Oh, and of course Full Moon Fever is one of my favorites the first album we did with Jeff Lynne. $24.99. There is also a vintage National amp, a Gibson Lab Series L5 combo which was a big favorite of B.B. Which guitars, amp rigs and setups did you use on Highway Companion. It used to be people didnt really want much for them because they were old. What was the effect of seeing him in that setting? 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. I played that right up until Tom sat on it and broke it off, says Campbell. We made some demos, sent them out to a bunch of record companies, and got rejected by almost everybody except for London and Denny Cordells label, Shelter. Mike Campbell: The Guitars" is a fifteen chapter web-documentary series directed by Justin Kreutzmann. Fast forward to you first bands, the Epics, and then Mudcrutch. There was a whole different viewpoint for me. I bought it like it looks now, with the three pickups and the John Lennon body. But back then, $200 was a fortune, but that Strat became my main guitar. It was Georges. Well, thats an emotional song for me, because the night they did that record, Tom called and said, Look were finishing a song I just wrote with Bob (Dylan) and George and Jeff. As for guitars, perhaps the most noteworthy items are a Gibson Les Paul Custom Lite that has an onboard compressor a far-out choice that he used while rehearsing with Fleetwood Mac and a B-Bender-equipped 1970s Gibson Les Paul Standard. As for effects, there is a Boss GT6 multi-effects unit on sale, but don't spend all your money on that until you've considered the MKII Watkins Copicat tape echo, which would look nice in your home studio, right? The faceplate has a good amount of scratches on i " '67, 375. Fenders doing a reissue of that Broadcaster. As we wind down, we ask Campbell why he doesnt take to the producers chair more often. I dont take it on the road anymore. We used a variety of guitars; Jeff has some nice old Stratocasters, and as the months went on, we filled his house with a lot of our guitars. Thanks a lot! And of course, the Broadcaster I used on the first two albums, I still use. Therell be a certain sound that we want, and cant get with a Stratocaster, but a Gretsch makes that sound. (Ed. Blair has a different kind of tone very clear. I liked just the sound of it, and the spirit of what they were doing. And after the first album, and with Damn The Torpedoes breaking out, you could buy pretty much anything. I think I gave it to a friend when I got a Stratocaster. Its been rebuilt a few times, but its basically the same. He likes that," mentions Mike Campbell's guitar tech while talking about the Fender 1959 Telecaster B-Bender Electric Guitar. Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. So we pooled our money and drove to Tulsa on our way to L.A., where we met up with Denny and signed to Shelter. All rights reserved. I like both of those guys a lot. would be able to answer every individual question.) And who else there arent too many new/younger bands that I listen to much. It was a very collaborative we worked together, wrote together, thought things through, and we were even together when we werent playing. R "Rich Robinson had this out, or had a new Mason from Duesenberg. As artists, they have to go on with their career and live with it, while I can produce it and move on to something else. Keith Richards, thats my hero. Released via BMG, the band's latest studio effort is due to land on March 4 this year and was recorded during the Summer months last year. Well, it got me interested in the music, but it didnt make me want to play guitar. This is where the tornado sequence for The. 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) Guitarist Mike Campbell spent four decades as Tom Petty's co-captain, co-writing hits like "Refugee," "Runnin' Down a Dream," and "Here Comes My Girl." The Florida-born musician also co-wrote "Boys of Summer" with Don Henley, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" for Stevie Nicks, produced Roy Orbison, recorded with Bob Dylan, and in 2018, became a . I didnt have an idea of playing until I saw the Beatles, and then I thought, This might be something I can do.. Fender Excelsior Pawn Shop Tube Guitar Amp. One day, I think Tom was banging on it, and it broke It never worked again (laughs)! "It doesn't have the buckle wear and tear like the other ones do, but I love it anyway," Campbell says. Except for the signature models, were talking 60s guitars, or. Free UK Delivery! He's got three of them. Yeah, because Id been a bass player before the Heartbreakers, I didnt really have an electric guitar. Aug 9, 2015 - Mike Campbell's (Tom Petty's Lead Guitarists ) Gator Guitar . So I feel pressure to be at my best. Mike also has another band called The Dirty Knobs, which is his sideband. Tom Petty and Mike Campbell change guitars like some people change radio stationsafter damned near every song, but they do have certain favorites that they keep returning to: Les Paul Gold Top, Fender Strat, California "This is the input right here. But Mike has some that make all these sounds. Its a lot to live up to. But no, I dont think its the last tour. Here are some highlights. So far, has everything on tour gone as planned in terms of crowd response, especially to the new tracks? A pair of 50s Teles follows those as well as a Gretsch 6186 Clipper tuned to open-G for "I Won't Back Down." I think they made it in a few different shapes theres a teardrop and a 335-style. Are there a couple of especially fond memories of those recording sessions? Its one of those. Campbell has been at Pettys side throughout. Jimi Hendrix compared to George Harrison is a way other universe, but still equally inspiring. Martin SPOM 16 10. As a subscriber enjoy big savings off the shop price! We recently caught up with Petty and Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell, with whom Petty has been working since the earliest days of the band. 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. 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. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. I'm currently building a Mike Campbell inspired . Tom Petty &The Heartbreakers 2014 Hypnotic Eye 2 Guitar Picks &. But this is the stuff that he couldnt part with. CAMPBELL! ROLLING STONES GLASGOW SCOTLAND 2003 TOUR SHIRT LARGE NWOT. Well, that may be true, Im just not nuts about putting that much time in on the road. And theres something to be said for the aesthetic qualities of a bunch of them, as opposed to one. Overview A phenomenal reproduction of a great guitar. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. I havent quite got that far, but I do have a list. Im really proud of those records. It sings. In 1970, Campbell was two years out of high school and living in. Its smaller, but really nice 50s Fenders a Telecaster, the three Strats, a couple of nice Fender six-string basses. Talk about your red Rick 660/12, the guitar thats very closely associated with you and is pictured on Damn the Torpedoes. 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. Angus Young, Malcom, you know, whatever, it's just solid as a rock. #9. If you were looking for something that little bit different with a stunning iconic tone then this is the guitar for you. Pettys partner in nearly every step of the music-making process, Campbell is the epitome of the musical right-hand man. The Collection: Mike Campbell Gibson TV 373K subscribers 519K views 10 months ago #thecollection #gibson #mikecampbell The Dirty Knobs' frontman Mike Campbell's unique approach to. Its got so much history. I still love to play the bass. He augments that with a custom Fender Excelsior and a Fender Vibrotane for Leslie-type effects. And Tom pretty much made you join, as opposed to asking you. But I did my best, and I didnt really think it was very good. What I remember most was that all of us fell out of the front-man thing, you know? Loves the long road and on through the set," says Mike Campbell's guitar tech ab "That's a custom tweed. This article originally appeared in VGs November 2006 issue. 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. But I really concentrated on being I guess, because Id been a bass player, I wanted to play rhythm in a real solid way. They wanted me to do a Tom Petty model of that guitar, and I did, though I changed it a bit; I made the neck wider because I always thought the neck was a little cramped at the end. I focused on everything. The first nice guitar I got was a Gibson Firebird at a pawn shop when we were on tour in Alabama, says Campbell of his earliest days as a professional musician. "As weve gone along, thats become a bit of a good problem to have. Those two bottles and an old tshirt will get your D-28 looking great. He's had it for years and years and years, but he's just really fell in love with it for this tour. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Starting with guys who are alive; J.J. Cale has always been an inspiration to me. But I stick really closely to the groove with the instrument. And Campbell's is as clean as a whistle. But it was a very hard guitar to play. So when I got back to town, I called him and said, Ive got some tracks that Tom doesnt want to use, and said he could listen to those if he liked. 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. 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. All those bands that broke up far earlier than we did, or all those bands that are still together but just hate each other thats not us. Michael Campbell has a legendary guitar collection, and he keeps it interesting onstage. Then I got my draft notice, took the physical, and failed the hearing test. We grew up doing this (laughs)! Guitarist plays $40 Harley Benton on arena tour, Marshall pedal reissues finally confirmed. Signed by none other than Johnny Winter, the guitar was sold to Campbell just a few years ago, mind you for $500, because of its broken neck, and the fact that the pawnbroker evidently didn't know who Winter was. The songs I make in Satyr is extremely influenced by the grooves on this album. Well, quite a bit. But throughout the whole tour I felt the band played really well, and I was very proud of everybody.. It was built by Tony Revell, who used to specialize in Rickenbacker-guitar-looking mandolins. I told Tom that and he was really happy. Many of the axes he has are used have a one specific purpose, so we'll only be looking at his main guitar, which is the Duesenberg Mike Campbell signature. CD LOT - Hard Rock, Pop, Metal: Stewart, Aerosmith, Elton. Well, its mostly about the groove, isnt it? Hes an amazing, talented fellow, and I probably learned something from everybody there, just because everybody has a different method and way of working. 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. And I have a 1940 00-18, which is Rick Rubins favorite. The afternoon after the emotional interview at his house, Campbell is at an enormous soundstage at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. And speaking of the Heartbreakers as a band, in the 80s you guys backed Bob Dylan. The Alliance Series Mike Campbell Hollow is an all-hollow construction sporting our "Destruct-Knob" circuit - an internal 10db booster. They laughed at me when I walked in and played it, but once I played Johnny B Goode, they quit laughing.. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited. 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. Campbell, who died on Tuesday, aged 81, of Alzheimer's disease, was a guitar prodigy at age 10.He spent his childhood on an Arkansas farm with no electricity, where he was the seventh son in a . 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. But I love em, ya know? Do you consider yourself a guitar collector? Mike had some really weird little guitar that he played slide on. And again, we have a lot of songs to record. In fact, I was starting to think you were tracking, which didnt make any sense. There were some long friendships made there. And which electrics can we hear on the album? And it was a coincidence that the Martins all showed up right then, but we were so pleased with them. But this is a great-sounding guitar, and a real workhorse. Unique Guitars. Campbell has been of significant play in the Heartbreakers and has been co-writers with petty for many of the band's hit songs. And almost all the rhythm Tom played the parts for were on that 64 Strat. The Dirty Knobs frontman sits down with Gibson to talk guitars and reveal some of his favourites, from the Runnin Down A Dream SG Jr to the obligatory 59 Les Paul Standard. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Rickenbacker Tom Petty Limited Edition Model 660/12TP Elect Fender American Vintage '59 Stratocaster Electric Guitar, Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Guitar Strings 10-46, Find relevant music gear like guitar rig, amplifier setup, effects pedalboard, and other instruments and. Its a little-body one. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Aug 9, 2015 - Mike Campbell's (Tom Petty's Lead Guitarists ) Gator Guitar . I have a 50-watt Marshall that I really like, a little 60s amp in red. In your early days, did you buy guitars more out of necessity rather than an Oh, Ive gotta have that! mentality? I was walking around in Hartford, Connecticut and saw they had an SG Junior and the Gretsch Clipper. So in my spare time, I would just try to invent them. But there was no specific discussion when we came to make Hypnotic Eye that were going to draw from a specific part of the well, because each song just comes in from wherever it comes. I have a couple Vox teardrops I use on the road; ones a white three-pickup that makes a nice rhythm guitar. We took it to Rickenbacker, and they called it a mystery. They didnt know what it was. After Torpedoes, we started to make a little profit, and started buying guitars basically as we saw them. I mean, I have them on my wall to look at. What are you waiting for. I like the new album, Highway Companion its really cool. Is there any particular guitarist who influenced the way you play guitar? So youre talking in terms of length of time youre out, as opposed to the size of the venues? Well, that was kind of the first rule of that particular video. Still, we took the music quite seriously. Its a six-string. Thats the one I used to record The Waiting and all those classic 12-string numbers. From the left side we have "Little Ricky," which is a Rickenbacker-style mandolin with a whammy bar. Ive bought many guitars from him, and a lot from Norm Harris. Weaned on Elvis, Johnny Cash and the Beatles, he liked the bright jangle of Rickenbackers and used a Fender Broadcaster in the early days. I hate to part with a lot of these [guitars], but something's got to go.. Thats one of my favourites as well, but the Broadcaster is the one. I think its the last one for a while, simply because theres a lot of recording projects I want to finish, and they dont get finished when we put half of each year into touring. His favorite 12-string is the Tom Petty solidbody, which we did use on the record quite a bit. Im told your guitar collection includes a Rickenbacker that has so far avoided full identification. My approach to guitar, I think, is probably a lot like his in terms of fitting into the song and not overplaying. "[Out of] all these guitars, [the 'Burst] is the only one I put back in the case when I'm done with it.". 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. The fuzz is a really unique-sounding, different than anything Ive heard. Its just a magic guitar. The following photos are from the companion book to one of the best music documentaries that I have ever seen named "Runnin' Down a Dream." Aug-16-2009, 3:58pm #4. What was it like, standing in a room playing alongside those guys? On those, I used the older vintage acoustics. But I dont really buy anything unless I think Im going to use it. Well, nothings written in stone. In the course of making that record, we realized that we were so green. "This is one of my favorites. How old were you when you started writing songs? I was going to ask how big that number might be. I just dont like the way they look never really wanted one. Still Thrilled. I think the record company gave us some money when we first got together, and we bought 10 of these big Vox amps. You pushed it and it just got this great overdrive buzz. In this 1985 live footage, Mike Campbell plays a red Fender Telecaster with Gibson Humbuckers and a Bigsby vibrato. There are some very desirable amps going on sale, including the very first amp Campbell got a Heathkit TA-16. Its kind of a Butterscotch Tele. As a subscriber enjoy big savings off the shop price! And because it was a friendly situation, it didnt feel intimidating at all? And youve since obtained every last one of them? 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. Malcolm Young more influential than EVH or Clapton? 24) Mark in GA asked: What kind of guitar, pick-ups, amps, any effects pedals, etc. Guitarist plays $40 Harley Benton on arena tour, Marshall pedal reissues finally confirmed. But it all started playing friends parties and school dances in Gainesville, Florida. 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. Benmont played a lot of keyboards on it. Are there two or three that you grab more often than others? I love playing with them theyre the best rock and roll band there is, I think. Yamaha SG1000 13. He handed it to me and I pressed the strings down and was like, My God, you dont have to bleed!, Soon, Campbell graduated to electric and met Petty. But that broke up, and then I saw an ad that said Mudcrutch was looking for a drummer. Whereas, the other direction is just going by the seat of your pants and jumping on with the band and riding the wave. Mentioned in this March 1983 Musician article. Which we didnt discover, but George Harrison discovered because he had the second one. We think somebody wanted it to look like John Lennons, so they had somebody carve that top horn. We were just together around the clock, all the time. I think I just played the Telecaster after a few times, and Jeff Lynne had some really nice Stratocasters at his house I think they were 54 to 56; there were three of them we picked up from time to time. Clearly, he knows a thing or two about what it takes to make great records. Its such a good-sounding guitar. Well, typically, a Heartbreakers record will be the whole band setting up and tracking at the same time. Ive only bought things that I actually play. Paul Gray was first and foremost an incredible songwriter, who contributed some of the best stuff Slipknot has ever put out. "We actually still like each other and, when we play together, its still like the first time in the garage. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder (opens in new tab) and Unrecorded (opens in new tab). . Do you keep a pretty close inventory of all guitars? But besides that, he was an incredible bass . 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. And Dunlop was going to do a version put out by Dunlop called Campbell Toe for Mike Campbell - a smaller version. Lisa asked: How old were you when you started playing the guitar and what kind of guitar was it? Your solo records have a more laid-back feel because youre not subject to the input of everybody pushing or pulling at you. And ever since, youve been the guitar player who Tom seems reluctant to go into the studio without. As the song ends, you acknowledge George a bit. Free shipping. Its got so much history. In your eyes, whats the difference between a Tom Petty solo record and a Heartbreakers album? 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. And my first acoustic was also given to me it was a Gibson J-45 I got after a gig when some kid came up and said, I loved how you played. Why is he selling them? They made a thousand of them, then kept making them, but without calling them Tom Petty models. I like Vox guitars a lot. Well, the new Martins we used on Highway Companion are very nice-sounding. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Here's another thing about Mike: if you clean the necks you're fired, haha, especially on a maple! The stuff no one in their right mind would part with, and it offers a fascinating perspective from which to trace the career of a guitarist and producer who has worked with Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Don Henley, and now of course fronts The Dirty Knobs. It was me and Smokey Hormel, Matt Sweeney, and Johnny Polansky. Michael Campbell (Guitar/Harsh vocals) Hail the Sun - Wake. I thought that it was just the way guitars were. But we used the Stratocasters a lot, and a couple of Gibsons. He was in the Air Force, and hed come home from work, take off his uniform, and put on an Elvis record. Its a semi-hollowbody, and Id never seen one before. Mike Campbell was best known as Tom Petty 's right-hand man for decades. My dad was in the Air Force, and he was leaning on me to sign up so I could make some choices of where I might be deployed. Well a lot. Yeah, its about time, you know? When I play it on another guitar it sounds okay, but it just doesnt have the same magic". The same with Carl Wilson. Effects I was watching a Rig Rundown and I saw the settings listed below. So, many of the solos are on a tiny amp in a big room. In your view, what makes a good bass player? I (used) a Martin 12-string from the 70s a little bit. In Mudcrutch, you were the bass player. You cant just walk away from a dot-neck 335 that nice.. 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. I remember when I was in the studio with Dylan one day, I had this down there and he went crazy and he had his manager go find one. "'That's weird,' Tom said, 'it kinda sounds like me,'". It was playable. I dont know if it was an homage to the guitar, but we thought there should be at least a token instrument. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). The hits keep coming. The guitar has always been the archetypal thing, to me. Maybe all three of us, or maybe just Tom, depending on the song. So I was looking at my options, not really sure what I wanted to do. They still make them, and theyre really good, actually. He was a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and co-wrote many of the band's hits with Petty, including "Refugee", "Here Comes My Girl", "You Got Lucky", and "Runnin' Down a Dream". He seems really keen on getting good songs, I said, And, hes got a really cool vibe. So thats how we started working together. It saw plenty action, too, before meeting an untimely end. And if its a track were building, the guitar solo would probably come later. There has to be some kind of fuzzbox on the second guitar track. I worked at a music store for a while when I was 15 years old, and I gained a pretty good knowledge of instruments. caniki Additional comment actions. That was a nice feeling, like nobody was carrying the whole load. 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). Theres a special story behind that guitar, Campbell says of the black Rickenbacker he plays on American Girl, closing just about every show. Re: Mike Campbell Playing Rickenbacker Mando with the Heartbreake. In this photo, Campbell is seen playing the mapleglo Rickenbacker 330. No, were not good trackers (laughs)! The Garden has always been one of my favourite places. It was also seen on 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee during the quartet's performance of " Listen to the Band ," and again in 1969 when The Monkees performed live on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour . Listed for sale on Reverb.com on July 21, 2021. Thats how I learned how to bend strings, by hearing him do it, slowing it down and thinking, Oh you have to push this down to get the string to make that sound. I learned a lot of phrasing and scales I just love the way he played on that record. I just would never part with it.. I think Blair is probably is more locked with the drummer, where Howie played more like a guitar player. And maybe I learned a couple of other Dylan songs. Its kinda out of control (laughs). In fact, some of the band members werent cutting it in the studio, and the deal fell apart. Itd be okay. Next is a recent Fender Custom Shop Tele with a B-Bender used as a backup, then a pair of Rickenbacker 12-stringsthe one on the right is used on "Free Fallin." So, when I have time to listen to a song and digest where the spaces are and what it might need, the guitar solo will get some thought. 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. Tom had just gotten some new signature-model Martins, and we used those on quite a few things. Campbell's guitar tech, Steve Winstead, walks us through every guitar, amp, and pedal and lets us in on Campbell's time-tested formula for great tone.