There was a whole different viewpoint for me. Just doing a Heartbreakers album can put you in a home (laughs)! Well, quite a bit. I hate to part with a lot of these [guitars], but something's got to go.. Are there a couple of especially fond memories of those recording sessions? "Madison Square Garden is a big deal," he begins, ticking off the most memorable shows of their recent 30-date US tour with an almost childlike enthusiasm. Well, I kinda instigated getting Rick into the fold because one time on tour I got a message that he wanted to know if I had any songs that I would want to give to Mick Jagger, who was working on a solo record at the time. 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. In addition to playing on and co-producing Tom Petty and The Heatbreakers albums and cowriting some of their biggest - . It was funny how the song went around the corner and came back to where it shouldve been. Taylor Swift 6 Guitar Picks RED Concert Tour Souvenir Set . 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.. Back in the day, Campbell and Petty used to pair up with the Firebirds. 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. Those days are kind of gone now, but still, collecting guitars is about loving the sound and liking instruments, you know? In this source video Mike Campbell is playing a Rickenbacker 325 Capri in black. BA1 1UA. 1. 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. But the 67 is George-style [double-bound] from A Hard Days Night. On your solo records, do you do most of the bass playing? Those are the things that come to mind. This, folks, is living the dream. If you were looking for something that little bit different with a stunning iconic tone then this is the guitar for you. And theyre all there and Jeff was the kinda urging me, Go ahead play. So I played a little, but I was really scared, you know, cause heres George Harrison(pauses) I just felt very intimidated. All rights reserved. Yea she got the sugar, oh yes she does. 'Cept it's not a Rickenbacker. Re: Mike Campbell Playing Rickenbacker Mando with the Heartbreake. Campbell should be proud. Well, I have complete control of a solo album; the democratic process is gone. In your view, what makes a good bass player? I need different guitars for different things. Ive seen the prototype and its incredible. Get the latest and greatest Guitar news with one of our guitar magazine subscriptions. Please try again. $11.15 shipping. The Alliance Series Mike Campbell Hollow is an all-hollow construction sporting our "Destruct-Knob" circuit - an internal 10db booster. I think Blair is probably is more locked with the drummer, where Howie played more like a guitar player. Well, I finished the semester, but then we started getting gigs and I never went back to school. In the eighties, the Sonic Youth leader emerged as indie rock's premier guitar radical, mixing strange drone tunings, jamming screwdrivers or drumsticks under his strings, and blasting out. Wake is easily my favorite album of all time. Rig Rundown - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Mike Campbell, Rig Rundown: Starcrawler's Henri Cash - Premier Guitar | The best guitar and bass reviews, videos, and interviews on the web. My approach to guitar, I think, is probably a lot like his in terms of fitting into the song and not overplaying. Actually, I did form a band before that a three-piece sort of blues-jam band. Keith Richards, thats my hero. The Hfner Club, which I think weve used for everything for the last 10 years now. If you were looking for something that little bit different with a stunning iconic tone then this is the guitar for you. 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. I use that on American Girl because its got the right tone, and we lowered the key on that song a half step over the years. 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. With so many guitars, is there one that Campbell would choose if he had to? And I said, You gotta get this! We go inside Mike Campbell's drool-inducing lineup of vintage guitars and amps he brings on the road. He augments that with a custom Fender Excelsior and a Fender Vibrotane for Leslie-type effects. Jimi Hendrix compared to George Harrison is a way other universe, but still equally inspiring. To read about how he and Tom felt like going to music college while working with Jeff was something that made me smile. This is called Little Ricky. Holding the groove down and a sense of melody, tone all of those things. And the song I gave to Rick and Mick, which was You Wreck Me, was the same one Tom had forgotten about. It was a very collaborative we worked together, wrote together, thought things through, and we were even together when we werent playing. I got it for $120. It's what he plays on 'Free Falling," says Mike Campbell's guitar tech while talking about the Rickenbacker 360 Electric Guitar. Well, I get to do a solo record about every 12 years (laughs). Michael Wayne Campbell (born February 1, 1950) is an American guitarist. And of course Mark Knopfler, who I think sounds like he soaks up a lot of J.J.s thing. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited. ", "Im always proud to play there. Well, nothings written in stone. So I started playing it, and youre right, I played it for years. We were out of control!Over the years, Campbell has picked up a laundry list of dream instruments. I cant really remember all of them, but there was a variety of instruments. With more than 80 million albums sold worldwide, and countless anthems from Refugee to American Girl and Free Fallin to Mary Janes Last Dance under their belts, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers are in the DNA of an audience that encompasses all ages and walks of life. Not as much the brown ones I like the piggyback ones. Fenders doing a reissue of that Broadcaster. Oh, and of course Full Moon Fever is one of my favorites the first album we did with Jeff Lynne. Paul Gray - Slipknot. 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. Those were the only acoustics we used, and they sound beautiful. Itd be okay. Campbell himself mentions the Bassman in this September 1999 "Spotlight on a Heartbreaker" interview from the official Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers website. Well, that may be true, Im just not nuts about putting that much time in on the road. There is also a vintage National amp, a Gibson Lab Series L5 combo which was a big favorite of B.B. Campbell himself mentions the Rat in this September 1999 "Spotlight on a Heartbreaker" interview from the official Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers website. 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. Well, I was very excited about it. Whereas, the other direction is just going by the seat of your pants and jumping on with the band and riding the wave. Its kind of a Butterscotch Tele. But I havent been able to find one. I think I gave it to a friend when I got a Stratocaster. Mike Campbell is an American guitarist, songwriter, and record producer famous for being in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers band. Ill do it. And I loved it. Grapevine Opry Guitar Pick. We started out playing those big Super Beatle amps made by Vox. In fact, I was starting to think you were tracking, which didnt make any sense. The guitar carousel in action, he laughs. Featured in this page from the Elite Guitars website. How old were you when you started writing songs? 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". Reverb Homepage Contact Support 8c8a7d09e90f483fb6d37e1764114e10 Get the Best of Reverb in Your Inbox The cool thing about the guitars on that record, the electric guitars anyway, was that some were recorded direct. "The Deluxe is probably a '54 or a '55," says Mike Campbell's guitar tech about the Fender Deluxe Amp. Each day, wed bring a new one to check out. 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. Loves the long road and on through the set," says Mike Campbell's guitar tech ab "That's a custom tweed. You cant just walk away from a dot-neck 335 that nice.. Mike Campbell features on the latest episode of Gibson TVs The Collection in an episode that once more it proves that it has got to be one of the best things about being a career pro musician with decades under your belt is the guitars you collect along the way. If it fits into a certain bag or feel, I think generally thats an accident! 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. "Sherwood green Strat. Thats my favourite, Campbell admits. I just like to step out every decade or so. Like Neo., See Eric Clapton make a surprise guest appearance with Jerry Douglas to pay tribute to Jeff Beck and play While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Larry Carlton demos his $641 Sire signature guitar, Nuno Bettencourt explains his secret to playing difficult guitar solos it involves getting his leg up, Music meets gaming in the Beat Machine, the world's first music-making arcade machine. If Im showing the band a new song, its based on rhythm guitar, and they fill in around that. Early on, the Heartbreakers were on MTV a lot. By the end, I think he was overrun! I was going to ask how big that number might be. They just instinctively picked up on the tones and the feel of it.. What are the differences between making a solo album and a Heartbreakers album? Once I learned the chords, I graduated to melodies and lead guitar parts, and tried to pick up them off the records. There has to be some kind of fuzzbox on the second guitar track. Which contemporary guitarists grab your attention? ROLLING STONES GLASGOW SCOTLAND 2003 TOUR SHIRT LARGE NWOT. But the truth is, ours a working collection. We get them because we love them as pieces of art and we use them on our records. Once we started making money, we were just buying them left and right. Still, we took the music quite seriously. I dont buy something unless it works, and I can use it. $24.99. 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). That was it, I think, though Mike has always got some sort of exotic s*** going on. Mentioned in this March 1983 Musician article. Thats where the 62 Gibson SG Junior and Runnin Down A Dream comes in It also just goes to show that sometimes you can pickup the best guitars in the weirdest places. 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. Its been rebuilt a few times, but its basically the same. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). 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. One record that I really studied a lot was Paul Butterfields first album with Mike Bloomfield. But I think were still powered by the same engine basically, you know? In the Wilburys, you were with Harrison and Dylan. Except for the signature models, were talking 60s guitars, or. So our music is really based on that rhythm guitar, and everything else grows from there. And Tom pretty much made you join, as opposed to asking you. The acoustics were all Martins the Tom Petty signature models which we had just got. So youre talking in terms of length of time youre out, as opposed to the size of the venues? Martin SPOM 16 10. So Tom began writing songs and taking leadership of the band thank God because nobody else had much direction at the time. And after the first album, and with Damn The Torpedoes breaking out, you could buy pretty much anything. Thanks a lot! It was kinda different because its a small room, so we had to play a little quieter. Guitar pick I pick you in bronze. Which guitars did you use on Highway Companion? God, its been a long time (laughs) Once we started to make records, we always had cash, so that wasnt a problem. And I was so happy because he took the heat off me, you know? So it has the same wiring and sound as Georges. That question has been put to me a lot lately. Which we didnt discover, but George Harrison discovered because he had the second one. BA1 1UA. Whens the last time you couldnt get a guitar that you wanted because you just didnt have the cash handy? Campbell has been at Pettys side throughout. Mike Campbell has a resume that speaks for itself. It makes a beautiful sound. BA1 1UA. Wed usually set up acoustic guitars in Jeffs kitchen, which is adjacent to his studio, and just lay the basics down, usually on acoustics. I used it on Fooled Again [(I Dont Like It)], Strangered In The Night, even the solo on Listen To Her Heart is doubled on a 12-string with this underneath to make it thick. I still love to play the bass. I dont really care as long as it comes out good! 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 stick really closely to the groove with the instrument. "It doesn't have the buckle wear and tear like the other ones do, but I love it anyway," Campbell says. Of course, were skipping ahead to the mid 60s, with the Beatles and the Beach Boys and all that. 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. I have a couple Vox teardrops I use on the road; ones a white three-pickup that makes a nice rhythm guitar. Guitarist plays $40 Harley Benton on arena tour, Marshall pedal reissues finally confirmed. The band are playing better than ever and they scored their first No 1 album with last summers Hypnotic Eye, as much of a back-to-basics rock n roll album as theyve made since breaking through the New Wave clutter in the late 1970s. Most of the record is acoustic-guitar based. 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. We just discovered things as we went along. And those are the things I end up going back and listening to again, more than the newer stuff. No matter what you hit, it sounds beautiful.. I have recently. I just would never part with it.. Overview A phenomenal reproduction of a great guitar. I didnt care what year it was, he says. Well, like the best of us, Campbell is a long-term sufferer of Gear Acquisition Syndrome, and they're running out of storage at the Heartbreaker Clubhouse. And I asked him, Are you high? Of course, I didnt have an acoustic, and was dying to get one. My mom went to a pawn shop and got me a Harmony acoustic. "[Out of] all these guitars, [the 'Burst] is the only one I put back in the case when I'm done with it.". But there are certain songs where I use a certain guitar on the record that just has a certain colour and when I use the same guitar as I did on the record, it just sounds better because its perfectly right for that song. I have a 50-watt Marshall that I really like, a little 60s amp in red. The bottom line is about tone. Mike Campbell, guitar player from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers does not clean his guitars either. "This is one of my favorites. I finally just threw it in the corner and got an electric Kay. I like to be able to just pull them out and use them on impulse if I need to. All rights reserved. Is there any particular guitarist who influenced the way you play guitar? Theres a special story behind that guitar, Campbell says of the black Rickenbacker he plays on American Girl, closing just about every show. I was telling somebody the other day, the only place I feel pressure when we tour is the Garden. 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. Absolutely, yeah. Heres how it works. this is what he uses for 'Running Down a Dream.'" Campbell and Petty connected, and he became a member of Mudcrutch, Pettys band at the time who were part of the burgeoning Southern rock scene (and who reunited for an album in 2008). George was the leader, for sure. And maybe I learned a couple of other Dylan songs. In Mudcrutch, you were the bass player. #9. In terms of bass players in the Heartbreakers, is there a way to compare and contrast the styles of Ron Blair and Howie Epstein? The sunburst 64 Strat youre touring with now and have played for years, is that Mikes guitar? "Its in your hands. They still make them, and theyre really good, actually. It used to be people didnt really want much for them because they were old. Campbell has been of significant play in the Heartbreakers and has been co-writers with petty for many of the band's hit songs. We were band members again. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Its kinda out of control (laughs). It was a fantastic time, really very exciting. 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. Theres so many. He came over with Mick it was the first time I met Rick and I gave him a couple of tracks. I realised that when you produce somebody, you really need to give it 100 per cent of your energy. Well, it sort of built. Tom played it on a couple of tours in the 80s, and if you look at it closely, even though its been painted black you can see where it used to be red underneath. There was a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of laughs. "That was my guitar for several years until Tom sat on it and broke the neck off of it. I buy a lot of stuff from him. His favourite 12-string at the moment is also, of course, a Rickenbacker. Guitar lesson on playing with dynamics and using a motif to build interest into your melodies and improvisations Guitar lesson exploring voice leading, alternate picking and a TrueFire jam track Guitar lesson on using sequences to gain the 'wow' factor and beyond the Pentatonic box Ours was the first solidbody one. And Dunlop was going to do a version put out by Dunlop called Campbell Toe for Mike Campbell - a smaller version. The songs mostly came from acoustic rhythm standpoint. One side of Campbell's guitar arsenal covers all the bases. As a subscriber enjoy big savings off the shop price! For more details and to sign up for an alert once it's live, head over to Reverb (opens in new tab). So, many of the solos are on a tiny amp in a big room. Love all those guys. Maple Glow. Ive done several things with Rick, including the last Johnny Cash albums that are all acoustic-based. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, If its not, Ill feel like I didnt do my job. That's because Dave Gartland, the custom guitar builder also known . "This '54 Tele - it's a favorite Tele. Well, it got me interested in the music, but it didnt make me want to play guitar. Petersen Concert guitar model A 6. 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 Some were iconic, on his wish list from his earliest days playing the guitar. And I dont know if I ever really learned much on it I couldnt figure out how to tune it. Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. So when we started doing that song live, I just wanted to honor him. Yeah, the Red Dog. We bought that in Florida from an old guitar student of mine. 1989: Petty releases his first official solo album, "Full Moon Fever," co-produced by Jeff Lynne and Mike Campbell. Maybe all three of us, or maybe just Tom, depending on the song. And I have a 1940 00-18, which is Rick Rubins favorite. Mike Campbell was best known as Tom Petty 's right-hand man for decades. Weaned on Elvis, Johnny Cash and the Beatles, he liked the bright jangle of Rickenbackers and used a Fender Broadcaster in the early days. But it was fun. And, like any guitar lover, he remembers it all via the guitars he crossed paths with along the way My dad always used to play Elvis records, Campbell recalls of his first musical inspirations. Its my main Gibson. (Ed. Nov 3, 2020. Malcolm Young more influential than EVH or Clapton? Jan 19, 2019 - Explore Janet's board "Mike Campbell" on Pinterest. I could make it work. For more information on Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and the Mike Campbell guitar series, please visit TomPetty.com. But this is a great-sounding guitar, and a real workhorse. 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)! A variety of things, Martins mostly, and some Gibsons. MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. YouTube Link: Mike Campbell Continue reading "Mike . I did buy a few guitars while I was [on the first leg of the Highway Companion tour]. Well, they all make a different sound, you know? A lot of bands are like that," says Mike Campbell's guitar tech about the Fender Princeton Blackface Amp. Campbell digs into a '67 Rickenbacker 360. Each instrument includes a small number of guitar picks used by Mike Campbell on the last Heartbreakers tour. Contact our experts for a recommendation of great alternatives. He was an amazing person. "But I also have a 59 kind of Jimmy Page one thats really great, and I have one thats a 56, too. Mike Campbell is a personal hero of mine. The 64 Strat. Madison Square Garden is a big deal, he begins, ticking off the most memorable shows of their recent 30-date US tour with an almost childlike enthusiasm. Amps 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. 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. I was always tuned into the guitar and what the guitar was doing. It was a wonderful time, and that was a very good band. 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. Its a six-string. Like with Bob, wed worked together for years at that point. I also bought an early-60s Les Paul Custom in white. I think the record company gave us some money when we first got together, and we bought 10 of these big Vox amps. The Garden has always been one of my favourite places. 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. Im not sure what year that is, exactly, but its late-70s model. On almost every song there was at least one or two acoustic Martins. The part about production Im a little apprehensive with is that when people come to you to produce their record, youve taken responsibility for their career. It sounds better than any of your other guitars! I told him I leave it at home but I use it in the studio. 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. 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. Yeah, absolutely Carl Wilson was absolutely an influence. 5 ways to get more out of your power chords, Matt Bellamy is working on a new Manson Stratocaster-style guitar and hes already played it live with Muse, Watch Marty Friedman perform with Megadeth for the first time in 23 years, Melbourne Guitar Show 2023: Phil Manning on his five favourite guitars. Its just too valuable now, and Im afraid itll get damaged. Look around you. Yeah. or Best Offer. "The Garden has always been one of my favourite places. So the non-Tom Petty model specs out the same. The Official Mike Campbell Reverb Shop Chicago, IL, United States Send Message Preferred Seller Listings 89 Feedback 58 Info & Policies Oops, Something went wrong. And ever since, youve been the guitar player who Tom seems reluctant to go into the studio without. Wed love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers. The Beatles were a big deal, and in 1964 everyone wanted a guitar. Well, I do see them as works of art. I was considering joining the Air Force, so when Tom asked if I wanted to join the band I said, Well, Im in school and Im thinking about signing up for the Air Force. And he said Are you crazy? I thought that it was just the way guitars were. Theres a lot of Heartbreakers records that weve had to build up, as well. Yamaha SG1000 13. We used them on the new record. It was just perfect. This guitar looks like the tail of a 1959 Cadillac. Or are you more likely to buy something because you need a certain sound for a certain song. In your eyes, whats the difference between a Tom Petty solo record and a Heartbreakers album? Malcolm Young more influential than EVH or Clapton? Starting with guys who are alive; J.J. Cale has always been an inspiration to me. (Image credit: Richard McCaffrey/ Michael Ochs Archive/ Getty Images), Beatles and Rolling Stones members reportedly collaborating on new album, How to make an ambient pad like Jean-Michel Jarre's Oxygene, Guitarist magazine demos the new PRS model that could set the standard for sub-$1000 electric guitars in 2023, Guitarist upgrades his $569 PRS SE 245 guitar to get it closer to a $5,000 USA Core Tremonti model, Brian Eno kept a backup, backup laptop in a fridge for his Acropolis gig with brother Roger, Timbaland chats to Justin Timberlake about how they produced some of their greatest songs: He started humming and Im like Oh, this is it. Mike Campell is the curly-haired guitarist who has been knocking off tasty solos alongside Tom Petty for nearly three decades.