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Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen Still Waiting on Paul McCartney's Autograph

  • Posted on Jan 26th 2010 3:00PM by Robin Milling
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Cheap Trick's Rick NielsenCheap Trick have never shied away from their Beatles influences -- they're even known in Japan as the "American Beatles." Their brushes with the Fab Four are many: drummer Bun E. Carlos worked with John Lennon and the band collaborated with Beatles producer George Martin and recording engineer Geoff Emerick on several of their albums. With all these associations, it seemed logical that guitarist Rick Nielsen, who has amassed over 2,000 guitars, would think of parting with one of his prized possessions -- a Les Paul left-handed bass which he thought would be ideal for lefty Paul McCartney.

"I had it years back. I got it because they only made three of them in 1960 and I've been a guitar collector since the '60s," Nielsen tells Spinner. "It was a beautiful guitar but rather than completely changing it and fixing the nut on it and turning the bridge around and a lot of stuff that shouldn't be done to it [for a right-handed person], I said in a guitar magazine, 'McCartney should have this one. He's the only guy that can afford it!' At the time, the guitar was going for about $10,000 and now that guitar is worth at least a million. He read that and, between him and this guitar tech, ended up with it."

Nielsen still gently weeps that McCartney never sent him a personal "thank you" note or even an autographed photo. "In some magazines they mention, 'Oh yeah, we got this guitar from Rick Nielsen.' I've never gotten an 8x10 or anything like that saying, 'Hey, Rick, thanks for the guitar!' I asked George Martin to see if he could get one from Paul because he sees him more often and he said, 'Paul is kind of in a bad mood this week,'" Nielsen recalls. "Whatever! So I never got anything. McCartney's got plenty of money and he really got a bargain from me, so the least he could do is give me an 8x10!"

Cheap Trick are currently on tour in support of their new album, 'The Latest.'

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truedat

the truth is there are very few people in the world as cheap as Mccartney.He's got a billion and a half in the bank and gets kudos for giving a million to charity ? Very big deal. Heather Mills had it right.He should give away half his fortune and still live very comfortably with the other half.

March 15 2011 at 4:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
RPG

Rick told this story at the first Trickfest, back in 1995. He said gave the guitar to Paul, expecting to be paid for it, and never was. It's pretty interesting that he's still bringing this up in interviews 15 years later. Obviously it's a sore subject with him. I do agree that Sir Paul could definitely have easily given an autograph in return. But what surprises me is why hasn't he? Should be easy enough for Rick's manager to contact Paul's, and get it done. Why keep re-hashing it years later? Makes Rick sound like he has real sour grapes.

March 24 2010 at 2:04 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Paul Calypso

Rick wasn't whining...it was all tongue in cheek. His hero was John Lennon and he got to work with him on Double Fantasy, that trumps not getting an autograph from PM. Whoever said that Rick is lucky to be in the music business obviously isn't familiar with a band called Cheap Trick. What other American band has been together for over 35 years, writing, recording, and touring nonstop since then. They've played over 6,000 shows...pretty impressive if you ask me. Don't take Rick's comments too seriously. With that being said, he probably did get something from Paul.

March 22 2010 at 3:30 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Kiko Jones

The story is a bit odd, since it's been floating around for years that Nielsen hooked up Paul w/a left-handed Les Paul guitar a while back. Also, Gibson started manufacturing the LP bass in 1969 in mass quantities, so...this just seems like a poorly fact-checked piece w/a grain of truth to it. But yeah, Paul owes Rick an autograph. Why he would allegedly dis a famous fan is surprising...

February 07 2010 at 7:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Don

This was a transaction, as said before, there isn't anything elsed owed. However, when someone is as respected and admired as Paul McCartney, you would think he would want to appear a classy guy, especially among his peers. It is the small extra things in life that all people should remember mean so much to others. I would think a music icon would have already learned this simple fact after almost 40 years of iconic fame.

January 28 2010 at 11:55 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Tommy

Did you know that Rick (GAVE) John Lennon a valuable guitar too. John asked Rick to play guitar on one of his solo albums and when they meet at the studio Rick payed guitar on a couple of songs I'm not sure which ones you will have to goggle that and Rick said John was playing a 3/4 size Rickenbacker guitar that looked like a toy so Rick gave him a 60 something Gibson. This story which was aired on AOL about a month or so ago. After John died Yoko gave Rick the guitar back. So this might have something to do with this debacle. Rick din't sell anything to Paul or John they were his hereos he gave them guitars and Rick and John Lennon were friends up until his death.

January 27 2010 at 9:41 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Gillespie,James

Sir Paul was a gentleman when I met him and Linda. He does say 'thank you'. Heard it several times.

January 27 2010 at 5:35 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
PLATEHEAD1

Nielsen is luck he can even hold a job in the music business.

January 27 2010 at 5:10 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Pat

(GROW UP).............Mr. Neilsen, had this left handed guitar collectible. If he was such a quitar collector why did he even think about selling it. I bet when he purchased it way back when he never knew Paul was a lefty and
later he found out this fact and needed some money and presented it to Paul's agent and if anything the purchase was made. I think Mr. Neilsen should send Paul a 8x10 with a apology for being so unprofessional. When was the last time did you hear anything going on with Mr. Neilsen I myself never heard of him. Paul is a good man. He lives a private life. He is a senior citizen now. He desires respect/If it wasn't for the BEATLES what kind of music would we have now They started the REVOLUTION. Also do you really think that Paul doesn't have lefty guitars especially collectibles way
older than what he purchased. Mr. Neilson all sales final/. I guess he expects 8x10's with signatures with all his sales.

January 27 2010 at 4:31 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
Gloria Gomez

What is the big deal here anyway? It all seems so petty, to me, that I don't even know if I should believe it! Oh, and I agree, Sir Paul did indeed try to keep the Beatles together fervently. That was the reason for the big dispute back then. Boy people can seem to get worked up over anything! Whatever happened to the "no strings attached" policy? (Well, now that I think of it, the strings were most likely attached at the time-LOL).

January 27 2010 at 4:17 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply
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