Mike Campbell is a personal hero of mine. 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. For a while, however, Campbells collection grew out of control, and he duly sold off a whole trove of vintage gear on Reverb. What are you waiting for. But back then, $200 was a fortune, but that Strat became my main guitar. 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. That was a nice feeling, like nobody was carrying the whole load. 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. I just try to write a good song, which requires enough effort. 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". This is where the tornado sequence for The. Well, I do see them as works of art. 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. On your solo records, do you do most of the bass playing? I dont really care as long as it comes out good! And almost all the rhythm Tom played the parts for were on that 64 Strat. Were you paying attention to guitar tones, or more focused on sounding good as a group? Mike Campbell is also in my opinion one of THE most tasteful guitar player ever alongside George Harrison. Yes, they thanked me prolifically and I mean a lot. 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)! Absolutely. When I play it on another guitar it sounds okay, but it just doesnt have the same magic". That palm wah is really cool, and the fuzztone in them sounds great. 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. "Ill maybe do a song here and there, but to do a whole album is really taking on their life.. Its completely different from the 58s and the 60s, different necks, different feel. Right away, I just loved the song, you know? Well, its mostly about the groove, isnt it? Explore Mike Campbell's incredible vintage guitar 'carousel' in new Duesenberg Signature Series Starplayer TV Mike Campbell Guitar Well, it got me interested in the music, but it didnt make me want to play guitar. Aug 9, 2015 - Mike Campbell's (Tom Petty's Lead Guitarists ) Gator Guitar . Campbell is playing a Gold Top with coverless P-90s, a guitar that remains one of his go-to Gibsons. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. Weve found more of them, but none quite have the same sound and this feel. Its kind of a Butterscotch Tele. Tom played it on American Girl and used it for rhythm parts on several albums. And because it was a friendly situation, it didnt feel intimidating at all? 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. And after the first album, and with Damn The Torpedoes breaking out, you could buy pretty much anything. It also inspired him to write Good Enough from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' 2010 album Mojo. rush guitar pick products for sale | eBay Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers begin a World tour on April 18 in Broomfield, CO. In fact, over-the-top great. To read about how he and Tom felt like going to music college while working with Jeff was something that made me smile. Jan 19, 2019 - Explore Janet's board "Mike Campbell" on Pinterest. Lisa asked: How old were you when you started playing the guitar and what kind of guitar was it? There are some very desirable amps going on sale, including the very first amp Campbell got a Heathkit TA-16. He had a band called Mudcrutch, kind of a country-rock band, that was playing around the university. If the Heartbreakers are tracking, and all playing at the same time and trying to get a performance on the song a live performance and theres a call for a guitar solo, I like to try to get it within the performance of the band or at least get the essence of it. Nothing matters other than tone. In addition to playing on and co-producing Tom Petty and The Heatbreakers albums and cowriting some of their biggest - . And there was a couple of Gibson J-45s. Just doing a Heartbreakers album can put you in a home (laughs)! I liked just the sound of it, and the spirit of what they were doing. Maple Glow. Grapevine Opry Guitar Pick. His favorite 12-string is the Tom Petty solidbody, which we did use on the record quite a bit. And again, we have a lot of songs to record. Like with Bob, wed worked together for years at that point. 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. Reverb Homepage Contact Support 8c8a7d09e90f483fb6d37e1764114e10 Get the Best of Reverb in Your Inbox Mike Campbell launched The Dirty Knobs after coming to terms with his increasingly prolific creative output. Petersen Concert guitar model A 6. And I asked him, Are you high? Of course, I didnt have an acoustic, and was dying to get one. Photo by Lindsey Best Do you need specific headspace? Thats my favourite, Campbell admits. She . I think they made it in a few different shapes theres a teardrop and a 335-style. God, let me think Were on this quest to find another bass as good as this Hfner Club weve got. Mike Campbell's Guitars, Gear, Pedalboard & Amps | Equipboard 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. The Dirty Knobs - Sugar Lyrics | Genius Lyrics If it fits into a certain bag or feel, I think generally thats an accident! Actually, I did form a band before that a three-piece sort of blues-jam band. 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. 100 Greatest Guitarists - Rolling Stone Mike Campbell Unsung Guitar Hero | Mike Campbell Rig Rundown - Gear Vault 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. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Watch Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs' New - Guitar Player 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. I prefer to have the Broadcaster out but for whatever reason he'll take it out. I gave him a hard time for keeping his guitar tech, Steve, so busy during the live show. I dont think you need more than one. $3.39 to $5.99. And weve gone full circle back to using them again. Which we didnt discover, but George Harrison discovered because he had the second one. Mike Campbell: The Guitars (TV Movie 2012) - IMDb And Tom pretty much made you join, as opposed to asking you. Mike Campbell was best known as Tom Petty 's right-hand man for decades. Are there a couple of especially fond memories of those recording sessions? I did buy a few guitars while I was [on the first leg of the Highway Companion tour]. Mike Campbell's 12-string Rickenbacker - Tone Gems 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. 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. Campbell wasn't always a Gibson man. 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. $24.99. Those days are kind of gone now, but still, collecting guitars is about loving the sound and liking instruments, you know? What I remember most was that all of us fell out of the front-man thing, you know? His reluctance, and his clearly busy schedule, leads to an obvious question: with the Heartbreakers on such a high after Hypnotic Eye and a successful tour, how long does he think it will go on? 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 theres something to be said for the aesthetic qualities of a bunch of them, as opposed to one. Do you keep a pretty close inventory of all guitars? February 5, 2023 - Be Prepared | February 5, 2023 - Be Prepared | By And one day, we looked up and there were hundreds of them! 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. , 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. Amongst his peers today, Petty is revered. I had a Gibson Dove, and he had the Stratocaster. 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." Did that stem from the fact that you wrote with an acoustic? Well a lot. Well, quite a bit. [The Monza] is a nice guitar to have if you don't have an amp handy, said Campbell. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, 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 It was frustrating because it was it didnt have what youd call easy action (laughs)! Tom Petty and Mike Campbell | Vintage Guitar magazine Im always in awe of him, of his talent. We think whoever had it filed the horn down to make it look like Johns and painted it black. Its been our mainstay for many years. 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. Although Campbell wrote and recorded with Tom Petty for over 40 yearsthrough Petty . Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). It had a weird kind of Formica finish when I got it, but I put a pale blue finish on it.. Kept in immaculate condition, the guitar was used by Campbell to write the riff for Tom Petty's Good Enough. Mike Campbell Rides Again - Premier Guitar As the song ends, you acknowledge George a bit. Youre joining this band. And thats where everything changed. 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. But that broke up, and then I saw an ad that said Mudcrutch was looking for a drummer. Its just too valuable now, and Im afraid itll get damaged. Some were iconic, on his wish list from his earliest days playing the guitar. Well, that may be true, Im just not nuts about putting that much time in on the road. Guitarist plays $40 Harley Benton on arena tour, Marshall pedal reissues finally confirmed. 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. Its a really nice, warm, woody-sounding room. 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. The faceplate has a good amount of scratches on i " '67, 375. As we wind down, we ask Campbell why he doesnt take to the producers chair more often. Those few years of collaboration really made me come back to the band with a more experienced, wider scale of music to work with. How old were you when you started writing songs? MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 103 views, 0 likes, 1 loves, 4 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Peace Lutheran Church: February 5, 2023 - Be Prepared Campbell relies on a rare Dunlop Camel Toe for his distortion, a Line 6 DL-4, the Green Meanie switch (which brings his Fender Excelsior amp in and out), a DigiTech Whammy II, Line 6 MM-4, a custom switch for his 1962 reissue Fender reverb tank, a Boss RC-30, and a Boss TU-2 tuner. Guitarist plays $40 Harley Benton on arena tour, Marshall pedal reissues finally confirmed. Tom said, This isnt bad. But we also draw from what weve already done, and we try not to repeat ourselves. Mentioned in this March 1983 Musician article. In the history of the band, what are the most important guitars? CD LOT - Hard Rock, Pop, Metal: Stewart, Aerosmith, Elton. All rights reserved. The same with Carl Wilson. Well you only need one, dont ya (laughs)? Thats one of my favourites as well, but the Broadcaster is the one. Mike Campbell on his many guitars, Heartbreakers and more It makes a beautiful sound. I think I gave it to a friend when I got a Stratocaster. $8.25 shipping. He played with Petty in the pre-Heartbreakers band Mudcrutch and co-wrote, co-produced and played the searing guitar. Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. I don't hear a fuzz on this track. I saw Bruce Springsteen had one and I was telling him I invented that! (laughs). In fact, I was starting to think you were tracking, which didnt make any sense. This is 'Free Falling.' But thats how I hooked up with Rick, and the good thing about working with him is that wed just done a couple of records with Jeff, which is a really fun process, but is a lot of building tracks as opposed to playing rock. It didnt take long at all because I went in with everything written. "Sherwood green Strat. 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. Just lays around the house all day doin' nothing. $24.99. 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. There were some long friendships made there. "Occasionally, I hear something that I think I can add to, but for me to bring that artist out the way I think will do them justice is going to take some time out of my life and my career. Well, hes right up there. Thats a beautiful-sounding guitar, too, but its so valuable now that I leave it at home.. Get the latest and greatest Guitar news with one of our guitar magazine subscriptions. Mike Campbell [left] and Tom Petty back in 1977. It was really interesting. Ive seen the prototype and its incredible. It's the epitome of picking a niche theme, going all in, and nailing it. He was a huge inspiration to me, and fortunately, I got to be a bit of a friend with him. The afternoon after the emotional interview at his house, Campbell is at an enormous soundstage at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. BA1 1UA. When did you and Tom first work with Rick? Malcolm Young more influential than EVH or Clapton? I buy a lot of stuff from him. Highway Companion I think I wrote entirely on guitar. You pushed it and it just got this great overdrive buzz. Theres so many. Effects I dont buy something unless it works, and I can use it. We've been notified and are looking into it. In the Refugee video, you play a red Tele with a humbucker? He was an amazing person. It sounds incredible. As Campbell reveals to Gibsons Mark Agnesi, his first Gibson was a red triple-pickup Firebird he picked up for a 100 bucks. But if I had a choice, Id probably use my old D-28. Thats the one I used to record The Waiting and all those classic 12-string numbers. Heres how it works. As the setlist starts to take shape, though, I try to minimise the number of guitar changes as much as I can. First of all, I dont have that much time. "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. Mike Campbell Gets Candid About Why Tom Petty Passed on - AceShowbiz 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. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halens Panama. I bought this Rickenbacker six-string bass from the 60s. Next, the video moves onto a '80s - '90s-era white Firebird V Campbell picked up while on tour with Fleetwood Mac. Blair has a different kind of tone very clear. 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? We still have that kind of awe about what we do.. But he had this great room in a separate building right next to the studio, with ceilings that are 30 feet high, and wood. Duesenberg Starplayer TV Mike Campbell Left Handed