Fellow songwriters from Stevie Nicks to Bob Dylan have waxed fervently on what Petty songs mean to them. We still have that kind of awe about what we do.. The acoustics were all Martins the Tom Petty signature models which we had just got. #9. "There's a special story behind that guitar", "The truth is, I could do our whole show with one guitar if I wanted to", "We actually still like each other and, when we play together, it's still like the first time in the garage", Damon Albarn reveals that the beat from one of Gorillaz best-loved songs was an Omnichord loop preset, It looks like Gibson is going to start selling vintage guitars including a '59 Les Paul Burst, Deadmau5 delivers his verdict on AI music production: Its scary in the sense of how stupid music already is anyway, Confused about setting up your guitar? We found three of them. Those few years of collaboration really made me come back to the band with a more experienced, wider scale of music to work with. Check these guitars out and more in the video above, where you will also find proof if needed that often all you need from a guitar is a single pickup and a slab of mahogany to create music history. Im not sure what year that is, exactly, but its late-70s model. Campbell's melodic sensibility and guitar tone have helped to shape the sound of American rock, and there are some super-collectible pieces in his collection. The best places to look for gear usage are typically on the artist's social media, YouTube, To receive email updates when Mike Campbell is seen with new gear. So the non-Tom Petty model specs out the same. Effects Whereas, the other direction is just going by the seat of your pants and jumping on with the band and riding the wave. To read about how he and Tom felt like going to music college while working with Jeff was something that made me smile. "We actually still like each other and, when we play together, its still like the first time in the garage. Ive done several things with Rick, including the last Johnny Cash albums that are all acoustic-based. Campbell himself mentions the Rat in this September 1999 "Spotlight on a Heartbreaker" interview from the official Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers website. Youve said that it was kind of cool for you personally because it didnt carry the pressure of being the front man, so you got to sit back and play. Campbell digs into a '67 Rickenbacker 360. How about the difference from a listeners perspective? My dad was stationed in Okinawa, he was in the Air Force, and he picked up a $60 Goya electric and gave it to me. Aug-16-2009, 3:58pm #4. That Excelsior, because they have the green one and other ones, but Nate White, at Fender, when these came out Mike did something with Danny Harrison at A&M and that Green Fender amp was there and he asked about getting it. Mike also has another band called The Dirty Knobs, which is his sideband. Most of the record is acoustic-guitar based. That question has been put to me a lot lately. Which we didnt discover, but George Harrison discovered because he had the second one. After Torpedoes, we started to make a little profit, and started buying guitars basically as we saw them. Yeah, with a 12-string I need a little more room at the end. Well, I would get together in the garage with buddies, but I never really joined a band until I met up with Tom in Gainesville, after Id gone to college. "That was my guitar for several years until Tom sat on it and broke the neck off of it". Still, I think wed get sick if we didnt tour. Then out of the Whammy and into the tuner," says Mike Campbell's guitar tech when the Digitech Whammy II Guitar Effects Pedal is shown in the rig rundown. Martin SPOM 16 10. says Mike Campbell's guitar tech about the Gibson Firebird Vintage Electric Guitar. Once I get in the studio and get working on something, I get inspired and can do all kinds of things, but it usually has to wrap up in a nationwide tour, which is a whole other mindset. 8,062. And it included something of an homage to the guitar. And the top horn looks like somebody cut it it used to be like the 12-string on Torpedoes. All those albums probably had a whole bunch of guitar licks or guitar parts that jumped out at you? Guitar pick I pick you in bronze. But I stick really closely to the groove with the instrument. Ive played on several things over the years with Rick most of his acoustic records, and on the new Johnny Cash record, American V, I played on the whole thing. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, We started out playing those big Super Beatle amps made by Vox. The Official Mike Campbell Reverb Shop Chicago, IL, United States Send Message Preferred Seller Listings 89 Feedback 58 Info & Policies Oops, Something went wrong. There was a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of laughs. And of course in the late 80s you were doing the Wilburys with some of your personal rock heroes George Harrison, Roy Orbison, and Dylan. I think I gave it to a friend when I got a Stratocaster. He was an amazing person. I just like to step out every decade or so. This is the bypass switch for the Whammy. He augments that with a custom Fender Excelsior and a Fender Vibrotane for Leslie-type effects. As soon as I got the guitar and knew a few chords, I tried to write songs, because I didnt know a lot of songs. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. As we wind down, we ask Campbell why he doesnt take to the producers chair more often. The series is currently premiering exclusively on TomPetty.com for members of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers' Highway Companions Club Plot summary Add synopsis Genre Documentary Parents guide Add content advisory Details Release date From most interviews that I have read, it looks like the Blackface Princeton and Tweed Deluxe do most of the heavy lifting. I focused on everything. At Gil Southworths shop. Its a lot to live up to. You dont say, Oh, this is the wrong well, so Im not going to take it! You take what youre given, and hope its from a good place.. I think Blair is probably is more locked with the drummer, where Howie played more like a guitar player. Its a six-string. Paul Gray - Slipknot. Through that experience, I got some records and really got interested in 50s rock. $24.99. Rockpalast Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Live) 1999, Andrew Hendryx on a 64 Fender Mandocaster, George Bowen Guitar Summit to Benefit ALS Research, Guitarist/Producer Yates McKendree Shines on Wise, Vinnie Moores Pandemic Musical Inspiration, Seymour Duncan Sails Into VG Hall of Fame. "On I Wont Back Down, I have the Gretsch Clipper tuned to an open tuning that I use for that slide part. And one day, we looked up and there were hundreds of them! I saw Bruce Springsteen had one and I was telling him I invented that! (laughs). I try not to (chuckles) because thatll wear you out. Heres how it works. caniki Additional comment actions. Theyre both difficult in their own way. Ill take it. And so we formed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers around that group of people. Finally, theres a mid-60s Gibson SG that Campbells been favoring for this tour after recently digging it out of storage. But the 59, theres just something about it, and I think there is a reason why all those guitar players gravitated towards it. Do you keep a pretty close inventory of all guitars? I think they would be a really good Telecaster, and definitely the semi-hollow Rick 12, and gee, I dont know Id probably take a Strat and a good Gretsch. They just instinctively picked up on the tones and the feel of it.. The thing about it was he was on vacation in Hawaii in thereally late 80s early 90s and just happened to walk into a shop and this was hanging th " '64 Firebird lll, His tech is mistaken; it's not a VII. It was frustrating because it was it didnt have what youd call easy action (laughs)! Photo by Lindsey Best Do you need specific headspace? But I love em, ya know? How old were you when you started writing songs? Well, I get to do a solo record about every 12 years (laughs). Pay me back later. So I was lucky to get that guitar I didnt pay her back for like five years. It spawns the hits "I Won't Back Down," "Free Fallin'" and "Runnin' Down A Dream" and remains in the Top 10 for 34 weeks. That was a nice feeling, like nobody was carrying the whole load. So finally, I just kinda George was sitting there and they were being supportive and all and I said to him, Listen, you should play guitar on this, because it would just feel better if it had your style on it. So he said, Okay, Ill try something. So he plugged into my amp and played that solo. Like with Bob, wed worked together for years at that point. I like the Broadcaster just because the way it is, I mean that's what was done on American Girl and all the first recordings was all Tele sub. Have you thought about where you sit in the pantheon of rock songwriters? His favourite 12-string at the moment is also, of course, a Rickenbacker. And Dunlop was going to do a version put out by Dunlop called Campbell Toe for Mike Campbell - a smaller version. For more details and to sign up for an alert once it's live, head over to Reverb (opens in new tab). Right away, I just loved the song, you know? I have a couple Vox teardrops I use on the road; ones a white three-pickup that makes a nice rhythm guitar. 1989: Petty releases his first official solo album, "Full Moon Fever," co-produced by Jeff Lynne and Mike Campbell. He's got three of them. So, the next time I talked to Tom, I told him about this guy we might want to work with. According to Leilani Laca, Tazzy founder, the major impetus for Mike and Marcie . Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. I have decided to sell some of the nicer pieces.. Guitar Center 1.03M subscribers Mike Campbell's guitar playing and songwriting come from a place of joy from his long career with Tom Petty & The Heartbreaks, to joining Fleetwood Mac in. Keith Richards, thats my hero. One side of Campbell's guitar arsenal covers all the bases. That was it, I think, though Mike has always got some sort of exotic s*** going on. It's a mandolin with a whammy bar which tells you all you need to know about Mike Campbell. The Beatles were a big deal, and in 1964 everyone wanted a guitar. A lot of bands are like that," says Mike Campbell's guitar tech about the Fender Princeton Blackface Amp. Its a big chunk of work. Our drummer at the time, Stan Lynch, and Ron Blair, our bass player, who had both played in other bands in Florida, were in L.A. "'That's weird,' Tom said, 'it kinda sounds like me,'". This is called Little Ricky. Or this sound has to be a Les Paul because its got that warm crunch, and nothing else will do it. He knows when I come in that its going to be hard for me to walk out without buying something. Yeah, its a mid-60s model with three pickups. But there were others. Ever loyal to their roots, both Petty and Campbell play through very cool looking Vox Super Beatle amps, jazzed up with Echoplex and MXR Dyna Comp. If youre playing with the same five or six people throughout an album, you make a different noise than if, say, its just yourself on several overdubs. The songs I make in Satyr is extremely influenced by the grooves on this album. Pettys third solo album, Highway Companion, was released last month, debuting at #4 on Billboards Top 200 album chart, and he and the Heartbreakers spent the summer on the road in support of it. Many of your videos are today considered groundbreaking, in retrospect. Heres how it works. Or are you more likely to buy something because you need a certain sound for a certain song. Well, I have complete control of a solo album; the democratic process is gone. I also bought an early-60s Les Paul Custom in white. Jimmy Iovine came in to produce it, and we had a big hit (Refugee). On a lot of records, you hear certain chords, and thats what makes the record, that tone. From the left side we have "Little Ricky," which is a Rickenbacker-style mandolin with a whammy bar. So what age were you when you asked for a guitar? I tell you one guitar I want to find; Mike has a couple of different Vox guitars that have the built-in repeaters and fuzztones, and a palm wah. Each day, wed bring a new one to check out. No, we were pals. We just discovered things as we went along. (Specs Below). First of all, I dont have that much time. The faceplate has a good amount of scratches on i " '67, 375. Explore Mike Campbell's incredible vintage guitar 'carousel' in new episode of Gibson TV's The Collection By Jackson Maxwell published April 12, 2022 The Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Fleetwood Mac guitar legend tells the story of his '59 'Burst Les Paul, the '62 SG Junior he played on Runnin' Down a Dream and more The Mike Campbell II features a so called "Destruct Knob" placed at the lower cutaway, which enables you to boost the signal by up to 10db, controlling distortion and feedback at any time with the touch of . I was always tuned into the guitar and what the guitar was doing. In this photo, Campbell is seen playing the mapleglo Rickenbacker 330. We used to call it the mystery guitar. "[Out of] all these guitars, [the 'Burst] is the only one I put back in the case when I'm done with it.". Nothing matters other than tone. or Best Offer. Absolutely. did you use to get the sound f "Rickenbacker, 370, 360? Whose idea was it? And I was so happy because he took the heat off me, you know? Itd be okay. Bath As time went on, I was able to afford guitars which I now buy a lot just because I love collecting them, and I play them all. Michael Campbell (Guitar/Harsh vocals) Hail the Sun - Wake. It was his concept, and he came to each of us. I told Tom that and he was really happy. Except for the signature models, were talking 60s guitars, or. The fuzz is a really unique-sounding, different than anything Ive heard. Wake is easily my favorite album of all time. Wed never played Fenway and that was epic. That palm wah is really cool, and the fuzztone in them sounds great. And he just gave it to me. Then I got my draft notice, took the physical, and failed the hearing test. And then we came across another sunburst one. It was a very collaborative we worked together, wrote together, thought things through, and we were even together when we werent playing. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Other guitars include a 1980s Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty '55 Reissue, bought as a road dog to spare his '56 original, a 1950s Kay Barney Kessel Artist and an Italia Monza with a built-in amplifier. Mike Campbell Heartbreaker American Standard Telecaster Electric Guitar We're sorry-this item is unavailable. Mike Campbell Reflects on His Long Career as the Rock Guitarist's Guitarist By Joe Bosso published April 23, 2020 From his 40+ years as Tom Petty's right-hand man to his current roles in Fleetwood Mac and his own group, The Dirty Knobs, Campbell looks back on an incredible career (Image credit: Kevin Scanlon) In the Wilburys, you were with Harrison and Dylan. Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. Well, I liked the first album a lot because that was sort of us discovering what we were gonna be. Watch Jack White showcase some of his wildest Fender custom builds in explosive Saturday Night Live performance, Zoom unveils new B2 Four bass multi-effects pedal, with Multi-Layer IR, 300 patches and a 60-second looper, Satchel: Malcolm Young influenced more guitarists than Eddie Van Halen or Eric Clapton, Watch Journey perform Black Magic Woman with Steve Lukather and original vocalist Gregg Rolie, Exploring Brad Paisleys awe-inspiring acoustic country playing. But back then, $200 was a fortune, but that Strat became my main guitar. Yeah, Breakdown, American Girl, I Need to Know a lot of those solos and rhythm parts were on that Broadcaster. I was going to ask how big that number might be. We have a live album that Mikes producing, and a Heartbreakers album that was started a year ago and is a quarter of the way done. The truth is that to have a harmonious group is not easy to do, and we do, Campbell says, evidently feeling lucky at the longstanding and successful relationship he has with Petty and the other Heartbreakers. You should pick up a set of Virtuoso Cleaner and Polisher. It kinda moved us up to headlining status. Well, I think that has been exaggerated I think I said that in a very tired moment one day, and its become something thats hounded me all year (laughs)! Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, when it formed, was essentially the conglomeration of prior groups Mudcrutch (Petty, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench) and Road Turkey (Stan Lynch and Ron Blair). Michael Campbell has a legendary guitar collection, and he keeps it interesting onstage. I think the first good guitar I bought was the 64 Stra Tom is playing on the current tour. $24.99. I was watching a Rig Rundown and I saw the settings listed below. Last year, we were talking one day about how we saw some old film somewhere with that guitar, and we thought, Hows that guitar doing? We got it out, and its doing great. So far, has everything on tour gone as planned in terms of crowd response, especially to the new tracks? Blair resumed the role soon afterward.). The truth is, I could do our whole show with one guitar if I wanted to, he admits. Tom played it on American Girl and used it for rhythm parts on several albums. Though Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Fleetwood Mac electric guitar legend Mike Campbell slightly thinned his enviable guitar collection with a Reverb.com sale last summer, his stash of vintage six-strings is still world-class. And the songs, like American Girl and Breakdown, still hold up. Campbell should be proud. We have an Ovation 12-string that we made into a high-string we took off six regular strings and just kept the high strings its called Nashville tuning. A good example is You Got Lucky, which was rather high-concept in an era when artists were largely doing performance videos standing in front the camera, pretending to play or sing along. Did that stem from the fact that you wrote with an acoustic? The first couple of albums, I had a Broadcaster and Les Paul, and Id gotten a Rickenbacker 660/12 for 120 bucks its the one on the Damn The Torpedoes cover. And on a lot of his solo work its more piecemeal, like bringing a song in and building it. And speaking of reverence, one listen to Petty and Campbell as they discuss vintage guitars and amps, and its obvious these are two guys who make no bones about what has inspired them. On the single, Saving Grace. He used a Vox for that for the slide part, and actually I played the rhythm part on it. They made a thousand of them, then kept making them, but without calling them Tom Petty models. Product Description To commemorate over 30 years of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, Duesenberg have along with Mike Campbell created a beautiful signature guitar brings you classic Doozy tones in a hot rodded semi hollow design. Mike got us a green one and then we brought it in "The Princeton is probably a '63 or '64. Well, that was kind of the first rule of that particular video. Please try again. Oh, yeah my god I wouldnt want that responsibility (laughs)! Used on a slew of recordings, Campbell himself mentions the guitar in this September 1999 "Spotlight on a Heartbreaker" interview from the official Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers website. He plays it pretty much in the set. Howie was a great bass player. Yeah, I do it all the time. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. I didnt care what year it was, he says. But I havent been able to find one. Damn The Torpedoes was kind of a breakthrough record. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now. Tom Petty and Mike Campbell both know what a good guitar sound is, so the guitar sound they end up with is the one they wanted. Pictured here is a sort of reissue Firebird V. On pgs. Hes been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player (opens in new tab). So, many of the solos are on a tiny amp in a big room. So youre talking in terms of length of time youre out, as opposed to the size of the venues? That was my main guitar for the first three years I wish I still had it. On days off, wed go to pawn shops and guitar stores, and buy anything good. And speaking of the Heartbreakers as a band, in the 80s you guys backed Bob Dylan. But it was fun. Yes, they thanked me prolifically and I mean a lot. Not only did Campbell go on to use the guitar for the rest of the Fleetwood Mac tour, it's also become his guitar of choice when playing with his band, the Dirty Knobs. So when youre exposed to that, you walk away with a much broader perspective than you had going in. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. I find it very interesting to see that he runs both the Princeton and the Deluxe clean, and then uses the Camel Toe for overdrive, and apparently the Fender Excelsior for a soloboost. What are you waiting for. Mike Campbell: The Guitars" is a fifteen chapter web-documentary series directed by Justin Kreutzmann. When I was little, cowboys played the guitar, Elvis played the guitar, and the Beatles and Stones played the guitar. Nobody else wanted to do it (laughs)! I got it in Florida for $200, which I did not have at the time, but a friend of a friend had been in an automobile accident and got a settlement, so she had some extra money. I bought it like it looks now, with the three pickups and the John Lennon body. I realised that when you produce somebody, you really need to give it 100 per cent of your energy. Yeah, its been insane. I love playing with them theyre the best rock and roll band there is, I think. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder (opens in new tab) and Unrecorded (opens in new tab). Note: Epstein replaced Blair in 1982, and passed away in 2003. Yeah, its about time, you know? But looking at it closely, we figured out that it was probably a red guitar thats the same model as the small-body one from the Torpedo cover. So I suggested to the drummer from my band, Go try out. And he brought them over to our house and it turned out they had lost their guitar player, so he said, Theres a guy here who plays. So I sat in, and we both joined Mudcrutch that same day. If theres something I dont think Id ever use, I usually dont buy it. CAMPBELL! But it wasnt like Tom had this burning ambition to be the guy. I think it was Denny who said, We should call this Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, because thats what its turning into. It just seemed to evolve. Malcolm Young more influential than EVH or Clapton? Its hard, theres just so many great guitarists from that era, its just hard to narrow them down to who your favorites are, but George is definitely one of mine. When did you and Tom first work with Rick? "This '54 Tele - it's a favorite Tele. And I go, It sounds like Clapton and Jimmy Page, Peter Green, Mike Bloomfield, like it reminded me of those tones. COOL !!! , A Guide to Essential Effects Plugins for Your Home Studio, ESP Announces LTD Kirk Hammett Signature Series KH-V, Epiphone Introduces the 1958 Korina Flying V and Explorer, Building a Pro-Level Home-Studio Mic Closet. Hes been a co-producer on some of the most successful albums in rock history. This is for 'You Wreck Me,' which is tuned up to F, half step up," explains Mike Campbell's guitar tech about the Fender American Vintage '59 Stratocaster Electric Guitar in Sherwood Green. But if I had a choice, Id probably use my old D-28. Maple Glow. "I have another one from the mid-60s that I use on Free Fallin, Roger McGuinn-style [a 360 with single, rear binding]. I think I was 16. Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. My dad put that all together I didnt have much to do with it. But I liked that book because it had chord diagrams, along with his hands showing how he actually made the chords. I think especially the singing sounded really young, Campbell says when we ask him what, after making so many albums, was different this time around.