guitar pick jewelry, which is proving to be a big seller. What was it like, standing in a room playing alongside those guys? The guitar carousel in action, he laughs. Weve been on the road four years in a row. So I always use that guitar on that song. Howie was a great bass player. His favorite 12-string is the Tom Petty solidbody, which we did use on the record quite a bit. And almost all the rhythm Tom played the parts for were on that 64 Strat. King and was recommended to Campbell by the Cars, plus a variety of Fender combos. did you use to get the sound f "Rickenbacker, 370, 360? 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. Tom Petty: (laughs) What goes through my mind? Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs have unveiled a new track from their forthcoming album External Combustion. I tend to gravitate toward the stuff that I grew up with the Beatles, Stones, Beach Boys, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield Thats my era. I did take it out to one of the local gigs back when we were doing a soundcheck in LA, and [front of house engineer Robert] Scovill came out and said, Whats that? Is there anything in particular you look for, in terms of collecting acoustic guitars? Its the third Rickenbacker 12-string ever made. Malcolm Young more influential than EVH or Clapton? So, many of the solos are on a tiny amp in a big room. So sometimes you pick one up and it feels friendly, and sometimes it doesnt. I cant really remember all of them, but there was a variety of instruments. It's what he likes. That may or may not happen," says Mike Campbell's guitar tech about the Way Huge Camel On page 3 of his interview in Tone Quest Report Vol. Those days are kind of gone now, but still, collecting guitars is about loving the sound and liking instruments, you know? So I started playing it, and youre right, I played it for years. Aug-16-2009, 3:58pm #4. I bought this Rickenbacker six-string bass from the 60s. 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". Ill take it. And so we formed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers around that group of people. Maybe a cranked Princeton or Deluxe? "But I also have a 59 kind of Jimmy Page one thats really great, and I have one thats a 56, too. Are there two or three that you grab more often than others? Campbell cant recall what year the model is, but it wasnt super-old and that is never the attraction about the guitars. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Agnesi begins the proceedings by asking Campbell about his 1959 'Burst Les Paul Standard. Yeah, it does. From most interviews that I have read, it looks like the Blackface Princeton and Tweed Deluxe do most of the heavy lifting. There is also a vintage National amp, a Gibson Lab Series L5 combo which was a big favorite of B.B. The hits keep coming. The afternoon after the emotional interview at his house, Campbell is at an enormous soundstage at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. So when we started doing that song live, I just wanted to honor him. And now if I see something thats really special, I buy it just because I dont want it to be lost to the sands of time, or be put behind glass or something. As we begin our nearly two-hour conversation, Mike Campbell admits that even after more than 40 years as the lead guitarist in the venerable Heartbreakers band, the pressure is still on him. Each day, wed bring a new one to check out. Campbell wasn't always a Gibson man. In your view, what makes a good bass player? Jul 28, 2013. At Gil Southworths shop. Theres a lot of Heartbreakers records that weve had to build up, as well. And hes one of the few rock stars who has actually been quoted in print saying, I dont think we need that much money.. If you were looking for something that little bit different with a stunning iconic tone then this is the guitar for you. We've been notified and are looking into it. It was an f-hole model and it wasnt a good one. They really throw it out nicely onstage. But I love em, ya know? Aug 9, 2015 - Mike Campbell's (Tom Petty's Lead Guitarists ) Gator Guitar . Photo by Lindsey Best Do you need specific headspace? Yeah, because Id been a bass player before the Heartbreakers, I didnt really have an electric guitar. And it was a coincidence that the Martins all showed up right then, but we were so pleased with them. So Tom began writing songs and taking leadership of the band thank God because nobody else had much direction at the time. 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. And I was so happy because he took the heat off me, you know? Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, So I have to give Tom credit for talking me down the other path. I think its better that they get used. Usually, but not on Highway Companion; Jeff Lynne played bass on this one. It sounds incredible. He plays it pretty much in the set. Lisa asked: How old were you when you started playing the guitar and what kind of guitar was it? On the subject of television, you, the Heartbreakers, and MTV kind of grew up together, and your early videos are just chock full of the guitars that fans came to know pretty well through the years. Do you remember how the concept was pitched to you? Rick said, I got this track of Mikes. He then gave it to Tom, and I dont think he remembered it. 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. Then it splits off. 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. I like the new album, Highway Companion its really cool. Boiled down, the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is defined by a handful of essential elements: their leader's character-filled voice, songs about life and its toils, swirling B-3 organ, and - much as anything - Mike Campbell's . Amps "Ill maybe do a song here and there, but to do a whole album is really taking on their life.. Mike had some really weird little guitar that he played slide on. Mike Campbell [left] and Tom Petty back in 1977. Two other Rickenbacker guitars in his arsenal, however, are never far from reach. So, the next time I talked to Tom, I told him about this guy we might want to work with. But I dont think there were any vintage acoustics, per se. Mike Campbell Roles Guitarist Genres Rock Pop Groups Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Fleetwood Mac show all ALL 84 Guitars 32 Amplifiers 12 Effects Pedals 22 Studio Equipment 8 World Instruments 2 Cables 1 Microphones 3 Strings 1 Bass Guitars 1 Studio Monitors 2 Sort by: Most Relevant Hide incorrect submissions Listed for sale on Reverb.com on July 21, 2021. Theres a special story behind that guitar, Campbell says of the black Rickenbacker he plays on American Girl, closing just about every show. The Hfner Club, which I think weve used for everything for the last 10 years now. That album cover sort of put Rickenbacker back on the map. I was going to ask how big that number might be. Ill maybe do a song here and there, but to do a whole album is really taking on their life.. We think somebody wanted it to look like John Lennons, so they had somebody carve that top horn. Tom played it on American Girl and used it for rhythm parts on several albums. We used them on the new record. The faceplate has a good amount of scratches on i " '67, 375. A variety of things, Martins mostly, and some Gibsons. 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." Campbell has been of significant play in the Heartbreakers and has been co-writers with petty for many of the band's hit songs. "The Clipper had one pickup in it; a bass pickup. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Tom Petty (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Mike Campbell (vocals, guitar, bass); Benmont Tench (piano, electric pianos, organ, Chamberlin, Clavinet); Howie Epstein (bass, background vocals).Additional personnel: Scott Thurston (acoustic & electric guitars); Steve Ferrone (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion).Producers: Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, Rick Rubin.Engineers . For instance, you played Vox Phantom in the video for Refugee.. But I really concentrated on being I guess, because Id been a bass player, I wanted to play rhythm in a real solid way. Yes, I always loved Luther Perkins. I want to play good instruments, and I dont have much patience with new instruments. Find album credit information for Voodoo by D'Angelo on AllMusic Yamaha SG1000 13. 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. It was playable. 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. I think I was 16. Kept in immaculate condition, the guitar was used by Campbell to write the riff for Tom Petty's Good Enough. I still use mine in the show. And I asked him, Are you high? Of course, I didnt have an acoustic, and was dying to get one. AceShowbiz - Tom Petty 's longtime sideman Mike Campbell will always regret not going back to the Free Fallin' singer after completing his "The Boys of Summer" demo, because he wanted . Keith Richards, thats my hero. And even years before the Beatles played on Ed Sullivan, your aunt took you to a movie set, where you saw Elvis. Are you on the lookout for anything in particular? Its a semi-hollowbody, and Id never seen one before. MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Mike Campbell is a long time Duesenberg artist and this Starplayer was put into production to celebrate their long standing friendship. I got it for $120. CD LOT - Hard Rock, Pop, Metal: Stewart, Aerosmith, Elton. I have a couple Vox teardrops I use on the road; ones a white three-pickup that makes a nice rhythm guitar. Itll probably be a long time before I get to do another one. The sunburst 64 Strat youre touring with now and have played for years, is that Mikes guitar? "On I Wont Back Down, I have the Gretsch Clipper tuned to an open tuning that I use for that slide part. For a while, however, Campbells collection grew out of control, and he duly sold off a whole trove of vintage gear on Reverb. Aria Pro bass 7. The fuzz is a really unique-sounding, different than anything Ive heard. Get the latest and greatest Guitar news with one of our guitar magazine subscriptions. Campbell has been at Pettys side throughout. "It was Toms guitar in the early years for quite a while. Mike Campbell: The Guitars" is a fifteen chapter web-documentary series directed by Justin Kreutzmann. I told Tom that and he was really happy. Wake is easily my favorite album of all time. Serial: 2023 The tolex is a bit worn and has a fair amount of tears here and there as well as some dirt. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. As Campbell reveals to Gibsons Mark Agnesi, his first Gibson was a red triple-pickup Firebird he picked up for a 100 bucks. Mike Campbell - guitar [3] Bob Glaub - bass guitar [3] Little Steven - rhythm and lead guitar [6] Tony Gilkyson - guitar [7] Production Jimmy Iovine - producer Shelly Yakus - engineer, mixing, overdub engineer Joe Chiccarelli - engineer, overdub engineer Greg Edward - engineer, mixing, overdub engineer Thom Panunzio - engineer, overdub engineer Do you keep a pretty close inventory of all guitars? Bath 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. $199.97. The Official Mike Campbell Reverb Shop Chicago, IL, United States Send Message Preferred Seller Listings 89 Feedback 58 Info & Policies Oops, Something went wrong. She got the sugar, oh yes she does. Campbell is playing a Gold Top with coverless P-90s, a guitar that remains one of his go-to Gibsons. But he had this great room in a separate building right next to the studio, with ceilings that are 30 feet high, and wood. Maple Glow. Id like to give it to you.. 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. I saw Bruce Springsteen had one and I was telling him I invented that! (laughs). Ours was the first solidbody one. Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. Oh, and of course Full Moon Fever is one of my favorites the first album we did with Jeff Lynne. $24.99. Mike got us a green one and then we brought it in "The Princeton is probably a '63 or '64. It was funny how the song went around the corner and came back to where it shouldve been. MR. BIG Addicted to that Rush Vintage 1989 Promotional Guitar Pick Paul Gilbert. And I said, You gotta get this! The truth is, I could do our whole show with one guitar if I wanted to, he admits. I need different guitars for different things. It didnt take long at all because I went in with everything written. If you were looking for something that little bit different with a stunning iconic tone then this is the guitar for you. Together, the two have been the key to an unmistakable rock and roll sound created by one of pop musics longest-lasting entities. By the end, I think he was overrun! We had some Fender amplifiers, they made a pretty cool sound. Its been a while since Ive done that, because I realised its really a lot of work, Campbell says with a laugh, though hes clearly serious about his work ethic. Mike Campbell is a personal hero of mine. They were thinking maybe youd like to play guitar on it. Well, the idea scared the s*** out of me, but I went down to the studio with my little Marshall, set it up, and they put the track on. Ive refinished it since that day. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, We just discovered things as we went along. Once I learned the chords, I graduated to melodies and lead guitar parts, and tried to pick up them off the records. As things progressed for the Heartbreakers, any time Mike and I would run across something we liked, wed get it. I could play the whole show with a Tele or a Les Paul or an SG. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Tom Petty &The Heartbreakers 2014 Hypnotic Eye 2 Guitar Picks &. Its just like heaven. But we used the Stratocasters a lot, and a couple of Gibsons. I have a 50-watt Marshall that I really like, a little 60s amp in red. 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. Call us at 800-449-9128. 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. Those are the things that come to mind. Grapevine Opry Guitar Pick. Holding the groove down and a sense of melody, tone all of those things. Australian Musician's Greg Phillips had the pleasure of. All rights reserved. Yeah, I do it all the time. Today, nearly 50 years beyond Love Me Tender and Love Me Do, he is the personification of the rock star created by the Beatles appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. And 30 years after his band, the Heartbreakers, formed in Gainesville, Florida, he is still making an impact, still being a force in a medium famous for devouring all but the biggest of its stars. The laconic raconteur of rock very much appreciates that his style never goes out of style, and in selling some 50 million albums he has pandered to nobody not fans, not managers, not record labels. In addition to playing on and co-producing Tom Petty and The Heatbreakers albums and cowriting some of their biggest - . With so many guitars, is there one that Campbell would choose if he had to? Were you paying attention to guitar tones, or more focused on sounding good as a group? Yeah, well is was back in days of the Vietnam draft, and I had drawn a really low number, so I knew I was going to be called if I dropped out. 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. First of all, I dont have that much time. No, we were pals. In the course of making that record, we realized that we were so green. (Specs Below). 65, or 66. But Mike has some that make all these sounds. BA1 1UA. 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. I added a treble pickup and it became a really nice guitar. Early on, the Heartbreakers were on MTV a lot. I used this with The Heartbreakers for a string of dates we did at the Vic in Chicago," Campbell says. Those are our main ones. I Walk The Line. He also played Buddy Hollys Thatll Be the Day, Fools Paradise, and lots of Elvis all the great Elvis/Scotty Moore records. 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. 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 the record company gave us some money when we first got together, and we bought 10 of these big Vox amps. If I had to pick one, Id pick that. As we begin our nearly two-hour conversation, Mike Campbell admits that even after more than 40 years as the lead guitarist in the venerable Heartbreakers band, the pressure is still on him. Then I got a 64 Strat, which I still have, and weve played on almost every record weve done. Contact our experts for a recommendation of great alternatives. Aug 9, 2015 - Mike Campbell's (Tom Petty's Lead Guitarists ) Gator Guitar . England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Look around you. COOL !!! Weaned on Elvis, Johnny Cash and the Beatles, he liked the bright jangle of Rickenbackers and used a Fender Broadcaster in the early days. 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. Youve said that this could well be your last big tour, is that right? As much as the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is identified by Pettys singular voice, the tone and licks of guitarist Mike Campbell have left an indelible signature on the bands work over the last 30 years theyre as much a part of the musics voice as is Pettys. When I play it on another guitar it sounds okay, but it just doesnt have the same magic it does in that key with that voice. Yeah, its a mid-60s model with three pickups. 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. One day, I think Tom was banging on it, and it broke It never worked again (laughs)! This guitar looks like the tail of a 1959 Cadillac. Still, I think wed get sick if we didnt tour. Or why not treat yourself? Im not sure what year that is, exactly, but its late-70s model. As long as weve been doing this, we still draw from the same places and people who inspired us when we were young. COOL !!! As the song ends, you acknowledge George a bit. A lot of bands are like that," says Mike Campbell's guitar tech about the Fender Princeton Blackface Amp. I have recently. It worked because everyone knew each other, and were hanging out before there was a band. Therell be a certain sound that we want, and cant get with a Stratocaster, but a Gretsch makes that sound. What was the effect of seeing him in that setting? I was walking around in Hartford, Connecticut and saw they had an SG Junior and the Gretsch Clipper. 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. It was a very collaborative we worked together, wrote together, thought things through, and we were even together when we werent playing. See more ideas about mike campbell, campbell, tom petty. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. "Its in your hands. The show runs well over an hour, and features more gorgeous guitars than we have time to tell you about, but you can see the whole episode above. There are some very desirable amps going on sale, including the very first amp Campbell got a Heathkit TA-16. Michael Campbell (Guitar/Harsh vocals) Hail the Sun - Wake. 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. Those two bottles and an old tshirt will get your D-28 looking great. All rights reserved. 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). Im really proud of those records. 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. 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. The sound textures. Mike Campbell, guitar player from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers does not clean his guitars either. What do you remember about opening it up on that Christmas Day? But it was a very hard guitar to play. BA1 1UA. In this photo, Campbell is seen playing the mapleglo Rickenbacker 330. I might have bought a Mel Bay book at some point, but the book I most remember was a Carl Wilson chord book. 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. SPONSORED. 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. So he got this guitar to me to let Tom check it out and it stayed in a case for two weeks, we were at the Hollywood Bowl, and Nathan came back and said 'Hey, what about that guitar?' As a subscriber enjoy big savings off the shop price! I think I gave it to a friend when I got a Stratocaster. It was a fantastic time, really very exciting. But I stick really closely to the groove with the instrument. I like everything they do. From the left side we have "Little Ricky," which is a Rickenbacker-style mandolin with a whammy bar. Thats my favourite, Campbell admits. Rickenbacker 4003 (love this bass) 8. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, I still need to update it, because I just bought some things. Well, it got me interested in the music, but it didnt make me want to play guitar. Rock and roll without it would be kinda sad, wouldnt it? R "Rich Robinson had this out, or had a new Mason from Duesenberg. We took it to Rickenbacker, and they called it a mystery. They didnt know what it was. 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. Whose idea was it? Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*, US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year, UK pricing 2.99 per month or 29.00 per year, Europe pricing 3.49 per month or 34.00 per year, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. And the songs, like American Girl and Breakdown, still hold up. Well, it sort of built. $8.25 shipping. If its not, Ill feel like I didnt do my job. Are there a couple of especially fond memories of those recording sessions? Although Campbell wrote and recorded with Tom Petty for over 40 yearsthrough Petty . So Id like the opportunity to live a somewhat normal life for a while; our life has really been either on the road or in the studio, and very little else.
