Month: February 2020

Guitars for sale

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Rick Springfield has had many guitars in his life, coming a long way from his childhood when he used a backwards tennis racket and cardboard cutouts to “perform” in his living room.

In a 2012 Guitar World article, he talked about his vintage guitar collection, which includes the 1969 Gibson SG that he wrote “Jessie’s Girl” on – and later used four decades later in “Ricki and the Flash.”

That article included a partial list of RS’s guitar collection:

•’60s Framus Hollywood

• ’60s Hofner Galaxie

• ’60s Kay Red Devil

• ’65 Fender Mustang

• ’60s Maton Wedgetail (A vintage Aussie guitar)

• My original ’69 Gibson SG that I wrote “Jessie’s Girl” on

• ’74 Gibson Les Paul used on most of Working Class Dog

• ’61 Fender Strat

• ’49 Kay

• ’60s Airline I use for slide

• ’69 Ricky 12-string

• ’50s Gibson J-45

• ’60s Gibson ES-175

• ’60’s Hofner violin bass signed by Paul McCartney

• New Gibson Les Paul signed to me by Les Paul

• A Squire signed to me by my hero, Hank B. Marvin of The Shadows

• And maybe some other stuff!

His first guitar was a “$5 piece of crap from the local Woolworths,” according to a 2017 interview on extremeguitars.com. (In that article, he also shares the one thing that fans don’t know about him: “I’m a neatness freak around my own home but on the road my hotel rooms look like a homeless guy’s lived there for 6 months.” Now you know. )

For a gallery of some of the many guitars he’s performed with through the years, check out the Rick Springfield and Us website page “Guitar Picks.”

Why all this guitar talk?

RS recently announced that he will auction off a number of his guitars to benefit something also dear to him – Australian wildlife. From Feb. 21 to March 6, guitars from his personal collection will be auctioned to benefit Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors.

Details about the auction, from the Heritage Auctions site:

Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter, actor and best-selling author Rick Springfield, has been moved by the tragic fires which have impacted his homeland to become an activist raising awareness and funds for Steve Irwin’s Wildlife Warriors of Australia. Wildlife Warriors is leading the charge to help rescue and rehabilitate the half a billion animals that have been impacted by the wild fires. The Wildlife Warriors mission is to take action to support conservation and defend our most threatened wild life species and natural habitats. This auction features stage and studio played guitars from the personal collection of Rick Springfield whose career includes 17 Top 40 hits, such as the #1 smash hit “Jessie’s Girl”, “Don’t Talk to Strangers”, “Love Somebody”, and “I’ve Done Everything For You”, along with thousands of live performances for millions of fans worldwide. Your bid matters to help raise funds for this worthy cause, so bid often and generously. To continue your support of the cause, we invite you to make a contribution directly to help raise funds.

Heritage Auctions

The site has pics and descriptions of each of the guitars if you want to learn more.

Here are a few tidbits:

  • Rick Springfield’s Circa 1960’s Framus Hollywood Solid Body Electric Guitar, NVSN. This is a single cut, 3-pickup, Hollywood model Framus guitar. Rick bought this guitar because it is the same model as the very first electric guitar he bought at age 15, “We couldn’t afford Gibsons or Fenders back then – Rick Springfield, Jan 2020. This guitar is German-made and all-original.
  • Rick Springfield’s 1993 Warmoth Strat Natural Solid Body Electric Guitar, NVSN. This is a Warmoth Strat-style guitar with an oil finish. Rick used this guitar extensively in the studio and in his writing room for demos and writing songs. He also used this guitar on stage when he began touring again in 1994.
  • Rick Springfield’s 1999 Gretsch White Falcon 6136 Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar, Serial # 999136-372. This is Rick Springfield’s pre-Fender Gretsch White Falcon in very nice condition. All-original with no repairs or excuses. Rick played this guitar for two years in the Las Vegas MGM Grand EFX show. This is also the only guitar he played on his cover album The Day After Yesterday as well as various other sessions. It has been hanging on Rick’s wall for the past five years. 
  • Rick Springfield’s 2004 Burns Marvin Fiesta Red Solid Body Electric Guitar, Serial # 0475. This is a rare, limited run Hank Marvin/The Shadows model Burns of London guitar. Featuring a scroll headstock and a Fiesta Red finish. Rick used this guitar on a couple of sessions but it has mostly been kept in its case. Rick also had this guitar hanging on his wall for a number of years.
  • Rick Springfield’s 2008 Stage Played Fender Telecaster Sunburst Solid Body Electric Guitar, Serial # MX8268308. This is Rick’s staged played Fender Telecaster that he used extensively on live shows for the past five years. This guitar is also featured in the main mat used for advertising Rick’s gigs for the past five years.This guitar has been played and loved by Rick and it shows!
  • Rick Springfield’s 2010 Martin D-41 Custom Sunburst Acoustic Guitar, Serial # 1419397. A beautiful Martin D-41 style custom guitar made for Norman’s Rare Guitars. Rick used this guitar on his Stripped Down solo show for five years. Exquisite body trim and rosette inlay on the sought after shade-top/sunburst Martin dreadnaught. This guitar shows moderate playwear in the form of pick/strumming scratches from Rick’s live performances.
  • Rick Springfield’s 2014 Gibson Les Paul Supreme Turquoise Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar, Serial # 140027611. Essentially new condition Gibson USA 120th Anniversary limited run Les Paul Supreme. This guitar was given to Rick by Gibson. He played it on stage in Nashville, TN. It has been resting in its case ever since that Nashville performance.
  • Rick Springfield’s 2018 Eastwood Airline Sea Foam Green Solid Body Electric Guitar, Serial # 0601226. An Eastwood Airline, aka the map guitar. Rick used this guitar exclusively in his studio and also on a couple of tracks in the Las Vegas MGM Grand EFX show. This guitar is Korean-made and features a beautiful finish, along the lines of a Sea Foam Green.

Source: Heritage Auctions

For more details – and to place a bid – visit Heritage Auctions/.