Gigantic Rick Nielsen Guitar Arrives in Illinois at Hard Rock Rockford

With the new Hard Rock Casino preparing to open on Labor Day weekend, everyone was wondering how the most dramatic feature of the casino would arrive in Rockford. Today we got the answer.

Major Piece of Hard Rock Rockford Is Going Into Place

Rockford's newest landmark arrived on Wednesday morning (8/14) at the Hard Rock Casino when Rick Nielsen's gigantic guitar appeared on a semi-truck convoy.

Weighing more than 14,000 pounds, the centerpiece of Hard Rock Casino in Rockford was delivered on the bed of four tractor-trailers around 8 am, where a crane was waiting to lift the four massive guitar segments, which will stand 63 feet tall when constructed.

The enormous replica of Rick Nielsen’s signature checkerboard guitar was delivered from Maryland where the marquee was crafted by Gable Company in Baltimore, according to the press release from Hard Rock Casino.

According to the press release from Hard Rock, the official specs for the iconic Cheap Trick-themed guitar is 62 feet 10 inches tall, 38 feet 6 inches wide, and weighs approximately 14,000 pounds.

Hard Rock Rockford will open its doors at 3 pm on Thursday, August 29 and the opening weekend will feature concerts at Hard Rock Live! from Joan Jett, Brad Paisley, and Akon.