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| Rick Nielsen |
On October 24th Juliens’s Auctions opened bids for over 200 guitars and assorted memorabilia owned by Rick Nielsen, the guitarist for the band Cheap Trick.
Much of the auction consists of stage clothing, hats, sweaters, and posters that long time Cheap Trick fans may enjoy owning. Nielsen states that some of the knitted items were hand done by a British woman that he befriended.
Nielsen, who has taken on the stage persona of '40's comedic actor Huntz Hall of the Bowery Boys, recently had a health crisis at a concert this past September when he left the stage at an Illinois concert due to difficulty in breathing. Medical tests showed no sign of cancer.
Nielsen contends that the auction was suggested by his wife. He currently owns more than 700 guitars and amplifiers. A portion of the money collected from the sale will benefit Saint Jude's Children's Hospital.
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| Nielsen Memorabilia |
Many of the guitars and amplifiers offered are interesting for collectors. I want to point out a few highlights of the guitars that were offered.
Perhaps one of the featured items that garnered the most attention was Rick Nielsen’s stage played 2004 Hamer Five Neck guitars. This “Quint Neck” guitar featured a 12 string, and an 8 string mandocello neck, as well as two guitar necks with differing pickups. The sold price for this instrument was $313,600.
Also offered was a 1980 Gibson V2 guitar with the unique V shaped pickups. It was sold for $7,680.
Before I discuss this auction I want to follow up on the results of the Lonnie Mack Auction that occurred earlier this month. The winning bid for Lonnie’s 1958 Flying V aka Number Seven, and his 1960 Magnatone 440 amplifier was $550,000.
The winning bid was Family Guitars of Chicago, an organization that owns many guitars and amplifiers acquired from legendary players.
Now back to the Nielsen auction. One of the more interesting guitars being offered is a 1984 Gibson Les Paul XPL aka the Aldo Nova Les Paul guitar. This is a specialty guitar that Canadian rocker, Aldo Nova requested Gibson build as his personal instrument. It features a Les Paul body with a Gibson Explorer headstock. Gibson built two of these guitars for Nova.
Nova believed his Les Paul guitars went out of tune because of the three on a side tuning pegs. To solve this he believed the straight pull of six-o-a-side tuners would prevent detuning. This guitar was sold for $25,800. Serial number #02.
The next guitar is a pink Kurt Hendrick Catalyst which features a unique body design, a Telecaster neck pickup, and a humbucking bridge pickup. This guitar was built with an Explorer style headstock. It sold at auction for $5,120.
A 1992 Husky/Conklin Stormtrooper guitar featuring a very unique body design sold for $5,120.
Nielsen’s 1997 Gibson J-160E Lennon Mystery Tour guitar sold for $10,240.
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| 2004 Hamer Quint Guitar |
Perhaps one of the featured items that garnered the most attention was Rick Nielsen’s stage played 2004 Hamer Five Neck guitars. This “Quint Neck” guitar featured a 12 string, and an 8 string mandocello neck, as well as two guitar necks with differing pickups. The sold price for this instrument was $313,600.
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| Gibson V2 |
Also offered was a 1980 Gibson V2 guitar with the unique V shaped pickups. It was sold for $7,680.
Nielsen’s 1960 Fender Tweed Tremolux amplifier sold for $3,840.
A six pickup First Act guitar featuring a dozen knobs and six on/off switches, which was nicknamed Bettie, sold for $8,960.
A 2009 Zoot Suit Rainbow SG, made out of many layers of colored Birch plywood, bound and cut to feature different wood sold for $6,400.
Rick Nielsen's 2007 Hamer Standard Checkerboard guitar sold for $38,400.
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| 1975 Hamer |
Another show stopper was Nielsen's stage played 1975 Hamer Standard guitar, serial # 0004 which sold for $256,000. This guitar was one of Nielsen's first Hamer guitars. He has endorsed Hamer instruments since 1973. As original Gibson Explorers are near impossible to find, Paul Hamer lent Nielsen his personal Hamer Explorer #0000 until this guitar could be built. Nielsen eventually purchased both instruments. So this guitar is a real treasure.
©UniqueGuitar Publications (text only) 2024
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