Rick Nielsen headlines his own landmark guitar arrival at Hard Rock Casino in Rockford
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The arrival of a nearly 63-foot replica of one of Rick Nielsen’s signature checkerboard guitars was the focus of a crew of reporters, photographers and other media Wednesday morning at Hard Rock Casino.
Then Nielsen himself showed up and stole the show.
“I have to limber up my fingers,” the 75-year-old Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famer joked while looking over four sections of the giant guitar that promises to become a future city landmark.
Related: How the giant showpiece guitar at Hard Rock Casino was made for Rockford
Members of the media were alerted to guitar’s arrival and the start of its installation, which is expected to be complete by the end of the week. The sign was made by Gable, a sign and visual communications company in Baltimore, and shipped here on four semi-trucks.
Nielsen’s appearance was impromptu.
“He’s been waiting for this, too,” said Geno Iafrate, president of Hard Rock Casino Rockford. “He’s played an integral part in the actual design of this with Gable.”
Nielsen got home late last night from Nashville, where he was working on a studio project, Iafrate said. Photographer Susan Moran, a friend of Nielsen who has worked with him shooting for the Rock’n Vodka brand, gave him a call to alert him to the arrival.
“We’re lucky that he just got home late last night, and boom the four semi-trucks arrive just in time,” Iafrate said. “We’re in the gambling business. It’s good to be lucky.”
The arrival of the roughly 14,000-pound mostly steel and aluminium guitar has been a much-anticipated moment since Ringland-Johnson Construction broke ground on the project in late September 2022.
“Probably the most asked question the entire time — almost two years that we’ve been building this: When is that guitar going up?” Iafrate said. “Well, today, it’s going up today.”
Fast facts | Hard Rock Rockford guitar
Height: 62-feet, 10 inches
Width: 38-feet, 6 inches
Weight: 14,000 pounds (approximately, including steel support structure)
Made by: Baltimore-based Gable
The guitar is going in nearly the same spot where the roughly 100-foot tall Clock Tower stood for 50 years. The tower, which was long considered a landmark that signified an entrypoint to the city, was torn down in August 2018 as investors in the casino cleared the way for the future Hard Rock, 7801 E. State St.
The casino is slated to open Aug. 29, and Nielsen will perform that night in an invitation-only show as part of the The Nielsen Trust, which includes his son Daxx on drums, son Miles on vocals, and daughter-in-law Kelly Steward, who also a singer/songwriter.
“This is going to be the new Clock Tower. This is the iconic shot when you get off the highway and come into Rockford, you’re going to know that you’re in Rockford,” Iafrate said. “We’re really proud of this project. Really proud to be able to represent Rick and all that he’s done for this community and his amazing music career.”
Nielsen grew up in Rockford as part of a musical family, learning to play multiple instruments at Ralph Nielsen’s Music Shop on Seventh Street before achieving global fame with Cheap Trick. The still-touring rocker will now have one of his guitars serving as a sign to visitors and residents that they’ve arrived at Rockford.
“Who deserves anything,” Nielsen said. “I just worked hard and happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
Nielsen also passed out custom guitar picks to construction workers and media members on Wednesday at the site. That’s a signature move for Nielsen, who often keeps a pocketful of his legendary picks on hand for when he bumps into fans.
He was asked if he had in his vast lineup of picks one big enough to play the massive new guitar.
“I will,” he said.
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This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
