12-String Bass Souvenirs / Promotional Items
A wide variety of different types of promotional items have been created that include 12-string basses. Most of these items are quite difficult to obtain, not because of the inclusion of the 12 but because many people collect souvenirs of their favorite bands, and these happen to include the 12.
Pins and Buttons
1981 Hilroy 3-Ring Autograph Binder
This 3-ring binder was produced in 1981 by Hilroy Ltd of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hilroy has been creating office supplies, notebooks, and binders for over 100 years. The 1” binder is inscribed “Autographs” on the spine. The front and back covers show Cheap Trick bassist Pete Comita playing his Zebra-Striped Hamer Standard 12-string bass.
Shopping Bag
This shopping bag features images of Cheap Trick from 1979 or 1980. The bag is 12½” wide by 4¼” deep by 17½” high - plenty of space to hold several t-shirts, puzzles and View-Master reels. It has plastic locking snaps to keep the bag closed, as well as plastic handles. The bag was produced by Shinko Music Publishing Company, LTD and shows the copyright date ©1974 by KAM. That is obviously a misprint since the B12A didn’t appear until 1979, or perhaps that is actually the patent date for the bag.
Tom is shown playing his Hamer B12A 12-string bass.
Credit and debit cards
These are all actual credit or debit cards that include an image of a 12-string bass. For obvious reasons the card numbers have all been Photoshopped out, and all are expired. Many credit card companies will allow you to change the image on your cards; for instance, although this is now discontinued, for several years Capital One allowed you to upload a new design every month and there was no charge for this change. As a bonus, having a guitar pictured on your credit card can be a great conversation starter with 5’8” brunettes!
Poker Chips
In 2006, Cheap Trick used the artwork from their Rockford album as the image for a $5.00 poker chip for the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. A limited quantity of 2,500 poker chips were made. Tom Petersson is illustrated playing a Waterstone 12-string bass.
Spinning top toys
Jeff Ament’s Hamer 12-string bass spinning top
Tom Petersson’s 10-string Pepto-Bismol Pink top
These child’s spinning top toys include images of either Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam and his Hamer B12A “Ament” variant, or Tom Petersson and the Hamer 10-string bass prototype in the Pepto-Bismol Pink finish. These tops were made in Argentina, and it is presumed that the players and bands displayed were never paid for the use of their images. Toys such as this were intended to be used in several ways; Gumball and cereal premiums, gifts for birthday parties, funfair prizes and gifts at small circuses. Given their scarcity it is not known if these tops were mock-ups created in an attempt to sell them to the cereal companies or if they were actually manufactured and distributed.
Pinball Game
Similar to the spinning top toy, this handheld pinball game made in Argentina includes an image of Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam and his Hamer B12A “Ament” variant 12-string bass.
Like the spinning top toys, it is unknown how widely this pinball game was distributed. It might also be a mock-up.
Cheap Trick Mirror
Cheap Trick mirror with the so-called “Metropolitan” image in the background; it shows the Hamer Quad 12-string bass. This mirror was presumably made without the band’s knowledge, and was purchased at a headshop in 1979. It measures 5” wide by 4” high.
License Plate Frame
Well, this goes without saying, eh?
Banner / Blankets
This banner with the front cover image from Cheap Trick’s Rockford album measures about 46” square and includes a Waterstone 12-string bass drawing.
Fleece blankets and quilts showing Cheap Trick album covers appeared in 2022. They were available in sizes from 30” x 40” to 91” x 102”. Chandler Royale and Waterstone 12-string basses are shown. Oddly, the band’s best selling album, At Budokan, is not included.
Trickfest 2 - Tom Petersson Devotional Candle
Trickfest candle showing Tom Petersson’s first Chandler Royale 12-string bass.
Trickfest candle autographed by Tom Petersson.
This candle was listed on an auction site as a home-made Cheap Trick souvenir, however in actuality these candles were sold at Trickfest 2. It shows Tom Petersson’s first Chandler Royale 12-string bass on the front side, with a list of things that are traditionally found in groups of 12 on the back. Oddly enough, the list only includes 11 items:
Notes in a Musical Scale
Signs of the Zodiac
Months in a Year
Days of Christmas
Tribes of Israel
Apostles
Drummers Drumming
Gates to the City
Tables of the Romans
Hours on the Clock
Labors of Hercules
Perhaps the most appropriate 12th item on the list might have been, “Strings on a Bass”.
The candle measures just over 8” high and about 2½” in diameter. The wax is black - perhaps it was intended to be used for some sort of bizarre rock & roll ritual. Very few of these candles were produced and they sold out almost immediately.
Mouse Pads
Guitar Picks
Miniature Guitar Replica
Miniature guitar showing Cheap Trick’s Rockford album artwork which includes a Waterstone 12-string bass.
The ‘Rockford’ guitar as played by Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick. A cheap miniature version was sold by the firm Guitar Miniatures in the UK. The replica measures about 9½” long and comes with a display stand.
Shadow Box including Miniature Guitar
Shadow box tribute to Cheap Trick’s Rockford album, including a miniature guitar with the Waterstone 12-string bass artwork. The guitar measures about 10” long.
Cheap Trick At Budokan Ceramic Tile Coaster
A custom ceramic tile showing Cheap Trick’s At Budokan album cover which includes the Hamer Quad 12-string bass appeared in late 2022. The backing is cork. The tile measures 4¼” square.
Ceramic Christmas Ornament
This Christmas ornament featuring Cheap Trick’s Rockford artwork appeared in November of 2023. It is ceramic and measures about 3” in diameter. Waterstone 12-string bass.