“Producers and engineers were freaked out by the 12-string. They said, ‘No, that sounds like crap – go back to the Precision direct’”: Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson on how he pioneered the 12-string bass and influenced a generation of players

Inductees Tom Petersson and Robin Zander of Cheap Trick perform onstage at the 31st Annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on April 8, 2016 in New York City. .

If Cheap Trick’s Tom Petersson was ever taught the “traditional” way to approach bass guitar, it didn't take. As a founding member of Illinois's most celebrated rock outfit, he has long been a model for bassists interested in being different. 

Audacious, visionary, and highly capable, Petersson dedicated himself to creating the unique sounds he heard in his head – sounds he wasn't able to fully realize until he invented the 12-string bass, a four-string with lighter-gauge octave strings running next to the standard strings.