Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen Is Auctioning Guitars, Stage Wardrobe and Rock History in Nashville for St. Jude

The Oct. 24 sale includes a five-neck guitar, vintage amplifiers and personal memorabilia spanning more than five decades.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A five-neck guitar, amplifiers gifted by Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and clothing worn during some of Cheap Trick’s most recognizable moments are among the pieces Rick Nielsen is preparing to let go.

The Cheap Trick guitarist and songwriter’s personal collection is heading to auction Oct. 24 at Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum. Presented by Julien’s Auctions, the sale includes more than 300 lots, with a portion of proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Panel discussion featuring Darren Julien, founder of Julien's Auctions, Rick Nielsen, and Scott Borchetta.

The Rick Nielsen Collection auction begins at 10 a.m. Central on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, 401 Gay St., inside the Historic Nashville Municipal Auditorium. The sale will take place live and online. Fans and collectors can browse the collection and here. Registration is required to participate.

At an Oct. 7 press event in Nashville, Nielsen shared the stories behind several items, offering a glimpse into a collection shaped by decades of performing, friendships with fellow musicians and his unmistakable sense of humor.

“If you’re gonna be ridiculous, be real ridiculous,” Nielsen said while discussing his towering five-neck guitar.

The instrument is a custom 2004 Hamer Five Neck Korina, one of three five-neck guitars Nielsen owns and, according to Julien’s Auctions, being offered publicly for the first time.

Nielsen explained that this particular version has 38 strings and incorporates a mandocello, a larger member of the mandolin family.

“Everybody’s favorite instrument,” he joked. “You need a mandocello.”

Another standout is his stage-played 1975 Hamer Standard. The guitar accompanied Nielsen through landmark performances, including Cheap Trick’s 1978 appearance at Japan’s Budokan.

But the stories extend beyond the guitars.

Discussing a set of miniature amplifiers at the press event, Nielsen recalled touring with Aerosmith in Canada when guitarist Joe Perry spotted them and bought them for him.

“Those were a gift for me,” Nielsen said. “Joe Perry actually gave these to me.”

The gesture came with a joke, Nielsen recalled, before adding one of his own: “He actually bought these for me, so now I owe him money.”

The auction catalog also features vintage Gibson combo amplifiers, a checkerboard amplifier prop, concert posters, handwritten material and apparel. Among the clothing are a sweater worn on Cheap Trick’s One on One album cover, a Detroit Tigers baseball cap associated with that cover and a handmade Hamer Guitars shirt. Presale estimates vary widely, with some posters and clothing listed in the hundreds of dollars alongside the six-figure guitars.

Nielsen also revisited a memorable encounter with John Lennon.

According to Nielsen’s account, Lennon once said he wished Nielsen had played on “Cold Turkey,” which featured Eric Clapton. The remark concerned a song Lennon had already recorded, rather than an unrealized booking for Nielsen to appear on it.

Nielsen and Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos instead recorded a version of “I’m Losing You” during Lennon’s 1980 Double Fantasy sessions. Their recording did not appear on the original album but was later released on the 1998 John Lennon Anthology. Nielsen has previously recounted Lennon’s “Cold Turkey” compliment in interviews.

Beyond the music memorabilia, bidders will find a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, a 1958 Ford Ranchero and a customized checkerboard John Deere tractor with a snowplow. The collection also includes handwritten lyrics and studio notes connected to Cheap Trick’s Heaven Tonight album.

For Nielsen, the sale also supports an organization with a personal connection. In the auction announcement, he cited knowing St. Jude founder Danny Thomas and his daughter, Marlo Thomas, as part of his reason for supporting the hospital. Organizers specify that a portion of the proceeds will benefit St. Jude.