Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen is parting with some of his famous guitar collection to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Julien’s Auctions announced Monday it will offer more than 300 items from “The Rick Nielsen Collection” on Oct. 24. A portion of proceeds from the sale will benefit St. Jude. The auction will take place in person at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum at the Historic Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Bidders can register at the Julien’s Auctions website.
Nielsen, 77, is known for his large and unique collection of instruments. “I’ve owned over 2,000 instruments: drums, keyboards, amps. I’m whittling it down to about 600,” Nielsen said in a video about the auction. He joked that he started collecting guitars “because cars were too expensive.”
Among the items up for auction is a five-neck guitar made for him by Hamer in 2004 from Korina wood. “This has 38 strings,” Nielsen said. “I don’t remember it being this heavy.”
Nielsen said the decision to sell part of his collection came from his wife. “I always told people, when I die, my wife will probably sell everything for a dollar, so stick around,” he said. “But then I lived a bit longer than she thought.”
More than 70 guitars are included in the sale, along with custom instruments, a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, a checkered John Deere tractor with snow plow, and handwritten lyrics for Cheap Trick’s song “Heaven Tonight.”
Some pieces show clear signs of use. Nielsen recalled putting a hole in one of his Hamer Californian guitars, then injuring his arm spinning the guitar during a show. “If you want to ruin your arm, get this guitar, spin it around on your arm, and send the bill to Julien’s,” he joked.
Cheap Trick is set to resume touring Oct. 3 in the Houston area. The band will make stops in Nashville, Fort Wayne, Madison, Kansas City and St. Louis before ending the year Nov. 22 in Detroit.