Cheap Trick - Tom Petersson

from Young Mates Music Player Magazine - December 1996

Editor’s note: This article discusses the instruments being used by Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson on their current tour. Here the information relevant to the 12-string bass.

In contrast to Rick Nielsen, who looks and performs silly, bassist Tom Peterson is always cool. However, when it comes to musical instruments, he is much of a maniac as Rick. He has been using unique 12-string and 8-string basses for a long time, and many of you may know him as he has been featured several times in this magazine. Let's have a look at Tom's maniacal behavior.

Let's start with this Chandler 12-string bass, the Royale. He has been using Hamer and others for a long time, but this year he often uses this new model of Chandler. Of course, it's a custom order designed for Tom, and it's a well-balanced design. Although it is a 12-string bass, it differs from a typical 5- or 6-string bass in that it does not have a single string, but a set of triple strings. One of them is a bass string and the other two are an octave higher guitar string gauge. In other words, it is easy to understand if you think of it as a combination of a 4-string bass and a 4-course 8-string guitar. This way you can cover both the bass and guitar ranges, and at the same time add a chorus effect like a 12-string guitar with three or more strings in the same key all the time. That's why. For this keyboardless, simple guitar band, it's a clever way to add a lot of depth and breadth to the sound. But it goes without saying that playing this bass as freely as Tom requires a great deal of technique and guts.

This model is named Royale, Chandler's first 12-string bass model. The cutaway's large body is made of Honduras Mahogany, and its styling is more like a cutaway acoustic guitar than a Les Paul. (Tom has loved using multi-string basses with acoustic guitar designs since the 70’s, although this one was created using the same “Player Guitar Design Contest” idea as Rick). The pickups are the company's split type on the front, and the center and rear are arranged and mounted with a single coil type called Super 60. Each pickup can be output independently, and the controller is the volume of each pickup and the on/off of each pickup. The original bridge allows the bass strings and guitar strings to be intoned separately, allowing for more accurate tuning. Tom Petersson's initials "TP" are inlaid on the headstock in the same color pearloid veneer used for the head, pickguard, and pickups, matching the body color well. A graphite board is sandwiched between the Maple neck and Rosewood fingerboard and is designed to withstand the tension of the powerful 12-strings.

Next, the 12-string bass on the upper right is the Tom Petersson signature model for Kid’s. They received an order from Tom two or three years ago, and this bass was completed in the summer of 1995. The body is larger than the Chandler and made of Mahogany and Maple. The see-through finish looks like a dark red, but it's a purple pearl called Misty Purple. A large dragon inlay is applied to the body, giving it a gorgeous look. The pickups are made by DiMarzio, with a rear being a humbucker. Again, three pickups are set in parallel, and the controllers are three volumes and three on/off switches. The bridge and tailpiece are handcrafted from carved brass blocks. The neck has an Ebony fingerboard, and two truss rods are built in to maintain strength. However, since the tension of the twelve strings is really strong, two identical necks were made in case of troubles. It's a great bass, though.

Well now, Tom's last bass is the acoustic bass on the bottom right. This is based on Taylor's AB-2, a commercial model that debuted this spring. Taylor is a Californian acoustic guitar maker, but this model was designed by guitar designer Steve Klein, who is known as the founder of Klein Guitars, and has quite unique specifications. (Speaking of which, certainly, the large rounded body and sophisticated styling are similar to Klein guitars.) The body is made of Imbuia, a rare wood similar to Walnut, and the neck has an Ebony fingerboard. As you can see, it has a fairly large full-acoustic structure, and the design with the sound hole leaning to the right is also unique. You can't tell from the outside, but inside the body is a horn load that you see in audio speakers, and it incorporates innovative ideas not only in terms of design but also in terms of sound. A Fishman pickup is mounted inside.

In less than a month, another Cheap Trick tour is coming. On the day of the gig, take this Player in hand and check carefully to see if they really use these guitars and basses!