Top 5Has said they use
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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Cheap Trick. Every item links to its public source.
61 items · Last checked What gear does Cheap Trick use?
Rick Nielsen has said his main amp is a Fender Deluxe and plays Hamer Explorer-shaped Standards. Tom Petersson plays his Gretsch White Falcon 12-string bass through Orange amps, Bun E. Carlos played Ludwig drums, and Robin Zander sings into a Shure Beta 58.
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Top 5
Where to start with Cheap Trick's gear.
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Top 5Seen using
03
Top 5Seen using
04
Top 5Seen using
Tech 21
SansAmp Bass Driver DISeen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
05
Top 5Uses
What gear Cheap Trick uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Rick Nielsen: guitar
Fender
Deluxe (1976, Rivera-modified)
Has said they use
“But my main amp is – and I have six of them – a Fender Deluxe.”
Said in Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen: “I'm not a virtuoso. I'm a songwriter that plays rhythm guitar”, January 2022
No store page for this one.
Marshall
50-watt head ('60s) with 4x12
Has said they use
Marshall
50-watt head ('60s) with 4x12Said in Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen: “I'm not a virtuoso. I'm a songwriter that plays rhythm guitar”, January 2022
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Ebo Customs
Del Rio
Has said they use
Ebo Customs
Del RioSaid in Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen: “I'm not a virtuoso. I'm a songwriter that plays rhythm guitar”, January 2022
No store page for this one.
Dwight
Coronet ('62)
Has said they love
Dwight
Coronet ('62)“It’s a cool, little bang-around guitar.”
Said in Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen: “I'm not a virtuoso. I'm a songwriter that plays rhythm guitar”, January 2022
No store page for this one.
Gibson
Rick Nielsen Signature Les Paul
Seen using
Seen in Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen: “I'm not a virtuoso. I'm a songwriter that plays rhythm guitar”, January 2022
No store page for this one.
Gibson
ES-335 ('58)
Seen using
Gibson
ES-335 ('58)Seen in Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen: “I'm not a virtuoso. I'm a songwriter that plays rhythm guitar”, January 2022
No store page for this one.
Hamer
Explorer, checkerboard
Seen using
Seen in Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen: “I'm not a virtuoso. I'm a songwriter that plays rhythm guitar”, January 2022
No store page for this one.
Seen in Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen: “I'm not a virtuoso. I'm a songwriter that plays rhythm guitar”, January 2022
No store page for this one.
Gibson
Firebird III Reverse
Seen using
Gibson
Firebird III ReverseSeen in Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen: “I'm not a virtuoso. I'm a songwriter that plays rhythm guitar”, January 2022
No store page for this one.
Rickenbacker
12-string
Seen using
Rickenbacker
12-stringSeen in Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen: “I'm not a virtuoso. I'm a songwriter that plays rhythm guitar”, January 2022
No store page for this one.
Epiphone
Wilshire ('64)
Seen using
Epiphone
Wilshire ('64)Seen in Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen: “I'm not a virtuoso. I'm a songwriter that plays rhythm guitar”, January 2022
No store page for this one.
“a couple of my Hamer Explorer-shaped Standards, a ’59 Les Paul, and a Telecaster”
Said in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
Fender
Tribute Jeff Beck Esquire
Seen using
Seen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
Gibson
Aldo Nova Les Paul (1984)
Seen using
Seen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
Gibson
Mike McCready Les Paul (2016)
Seen using
Seen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
GMP
Mandocello
Seen using
GMP
MandocelloSeen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
Marshall
JMP
Seen using
Seen using
Seen using
Seen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
Dunlop
DCR-2SR Cry Baby
Seen using
Dunlop
DCR-2SR Cry BabySeen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
Shannon
Phaser
Seen using
Shannon
PhaserSeen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
D'Addario
EXL110
Seen using
D'Addario
EXL110Seen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
D'Andrea
Picks
Seen using
D'Andrea
PicksSeen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
Fender
Esquire ('50s)
Has said they use
Fender
Esquire ('50s)“Nothing I haven’t used before – a ’50s Esquire and a ’60s Telecaster.”
Said in Rick Nielsen, November 2016
No store page for this one.
Gretsch
Monkees (borrowed)
Has said they use
Hamer
Five-neck
Has said they love
Hamer
Five-neck“I wanted a 12-string and a fretless, and one that sounded like a Stratocaster and one that sounded like a Junior,”
Said in Rick Nielsen on the origin of his Hamer five-neck guitar, September 2026
No store page for this one.
Hamer
Standard (1975, Budokan)
Seen using
Seen in Rick Nielsen on the origin of his Hamer five-neck guitar, September 2026
No store page for this one.
Gibson
Les Paul Goldtop (1955)
Seen using
Gibson
Les Paul Goldtop (1955)Seen in Rick Nielsen on the origin of his Hamer five-neck guitar, September 2026
No store page for this one.
Gibson
Explorer (1968)
Seen using
Gibson
Explorer (1968)Seen in Rick Nielsen's guitars are going up for auction – including his bonkers five-neck Hamer, September 2026
No store page for this one.
Jerry Harvey Audio
JH7 Pro in-ears
Seen using
Jerry Harvey Audio
JH7 Pro in-earsSeen in Cheap Trick In The Mix, October 2014
No store page for this one.
Robin Zander: vocals and guitar
Shure
Beta 58 on UR4S wireless
Seen using
Seen in Cheap Trick In The Mix, October 2014
No store page for this one.
Shure
PSM 900
Seen using
Jerry Harvey Audio
JH5 Pro in-ears
Seen using
Jerry Harvey Audio
JH5 Pro in-earsSeen in Cheap Trick In The Mix, October 2014
No store page for this one.
dbx
160 compressor
Seen using
Tom Petersson: bass
Gretsch
Tom Petersson White Falcon 12-string
Has said they use
“I love for there to be string noise within the tone, and I love using both guitar amps and bass amps”
Said in Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson: "I love string noise within the tone", January 2020
No store page for this one.
Seen in Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson: "I love string noise within the tone", January 2020
No store page for this one.
Gibson
Thunderbird (1964)
Has said they use
Gibson
Thunderbird (1964)Said in Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson: "I love string noise within the tone", January 2020
Fender
Precision Bass (1957 and 1965)
Seen using
Seen in Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson: "I love string noise within the tone", January 2020
No store page for this one.
Orange
Custom Shop AD50
Seen using
Orange
Custom Shop AD50Seen in Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson: "I love string noise within the tone", January 2020
No store page for this one.
Orange
AD200B MK 3
Seen using
Orange
AD200B MK 3Seen in Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson: "I love string noise within the tone", January 2020
No store page for this one.
Orange
OBC810
Seen using
Orange
OBC810Seen in Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson: "I love string noise within the tone", January 2020
No store page for this one.
Brooks
EXP-12-TP 12-string
Seen using
Brooks
EXP-12-TP 12-stringSeen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
Orange
OR30
Seen using
Fender
Super Bassman
Seen using
Fender
Super BassmanSeen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Tech 21
SansAmp Bass Driver DISeen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
D'Addario
EXL170-12
Seen using
D'Addario
EXL170-12Seen in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
Rickenbacker
4003 (flatwounds)“a Rickenbacker 4003 with flatwounds, a 1960 Gibson EBO with a body like a double-cut Les Paul Junior, a Hofner 500/2 Club Bass, and my Gretsch White Falcon 12-string bass”
Said in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
Gibson
EB-0 (1960)Said in Cheap Trick on New Album All Washed Up, November 2025
No store page for this one.
Uses
Gibson
Thunderbird II, reverse
Has said they love
Gibson
Thunderbird II, reverse“I own six of ’em,”
Said in Tom Petersson, April 2007
No store page for this one.
Hamer
12-string bass (1985 prototype)
Seen using
“It took me 10 years to convince Hamer to make me a long-scale 12-string,”
Seen in Tom Petersson, April 2007
No store page for this one.
Waterstone
Tom Petersson 12-string
Seen using
Chandler
Royale 12-string
Seen using
Fender
Precision Bass ('56 and '62)
Has said they love
Rickenbacker
4001, Mapleglo ('72)
Has said they use
Gibson
J-160E ('57)
Has said they use
Bun E. Carlos: drums (former)
Ludwig
Bun E. Carlos Signature Snare
Seen using
Seen in Bun E. Carlos Signature Snare, December 2024
No store page for this one.
Ludwig
Bun E. Carlos Legacy Classic kit
Seen using
Seen in Ludwig releases Bun E. Carlos signature set, November 2009
No store page for this one.
Ludwig
Club Date, Mod Orange (1967)
Seen using
Seen in On the Road to Rockford, August 2020
No store page for this one.
Daxx Nielsen: drums
Shure
KSM137 kick mic
Seen using
Questions
About Cheap Trick's gear.
What guitar does Rick Nielsen play?
Hamer Explorer-shaped Standards, a '59 Les Paul and a Telecaster, he said in 2025. His collection runs from a checkerboard Hamer Explorer and a '58 ES-335 to a '59 Les Paul TV Junior and a reverse Firebird III. He also has a '62 Dwight Coronet he calls a cool little bang-around guitar.
Why does Rick Nielsen have a five-neck guitar?
Rick Nielsen has said he wanted a 12-string, a fretless, one that sounded like a Stratocaster and one that sounded like a Junior. Hamer built the original orange five-neck in 1981 and a Korina version in 2004.
What amp does Rick Nielsen use?
Rick Nielsen has said his main amp is a Fender Deluxe, and he has six of them, modified by Paul Rivera. He also uses a '60s Marshall 50 with a 4x12, a Vox AC30 and an Ebo Customs Del Rio, and Premier Guitar's 2025 rig adds a Marshall JMP and an Orange Rockerverb.
What bass does Tom Petersson play?
His Gretsch Tom Petersson signature White Falcon 12-string, plus '60s Gibson Thunderbirds he loves, Fender Precisions, a Hofner and Rickenbackers. He has said he loves string noise and uses both guitar amps and bass amps, mainly Orange heads and cabinets.
What drums did Bun E. Carlos play?
Ludwig. He has been a Ludwig artist since 1980, and Ludwig has made a Bun E. Carlos signature 6.5x14 Classic Maple snare and a Legacy Classic signature kit in Citrus Glass Glitter.
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Cheap Trick
About this guide · Last checked
Cheap Trick are the Rockford, Illinois band of Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander and Tom Petersson, with Bun E. Carlos and now Daxx Nielsen on drums, behind Surrender, I Want You to Want Me and Live at Budokan. This guide covers the whole band's documented gear: Nielsen's Hamer Standards, five-neck and Fender Deluxes, Petersson's 12-string basses and Orange amps, Carlos' Ludwig kits and Zander's Shure mics.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Cheap Trick didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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