“I bought it off a druggie – which I feel terrible about”: From his beloved '59 Strat to his stable of ultra-delicate steampunk guitars, Rick Springfield discusses his guitar journey, and his mission to buy up every instrument he had to part with

Rick Springfield performs onstage
(Image credit: Getty Images)

“The comment I’ve heard more than anything else is, ‘Wow – I didn’t know you could play like that!’” Rick Springfield tells Guitar World. “I’m definitely a guitar whore,” he adds. “I have them hanging on the walls of my house. I love to look at them.

“I guess it’s good people aren’t going, ‘I thought you’d be better!’ I don’t mind being underrated – it’s a good thing. You can surprise people. But I’ve been playing since I was 13, so if I don’t have something at 75 I should just give up now!”

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Andrew Daly

Andrew Daly is an iced-coffee-addicted, oddball Telecaster-playing, alfredo pasta-loving journalist from Long Island, NY, who, in addition to being a contributing writer for Guitar World, scribes for Rock Candy, Bass Player, Total Guitar, and Classic Rock History. Andrew has interviewed favorites like Ace Frehley, Johnny Marr, Vito Bratta, Bruce Kulick, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Rich Robinson, and Paul Stanley, while his all-time favorite (rhythm player), Keith Richards, continues to elude him.