Free UK Delivery! Ive refinished it since that day. 2) The second guitar that comes in sounds to me like it has a Tonebender or Rangemaster on it . Yamaha SG1000 13. 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. And it included something of an homage to the guitar. Mike had some really weird little guitar that he played slide on. 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. Weve found more of them, but none quite have the same sound and this feel. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). I realised that when you produce somebody, you really need to give it 100 per cent of your energy. But this is a great-sounding guitar, and a real workhorse. And the song I gave to Rick and Mick, which was You Wreck Me, was the same one Tom had forgotten about. And I asked him, Are you high? Of course, I didnt have an acoustic, and was dying to get one. So what age were you when you asked for a guitar? We were floundering. 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. I focused on everything. I'm currently building a Mike Campbell inspired . Its the third Rickenbacker 12-string ever made. 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. Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to publications including Guitar World, MusicRadar and Total Guitar. 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. It sounds incredible. And all of those Beatles records always have beautiful solos, with good tone and not much noodling; every note serves a purpose to the song, not to the players. Vintage Guitar: How were you first exposed to music? 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. Plus, I was also below the weight limit, so I got a temporary deferment and never got called back. 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. Vintage Guitar: What goes through your mind when you think about the fact that the first Heartbreakers album is 30 years old come November? Talk about your red Rick 660/12, the guitar thats very closely associated with you and is pictured on Damn the Torpedoes. Jimi Hendrix compared to George Harrison is a way other universe, but still equally inspiring. 'Cept it's not a Rickenbacker. 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. Yea she got the sugar, oh yes she does. Campbell reveals to Agnesi that he had been offered a 'Burst for $50,000 in the '80s, but declined, due to the guitar's darker tone conflicting with the trademark jangly and bright sound of the Heartbreakers. 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. Its a really good, earthy acoustic sound. Its got so much history. You pushed it and it just got this great overdrive buzz. See more ideas about mike campbell, campbell, tom petty. He came over with Mick it was the first time I met Rick and I gave him a couple of tracks. Those were the only acoustics we used, and they sound beautiful. There are some very desirable amps going on sale, including the very first amp Campbell got a Heathkit TA-16. 5. I still love to play the bass. Which guitars did you use on Highway Companion? I cant really remember all of them, but there was a variety of instruments. But I havent been able to find one. 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 Love all those guys. The truth is, I could do our whole show with one guitar if I wanted to, he admits. 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. , 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. I was walking around in Hartford, Connecticut and saw they had an SG Junior and the Gretsch Clipper. Own a piece of Heartbreakers history as Campbell clears out some super-collectable guitars, amps and effects. Hes an amazing, talented fellow, and I probably learned something from everybody there, just because everybody has a different method and way of working. Still, I think wed get sick if we didnt tour. We started out playing those big Super Beatle amps made by Vox. To read about how he and Tom felt like going to music college while working with Jeff was something that made me smile. It sounds better than any of your other guitars! I told him I leave it at home but I use it in the studio. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. 65, or 66. 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. But I dont really buy anything unless I think Im going to use it. 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. Highway Companion I think I wrote entirely on guitar. 1990: Del Shannon, a close friend of Petty, commits suicide at age of 56. I need different guitars for different things. Ill do it. And I loved it. Martin SPOM 16 10. Absolutely, yeah. Mick liked one of them, but he never did work on it. And on a lot of his solo work its more piecemeal, like bringing a song in and building it. So, many of the solos are on a tiny amp in a big room. Pettys partner in nearly every step of the music-making process, Campbell is the epitome of the musical right-hand man. That question has been put to me a lot lately. What are you waiting for. So when youre exposed to that, you walk away with a much broader perspective than you had going in. In addition to playing on and co-producing Tom Petty and The Heatbreakers albums and cowriting some of their biggest - . They still make them, and theyre really good, actually. And even years before the Beatles played on Ed Sullivan, your aunt took you to a movie set, where you saw Elvis. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. The series is currently premiering exclusively on TomPetty.com for members of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers' Highway Companions Club Plot summary Add synopsis Genre Documentary Parents guide Add content advisory Details Release date So, the next time I talked to Tom, I told him about this guy we might want to work with. Have you thought about where you sit in the pantheon of rock songwriters? The best places to look for gear usage are typically on the artist's social media, YouTube, To receive email updates when Mike Campbell is seen with new gear. "I believe strongly that you just take whatever the gift has given you that day. The fuzz is a really unique-sounding, different than anything Ive heard. By the end, I think he was overrun! 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. Amps Gibson SG 9. Theyre not noticeably different. All rights reserved. Still, we took the music quite seriously. Heres how it works. Its kind of a noble pursuit, in a way. 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. Therell be a certain sound that we want, and cant get with a Stratocaster, but a Gretsch makes that sound. And theres something to be said for the aesthetic qualities of a bunch of them, as opposed to one. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, As the song ends, you acknowledge George a bit. Most of the record is acoustic-guitar based. Get the latest and greatest Guitar news with one of our guitar magazine subscriptions. SPONSORED. And hes one of the few rock stars who has actually been quoted in print saying, I dont think we need that much money.. Paul Gray - Slipknot. Rickenbacker 360 12. I dont think you need more than one. Angus Young, Malcom, you know, whatever, it's just solid as a rock. And Campbell's is as clean as a whistle. 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. The Official Mike Campbell Reverb Shop Chicago, IL, United States Send Message Preferred Seller Listings 89 Feedback 58 Info & Policies Oops, Something went wrong. "As weve gone along, thats become a bit of a good problem to have. Re: Mike Campbell Playing Rickenbacker Mando with the Heartbreake. Its such a good-sounding guitar. I didnt have an idea of playing until I saw the Beatles, and then I thought, This might be something I can do.. For more details and to sign up for an alert once it's live, head over to Reverb (opens in new tab). (Specs Below). 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. It was just perfect. It depends on what I need. CAMPBELL! And I have them set up at home, in my studio. We used to call it the mystery guitar. Mentioned in this March 1983 Musician article. "But I also have a 59 kind of Jimmy Page one thats really great, and I have one thats a 56, too. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers guitarist and Petty songwriting partner Mike Campbell was recently on tour in Australasia with the new version of Fleetwood Mac, proving to the doubters that the Neil Finn/Mike Campbell combination works a treat as Lindsey Buckingham's replacement. Many of your videos are today considered groundbreaking, in retrospect. The songs I make in Satyr is extremely influenced by the grooves on this album. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited. 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)! But I stick really closely to the groove with the instrument. We just werent ready to make a record. Maybe a cranked Princeton or Deluxe? The same with Carl Wilson. Like with Bob, wed worked together for years at that point. At Gil Southworths shop. The basic formula for Campbell's amp rig is to crank up some low-watt amps and let the PA do all the heavy lifting. For many years, tours were also guitar hunts. In fact, over-the-top great. You write songs primarily on guitar right? So it has the same wiring and sound as Georges. 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. Rock and roll without it would be kinda sad, wouldnt it? Look around you. The Les Paul is the guitar that Michael played when The Monkees recorded "Pleasant Valley Sunday" in 1967, producing the classic riff that became the cornerstone of the song. 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. I prefer to have the Broadcaster out but for whatever reason he'll take it out. 1989: Petty releases his first official solo album, "Full Moon Fever," co-produced by Jeff Lynne and Mike Campbell. 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. This is where the tornado sequence for The. "There's a special story behind that guitar", "The truth is, I could do our whole show with one guitar if I wanted to", "We actually still like each other and, when we play together, it's still like the first time in the garage", Damon Albarn reveals that the beat from one of Gorillaz best-loved songs was an Omnichord loop preset, It looks like Gibson is going to start selling vintage guitars including a '59 Les Paul Burst, Deadmau5 delivers his verdict on AI music production: Its scary in the sense of how stupid music already is anyway, Confused about setting up your guitar? Do you have any specific plans or goals for the Heartbreakers for the next few years other than finishing the various projects? Michael Wayne Campbell (born February 1, 1950) is an American guitarist. "This '54 Tele - it's a favorite Tele. The North East has been good to me! 1. Just paring it down to a song and a story. And Tom pretty much made you join, as opposed to asking you. I have a 50-watt Marshall that I really like, a little 60s amp in red. Its just a magic guitar. I hate to part with a lot of these [guitars], but something's got to go.. MR. BIG Addicted to that Rush Vintage 1989 Promotional Guitar Pick Paul Gilbert. I just try to write a good song, which requires enough effort. With Rick, we wanted to go back to setting up the band live. Mike has been using a small collection of amps with his rig for a while. Those few years of collaboration really made me come back to the band with a more experienced, wider scale of music to work with. On the single, Saving Grace. He used a Vox for that for the slide part, and actually I played the rhythm part on it. Loves the long road and on through the set," says Mike Campbell's guitar tech ab "That's a custom tweed. Was: $14.99. I told her that Id seen this guitar, but couldnt afford to get it, and she said, Yeah, Ill buy it for you. 24) Mark in GA asked: What kind of guitar, pick-ups, amps, any effects pedals, et Campbell himself mentions the Daddy O in this September 1999 "Spotlight on a Heartbreaker" interview from the official Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers website. Theres a 1956 J-200 acoustic guitar, a Gold Top Les Paul Standard with coverless P-90s. duplicated, some of them were edited or compiled together. It was built by Tony Revell, who used to specialize in Rickenbacker-guitar-looking mandolins. That soon changed, though. Equipboard breaks down the gear, tools, and products used by artists, pros, and influencers in their craft. This is really solid and it's for W "It's an original Camel Toe. The sunburst 64 Strat youre touring with now and have played for years, is that Mikes guitar? And because it was a friendly situation, it didnt feel intimidating at all? Pick your selections. $14.24. The guy who ran the shop said they had a really ugly one in the back, and then brought out this red, three-pickup Firebird. Its a more deliberate way of working, I sort of know exactly what I want to do. The guitar has always been the archetypal thing, to me. Its a semi-hollowbody, and Id never seen one before. Guitar pick I pick you in bronze. I just woke up the other day and realized that I have been collecting guitars and amps my whole life and I just don't have room for a lot of them anymore, said Campbell. Then Mick got stuck with it, and when we started working with Rick, we needed a song. And he played his Les Paul a bit. Meanwhile, I fell in love with Scotty Moores playing. If I had to pick one, Id pick that. 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 . So I made the neck wider, and changed a few cosmetic things put the gold pickup and gold pickguard on the sunburst, which I dont think they were doing. And almost all the rhythm Tom played the parts for were on that 64 Strat. So I feel pressure to be at my best. No, we were pals. BA1 1UA. This time, he quickly snapped it up. Michael Campbell has a legendary guitar collection, and he keeps it interesting onstage. Im always in awe of him, of his talent. Mike Campbell has a resume that speaks for itself. Do you consciously approach the guitar solos differently on different projects? That's because Dave Gartland, the custom guitar builder also known . They laughed at me when I walked in and played it, but once I played Johnny B Goode, they quit laughing.. I used a Telecaster and my Vox teardrop. But the truth is, ours a working collection. . 9 #5, published March 2008, Mike Campbell states the following: We love them because we love the Beatles and we assumed that they were using AC30s. If you were looking for something that little bit different with a stunning iconic tone then this is the guitar for you. Only one thing that got me hooked. Absolutely. Of course, were skipping ahead to the mid 60s, with the Beatles and the Beach Boys and all that. Whereas, the other direction is just going by the seat of your pants and jumping on with the band and riding the wave. Hes been a co-producer on some of the most successful albums in rock history. 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. In this photo, Campbell is seen playing the mapleglo Rickenbacker 330. Im very much in love with the early-60s Fenders. So Tom began writing songs and taking leadership of the band thank God because nobody else had much direction at the time. He said, No, Ive got it in my trunk and I cant really play it. Well, typically, a Heartbreakers record will be the whole band setting up and tracking at the same time. This Magnatone Custom 260 High Fidelity is owned by Mike Campbell. 8,062. $3.39 to $5.99. 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. I buy a lot of stuff from him. Or are you more likely to buy something because you need a certain sound for a certain song. On your solo records, do you do most of the bass playing? It had a weird kind of Formica finish when I got it, but I put a pale blue finish on it.. The Beatles were a big deal, and in 1964 everyone wanted a guitar. She may not be the best cook. After Torpedoes, we started to make a little profit, and started buying guitars basically as we saw them. As a subscriber enjoy big savings off the shop price! We used them on the new record. Fellow songwriters from Stevie Nicks to Bob Dylan have waxed fervently on what Petty songs mean to them. That one is actually owned by Mike. Adds character. I think its better that they get used. Youve said that this could well be your last big tour, is that right? A good example is You Got Lucky, which was rather high-concept in an era when artists were largely doing performance videos standing in front the camera, pretending to play or sing along. I bought it like it looks now, with the three pickups and the John Lennon body. There was a whole different viewpoint for me. In your view, what makes a good bass player? Aria Pro bass 7. "Sherwood green Strat. 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. Do you remember how the concept was pitched to you? I might have bought a Mel Bay book at some point, but the book I most remember was a Carl Wilson chord book. 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. In the Refugee video, you play a red Tele with a humbucker? Mike found it years ago through an ad and bought it for a couple hundred bucks. 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. But this is the stuff that he couldnt part with. And then I started to move forward. If it fits into a certain bag or feel, I think generally thats an accident! No,I had a three-speed turntable, so I could slow down 45s to 33 r.p.m., and 33s down to 16. And there was a couple of Gibson J-45s. Fender Excelsior Pawn Shop Tube Guitar Amp. Guitar World is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. And youve since obtained every last one of them? As the setlist starts to take shape, though, I try to minimise the number of guitar changes as much as I can. And those are the things I end up going back and listening to again, more than the newer stuff. Thats my favourite, Campbell admits. But I did my best, and I didnt really think it was very good. The 64 Strat. 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". 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. Fast forward to you first bands, the Epics, and then Mudcrutch. So far, has everything on tour gone as planned in terms of crowd response, especially to the new tracks? It was kinda different because its a small room, so we had to play a little quieter. Its just like heaven. This guitar looks like the tail of a 1959 Cadillac. Australian Musician's Greg Phillips had the pleasure of. 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. Wake is easily my favorite album of all time. 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. If Im showing the band a new song, its based on rhythm guitar, and they fill in around that. He's got three of them. The effects currently in the setup are: A Digitech Whammy II pedal, a Boss TU-2 Tuner, a Boss RC-20 Looper, a Line 6 DL4 . BA1 1UA. The sound and the feel of those records. I wanna give you my guitar. I thought he was crazy on drugs or something. 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. $8.25 shipping. Theres a special story behind that guitar, Campbell says of the black Rickenbacker he plays on American Girl, closing just about every show. In the Heartbreakers catalog, are there some favorites albums for you? SPONSORED. Im told your guitar collection includes a Rickenbacker that has so far avoided full identification. [The Monza] is a nice guitar to have if you don't have an amp handy, said Campbell. We had some Fender amplifiers, they made a pretty cool sound. He's had it for years and years and years, but he's just really fell in love with it for this tour. Hed put a little blackface Fender Champ with two microphones out there, and most of the time wed just plug in and move the mics around to find a sweet spot in the room for a particular song. We have a live album that Mikes producing, and a Heartbreakers album that was started a year ago and is a quarter of the way done. 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. Ive only bought things that I actually play. Thats my favourite. Amongst his peers today, Petty is revered. Well, I thought it was kind of a strange call, but interesting. I don't know. It was me and Smokey Hormel, Matt Sweeney, and Johnny Polansky. 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. Usually, but not on Highway Companion; Jeff Lynne played bass on this one. It didnt take long at all because I went in with everything written. When I was little, cowboys played the guitar, Elvis played the guitar, and the Beatles and Stones played the guitar. Were really tuned into different tones when were making records, you know? 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.