Rockford, IL (PRWEB) September 25, 2012

Cheap Tricks legendary bass player, and inventor of the 12-string bass guitar, Tom Petersson, has lent his 2012 Waterstone Black 12-String bass guitar to his bandmates exhibit: Ricks Picks: A Lifelong Affair With Guitars & Music.

Hailed as one of the premier music exhibits in the world, Ricks Picks features 73 guitars from Rick Nielsens private collection as well as those of his friends, including Slash (Guns N Roses, Velvet Revolver), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Todd Rundgren, Conan OBrien, Brian May (Queen) and now, his partner on stage, Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick.

Tom Peterssons magically orchestral bass playing is a foundational block in Cheap Tricks signature wall of sound. But it wouldnt be possible without the 12-string bass. In 1973, Tom began the process of designing and fine-tuning his signature instrument with Hamer Guitars, and the first Hamer 12-string bass model was delivered in 1977.

At that point, Rick Nielsen began giving Tom a cheerful shout out on stage each night as, the inventor of the 12-string bass guitar. Set up with three (each) E, A, D and G strings, in Toms skilled hands, the 12-string bass adds beautifully woven color and harmony to Cheap Tricks recorded and live music.

Over the years, Tom has commissioned many different instruments by a variety of manufacturers, including Gibson, Chandler, E.G.C. and Kids Guitars of Tokyo. Founded in 2002, Waterstone is a relatively new player in the guitar/bass market. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the company is owned by a vintage guitar collector (and neurosurgeon) named Dr. Robert Singer.

Peterssons bass joins the 73 guitars, 100 show posters, 55 platinum and gold records, 170 Rick-designed, unique guitar picks and 60 F.O.R. (Friends of Rick) picks, 115 pieces of fan art sent from fans around the world and many hundreds of other personal items and memorabilia.

In addition to over 3000 artifacts, visitors enjoy an exciting environment enhanced by audio and video, including a 30-minute biopic “Rickumentary” movie featuring appearances by Rick and his family and friends. A concert stage features vintage equipment and historic concert footage. Large projected images and a rich audio track set the audio environment for an engaging and one-of-a-kind rock & roll experience.

Ricks Picks is at Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 North Main Street Rockford, IL 61103 until April 10, 2013. Post-Rockford, officials intend to send the exhibit on a worldwide tour.

Corporations and Organizations interested in national and international sponsorship of the exhibit are invited to visit the Ricks Picks Sponsorship page, or to contact Ricks Picks Director of National Sponsorship, Jennie Walker at jwalker (at) rickspickslive (dot) com for more information. Many levels of collaboration are available.

This project was partially funded by a Grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Tourism.