Rig Rundown - Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen

@K6HR 3 years ago

True story: I worked in a music store and the Cheap Trick tour bus parks outside. Sure enough, in comes Rick, he goes straight to the guitar department. He notices a used guitar hanging on the wall with a checkerboard pattern on the pickguard. On the price tag a salesperson had handwritten "Cheap Trick Model". Rick quickly pointed out it was not a "Cheap Trick" guitar. He purchased it, brought it outside, and smashed it to bits in the parking lot. It was hilarious! All during his shopping in the store he was one helluva nice guy!

@non-stoppowerpop6799 9 years ago

"What pickup is that?" "A humbucker."

@hchoe741 8 years ago

Johnny Depp: "Oh Rick, it's an honor to meet you!" Rick Nielsen: "WHO ARE YOU?!?"

@impulsivedesigns 9 years ago

I think I cleared my throat 45 times listening to Rick speak.

@gregeliason2536 3 years ago

As a State Police Officer (Ohio). I had the opportunity to briefly converse with Mr. Nielson backstage before a show at The Ohio State Fair a few years ago. He's a very friendly, genuine man. Fan appreciative.

@user-do2ev2hr7h 2 years ago

Rick has the demeanor of somebody's mildly deranged midwestern uncle and I love it.

@MrMusicfan007 9 years ago

"You wanna talk about your amps? - No." Rick seems like an amazing guy :D

@the_end00101 4 years ago

"I haven't tuned a guitar in over 30 years." this is great

@Mooseboy08 8 years ago

Rick is such a funny mix of non-guitar knowledge and total guitar knowledge… ("uh, it's a humbucker" and "you can take your screwdriver and find out".) It's cool to hear him name drop all of these famous names while sounding a bit like an out-of-touch old man (which is probably a bit of a put on.) He's a real hero of mine.

@weibernipple 7 years ago

Q. How do you know your guitar hero's not a pompous tool? A. He"ll actually take the time to show you his gear personally rather than have some tech do it.

@Rikk303 9 years ago

"I love guitars with mojo. I'm a musician.....I'm supposed to be broke." Classic!

@tillgeiger5629 5 years ago

"Back in the day people used to just trade in stuff. They didn't keep stuff, no one did. And guitars weren't called vintage, they were called used." When Rick said that I paused the video for a moment and thought about that. Nowadays there are so many collectors, everything has to be kept in pristine condition and regardless of the fact that one may have half of all guitars from one model/type ever made, just for the sake of hoarding and owning them.. That's something that will always go over my head. Using guitars, taking them with you, living with them and trade them with someone so their way takes new turns is what makes guitars magical, genuine, authentic pieces of history, not locking them away behind glass doors and buying some "New Les Paul 2019 super mega collectors throwback to 1963 edition" and keeping them as an investment. Make music and be creative, it's the person and not the gear.

@takmagic777 7 years ago

Interviewer: "What pickup is in there?" Rick: "It's a humbucker..."

@Steeve9292 10 years ago

The number of people seemingly unaware when Rick is clearly joking, is rather alarming.

@RandomChristianMusings 4 years ago

My son, Jonathan Matthew Wion, played sitar on the "Sergeant PepperTour" with Cheap Trick in 2010. Jon was killed on 2-10-17. Playing Seargent Pepper that season was the time of his life. If Rick, or anyone else in the band knew/remembers Jonathan (and his goofy dancing) thanks for being a great influence and a source of happiness in Jon's life. RIP Jon-Jon Mamma loves you so...

@Skulllywag 8 years ago

A lot of clueless posters here. Ricks dry wit and sarcasm has been legendary for decades. Cheap Trick has toured almost non-stop for the last 20 years (coming to a bar, arena, fair ground near you), and I'd be hard pressed to think of ANY other band that tours more....so if he doesn't want to tune his guitar, why should he? Isn't that what the guitar tech is paid for? And if he doesn't want to geek out over hardware, why should he? That said...The man has one of the best guitar collections in THE WORLD. If you counted the guitars lost in fire, or sold throughout the years...he's owned THOUSANDS of some of the rarest and most unique guitars ever made. If you can afford them, you buy them, if you can't....you talk about them. I think he just enjoys buying them.