frontman Rick Nielsen and his freakish, fantastic collection of guitars.
Now, fans have the chance to own one of Nielsen's beloved six-strings through online selling/trading platform Reverb.com, on which Nielsen has set up a store to peddle his well-loved and — it must be said — pretty damn beautiful instruments, as well as some bits and pieces of gear and accessories. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a listing for any of his iconic five-neck monstrosities, but that's not discouraging those among the faithful with cash to spare: at the time of writing, most of his goods have sold (including one of his iconic checkered beasts), with the only remaining items being a 1959 Gibson ES330T (mint collector grade, current bid $US6800), a Gibson P90 Pickup Set from a 1955 Les Paul custom, and his Loverridge Tremorator replete with pattern finish of a woman's face.
Trust us, though, there used to be a lot more on offer, as depicted in this video put together by Nielsen and Reverb.com to publicise the inception of his store. It's enough to send any gear-minded music fan into salivating seizures just to look — and, if you're really quick and have the dosh to spare, maybe you'll get to touch one of them, too.
For the rest of us, there's always "living vicariously through the internet", so, with that in mind, have a look at Nielsen's original collection below, or trawl through the now-off-market range at his store.
Cheap Trick are in the country in the very near future to play a run of shows with the A Day On The Green touring event, as well as some standalone shows with fellow 20th-century icon Billy Idol. Full details can be found in theGuide or The Music App.
