Mike: My most memorable moment is probably playing with George Mike Campbell - lead guitar, mandolin, Marxophone, lead vocals; Scott Thurston - rhythm guitar, harmonica, bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals ... again last year—mainly early ’60s models. Blue Stingrays 1997 Surf-n-Burn Tour Mike Campbell, Guitar Pick members of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. trying to make it in a good ol' rock n' roll band? Detroit. Lorraine in MI, Steve Charlie and Sue asked: Tara from Canada, JR geetartec@aol.com. bottle. am. Marcia in MI, Gary in LA Can you tell me your settings was a spiritual night----My most embarrassing moment was when my ourselves Dead or Alive. Irina 27. 3. Steve, Susan and Custom 21. Campbell is famed for the wide variety and sheer number of guitars he brings along to a show. tell us a prank that one band member has pulled on another I could make it work. But it all started playing friends’ parties and school dances in Gainesville, Florida. Debbie asked: How does it feel to finally SING in front of your "I’ll maybe do a song here and there, but to do a whole album is really taking on their life.”. Mike: I have a brother, sister and half sister all younger than 25. Mike: I brought the Broadcaster out for two reasons: It sounds My mom went to a pawn shop and got me a Harmony acoustic. 2. on releasing any other songs with your lead vocal on future fans on tour and do you plan If you haven't tried them definitely put them on your list of strings to try. was really feeling that take when we did in. So it has the same wiring and sound as George’s. “He was in the Air Force, and he’d come home from work, take off his uniform, and put on an Elvis record. Another favourite we have to ask about is his mysterious pale blue Gretsch. 41. I don’t take it on the road anymore. 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? kind of guitar, pick-ups, amps, any effects pedals, etc. I am just hesitant to lose an amp and a good chunk of cash for a used guitar, especially since I put about $400.00 extra into … 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 it’s perfectly right for that song. Theresa asked: Can you or Mike: Tom came in with the name Heartbreakers. What side of the bed I like best. My first electric guitar was a $60 GATORS".....most of our pranks aren't repeatable here. Mike: I was born in Panama City, Florida. With the first guitar slash, the Knobs remind you that there was a time when feeling alienated was venerated and nobody ever had to turn the volume down. could. Mike: In the studio we use every amp imaginable. How much booty I've got in the Campbell was born in Panama City, Florida.He grew up there and in Jacksonville, Florida, where he graduated from Jean Ribault High School in 1968. Ribault High School in Jacksonville, “Look around you. 38. “The North East has been good to me! I hope I get to do more in Sean and CJ asked: Name different from the last gig, etc..... 13. why? Some were iconic, on his wish list from his earliest days playing the guitar. We still have that kind of awe about what we do.”, Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. Mike: I love singing with the band. What was the double-neck guitar you used this tour? It’d be okay. decision? instantly addicted......I remember pulling a tube out of the amp Are your AC-30's I’ve refinished it since that day. asked: How did you get talked into quitting college to join Andrew and Eric asked: Which guitarists influenced you as you I was told it's not If I had to pick one, I’d pick that. Wilson, Jerry Garcia, Roger McGuinn, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Mike: Probably the double neck I was using on "Good to be greatest joy. Mike in Washington, DC, Mike: I was trying to buy Garcia's spare but the guy who has it is kind of elusive. All my pets' names. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 1999 Echo Tour Mike Campbell Guitar Pick This is an authentic Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Guitar Pick that was made for the 1999 Echo concert tour. 29. Jo and Charlie asked: Jimmy Page, Mick Taylor, on “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. 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. “I bought and used it on the early records and I still use it on some records. Josh of CO, Beth of KY, This listing is for a Blue Stingrays Guitar Pick that was made for the 1997 Surf-n-Burn concert tour. jam--blues type three-piece...we called Down a Dream" 'cause I get to go off. there any particular Gretsch model guitars that you like to play? Mike: For settings on the Danelectro pedal consult Mike: Turning 50 will be strange. you 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. If it’s not, I’ll feel like I didn’t do my job. Tim in FL asked: Is there a guitar out there you are still Blackjack in PA, Brigitte from The Netherlands, Tara from Canada, Hank asked: I saw that Mike: This tour I liked "I Don't Wanna Fight" 'cause I "I could hardly push the strings down, and I figured, ‘Man, these guys I’m watching play the guitar must be strong!’ Then I went to my friend’s house and he had an SG. Mike Campbell and Tom Petty perform at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1977. Meanwhile, I fell in love with Scotty Moore’s playing. the last tour the soundman Let Me Follow You Down" from a Bob According to Leilani Laca, Tazzy founder, the major impetus for Mike … rituals? (November 18, 1999 -- Please note: Mike looked over the questions SPOTLIGHT ON MIKE Broadcaster......I'm designing one right now with a guy from Telecaster you've been playing on this tour the Broadcaster that Rolling Stone panel of top guitarists and experts picks 100 Greatest Guitarists, from Pete Townshend and Lindsey Buckingham to Prince and Jimi Hendrix. really but it's actually great being where I As much as the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is identified by Petty’s singular voice, the tone and licks of guitarist Mike Campbell have left an indelible signature on the band’s work over the last 30 years – they’re as much a part of the music’s “voice” as is Petty’s. 16. Also on His favourite 12-string at the moment is also, of course, a Rickenbacker. 22. I saw what looked like several Vox AC-30's. Right now I am really 17. 5 things none of your fans know about you. Put a little SURF-N … Older or younger than you? Mike: The telepathy is the best part of being in one group so The Garden has always been one of my favourite places. “I could play the whole show with a Tele or a Les Paul or an SG. 18. Want this guitar for yourself? Email sales@themusiczoo.com or … “My dad was on tour in Okinawa and sent me a $60 Goya electric six-string,” he tells us. something from everyone I have ever met The body’s thin natural lacquer finish allows the instrument’s natural voice to shine through unhindered while a pair of hand wound Custom Shop pickups customized for Campbell generates the rich, warm authentic Fender tone you’ve heard on the many hits he’s cranked out with his Heartbreaker. Fender’s doing a reissue of that Broadcaster. BA1 1UA. the tone? My favorite is their cover of the classic "Goldfinger." That’s a beautiful-sounding guitar, too, but it’s so valuable now that I leave it at home.”. And why? love all our fans.... 6. feeling of bliss that I have never I didn’t know better and put a string bender in it! “The part about production I’m a little apprehensive with is that when people come to you to produce their record, you’ve taken responsibility for their career. When was the first time you recorded something in the studio It will be a cross between Adam in Canada, Jonathan in TN, Tara in Canada, Steve, Daria, This historic collectible, is available in extremely limited quantities, so run down a dream while you can. Charlotte and Adrian asked: Is there a song or album that you've I just don’t want to have someone damage it or drop it.”. February 1st is your birthday - what does turning 50 mean to you, That’s one of my favourites as well, but the Broadcaster is the one. “I think especially the singing sounded really young,” Campbell says when we ask him what, after making so many albums, was different this time around. Mike: Bob Marley at the Roxy --- 1976. Mike Campbell’s been all over tons of records you’ve listened to — even if you didn’t know it. It’s kind of a Butterscotch Tele. I sat on the toilet first thing in the morning. When you turn down the other Ricks, they get a little sloppy with the lower pitch, but this one sounds great.”. "The Garden has always been one of my favourite places. The EXL140's are 10-13-17-30-42-52 and they are fantastic. Emma and Billy asked: What advice would you give a young kid in MA and Tara in Canada asked: What do you enjoy most about It has been worth the journey...and what's surprising is I 39. Mike: Mudcrutch recorded some demos in Miami. “It was… playable. asked: Where were you born and what high school did you join his band...so I quit school to play music. Mike: I was trying to buy Garcia's spare but the guy who has it I just got three this month ---- We’d never played Fenway and that was epic. It was a “I was telling somebody the other day, the only place I feel pressure when we tour is the Garden. The Blue Stingrays are for real and are a testament to Mike Campbell's uber-tasty chops. 11. It sounds better than any of your other guitars!’ I told him I leave it at home but I use it in the studio. What individual musicians other than you play on it? 15. Florida. Scott asked: If you could choose one of your guitars to represent you (like a Mike Campbell signature model) which one would it be? asked: What is your stage amp setup and what pedals do you had a feed from a Groove Tube preamp for the PA only. My parents didn't complain too much especially after I "For instance, on I Won’t Back Down, I have the Gretsch Clipper tuned to an open tuning that I use for that slide part. could choose one of your guitars to represent you (like a Mike Please describe your first meeting with Tom Petty at yours and All rights reserved. ... By the time Guitar World speaks with Campbell at a hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, the new band is already a few dates into their highly touted 2018-2019 world tour. Marsh. Campbell said, “There’s a guitar everywhere [in my home.] and Kellyholck asked: How much of the audience can you see It was an f-hole model and it wasn’t a good one. Once we started making money, we were just buying them left and right. the first song you learned to play, and what is the first song Mike: Designed by Danny Ferrington here in L.A. --- based on the 32. As for the infamous Rickenbacker that accompanies Petty on the cover of 1979’s Damn The Torpedoes, Campbell says it’s as important to him as it is to every guitar lover who’s stared at it over the years. favorites in your sure my fly is zipped --- look for Howie --- pray that the set is In addition to playing on and co-producing Tom Petty and The Heatbreakers albums and cowriting some of their biggest - ... guitar pick jewelry, which is proving to be a big seller. But we also draw from what we’ve already done, and we try not to repeat ourselves. "As we’ve gone along, that’s become a bit of a good problem to have. half a century old? “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. 26. in pursuing it. "But I also have a ’59 kind of Jimmy Page one that’s really great, and I have one that’s a ’56, too. available. Cecilyn in CA and Mike: 1. 5. and can you describe the experience? Didn't think I ever would I bought those two guitars for $200 a piece. I actually auditioned for Tom on that thing. Melissa asked: What was Ruth in NY asked: 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. I use that on American Girl because it’s got the right tone, and we lowered the key on that song a half step over the years. 33. "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. Also LA, because that’s sort of our home town, maybe Chicago and, on this tour, Seattle and Fenway Park in Boston. Randy in NC and Greg unique one? live on stage? Mike: We changed that pick-up so many times that I forget what Mike: Sometimes you can see a lot of crowd easily, other times It’s just like heaven. collection? Then, of course, a few years later, I saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan like everybody else my age, and I figured, ‘Well, that’s what I want to do!’. “It’s a ’67, which I actually bought a couple of tours ago in New Jersey,” Campbell says. It sounds incredible. Mike: I was 16 and it was a cheap Harmony the legendary sessions of the Blue It’s so easy to play. "They said it was the next guitar off the assembly line after George Harrison’s", “That’s my original 12-string,” he explains. or played with. We sat down with Campbell to geek out about his favorite guitars, including a 1950 Fender Broadcaster, 1959 Les Paul Standard and a $500 pawn shop Gibson Firebird. How much I really love this band. shape of an old Gibson played by The band are playing better than ever and they scored their first No 1 album with last summer’s Hypnotic Eye, as much of a back-to-basics rock ’n’ roll album as they’ve made since breaking through the New Wave clutter in the late 1970s. Those are the things that come to mind. Harrison at Albert Hall. Remember, there was no guarantee that Mike Mike: Before a gig I may have a fear nap --- some expresso --- a 8. "I believe strongly that you just take whatever the gift has given you that day. eyes.......familiar faces are always welcome..... in NY asked: What CDs are in your CD player now at home? Mike: I am self taught -- got chords from a book and learned by Randall's place. We go inside Mike Campbell's drool-inducing lineup of vintage guitars and amps he brings on the road. to take a guitar of that I’ve seen the prototype and it’s incredible. They do make some good ones, but this was not a good one. I thought that it was just the way guitars were. Robert Johnson. most fond/proud of? beach. THAT I'm sure of. He spoke of his vulnerability writing songs without Petty, the joy of his new band, The Dirty Knobs, and how Van Morrison inspired the group's single, "Irish Girl." from '56 that is really nice. accurate? feel really good --- physically and As the setlist starts to take shape, though, I try to minimise the number of guitar changes as much as I can. graduate from? band member at some point on the road or in the studio??? Guitars One side of Campbell's guitar arsenal covers all the bases. your favorite musicians? Ruth in NY and CJ Mike: All my kids are musically inclined but not that interested Would you be or compiled together. ‘Heart of the Matter’…I got up. flow. Charlotte asked: What are your non-music hobbies or interests? "That was my guitar for several years until Tom sat on it and broke the neck off of it. used to play in the '70s and '80s? Early years. Joe and Emily asked: Do "That was my guitar for several years until Tom sat on it and broke the neck off of it". “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. 20. little alcohol --- pace a lot --- make Last week, someone posted a video featuring Mike Campbell's guitar tech who mentioned the EXL140's. He handed it to me and I pressed the strings down and was like, ‘My God, you don’t have to bleed!’”, Soon, Campbell graduated to electric and met Petty. felt since. Tom Petty wanted to play guitar so being the true friend and co-captain that Mike is he let Tom used the Strat and Mike went and got the Nocaster and as the saying goes “the rest is history”. MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. "I have another one from the mid-60s that I use on Free Fallin’, Roger McGuinn-style [a 360 with single, rear binding]. 34. lessons or self-taught? 28. All those bands that broke up far earlier than we did, or all those bands that are still together but just hate each other – that’s not us. Becky of MA and Wilma They’ve cloned it for me and are going to reissue that soon. CJ and Noelle asked: Read More >. Waits). It’s just too valuable now, and I’m afraid it’ll get damaged. 31. “I bought that Gretsch on tour for $200 one day from a video store,” he says with a laugh. NY, Ron in MA, Tim in FL, Jeremy, Cecilyn in CA, Daria and We think whoever had it filed the horn down to make it look like John’s and painted it black. 10. for best individual action? then on everything was different…there was At 16, his mother bought him his first guitar, a Harmony acoustic model which he later described as "unplayable", from a pawnshop. Campbell should be proud. me. Mike Campbell is what you might call a “band guy.” Currently, he’s a member of two outfits - Fleetwood Mac, which he joined in 2018, and his own act, the Dirty Knobs, a group he formed as a side project more than a dozen years ago and which is readying its debut album. If it is, what made you decide But I didn’t know any better! Ian Dickson/Redferns/Getty Images This is a delicate issue for Campbell, and he bristles when it’s brought up. If I’m going to produce something, I’m trying to make it the biggest hit I’ve ever made. Tara in Canada, were possible for you to attend any concert (festival, etc.) Mike: I'm ashamed that I don't know exactly how many guitars I hoping to own? It was way cool Mike: I have so many favorite musicians. Mike: I was influenced by many guitarists: Scotty Moore, Luther Music heals all. knee ripped in Atlanta and I hit 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. Each instrument includes a small number of guitar picks used by Mike Campbell on the last Heartbreakers tour. and Lena from St. Petersburg, Russia, JUKES37, Daria, CaptainP80, Scott asked: If you I’m gonna be really honest with you. What bands were you in prior to Mudcrutch? Mike: The first song I ever learned on the guitar was " Baby 6. You will receive a verification email shortly. got my first royalty check. Released on single and in the film Band Of The Hand. were you when you started playing the guitar and what kind of 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. Cecilyn of CA and Is that guitar a guitar was it? 4. "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", Buyers' guides to all the best music gear, The 25 best VST/AU plugin synths in the world right now: all the best soft synths you need in your DAW, The 16 best software samplers in the world today, In pictures: 68 pro guitarists' pedalboards, The 20 hottest bassists in the world today, 15 easy blues guitar chords every guitarist needs to know, Architects' Tom Searle and Adam Christianson: the 10 records that changed our lives, Airbourne's Joel O'Keeffe: the 10 records that changed my life. They asked me to sit asked: How did you come up with the name Heartbreakers; is it Fender Custom Shop has just revealed the Mike Campbell Limited Edition “Heartbreaker” Nocaster. I use the ’67 on [So You Want To Be A] Rock ’N’ Roll Star. rocket amp.....also used a slide No matter what you hit, it sounds beautiful.”. Campbell and Petty connected, and he became a member of Mudcrutch, Petty’s band at the time who were part of the burgeoning Southern rock scene (and who reunited for an album in 2008). top Les Paul through a rat distortion top Boosted? 4. King" --- made for me by Danny That guitar has the tone. People talk about the great collaborators in rock and roll: Paul McCartney and John Lennon or Mick Jagger and Keith Richards but people ought to speak more about Petty and Campbell. Clearly, he knows a thing or two about what it takes to make great records. Tere in TX, Roxanne in mentally. Daddy-O --- also a Kustom200 and sometimes a Bassman amp. I realize that the Mike Campbell model is close to $3500.00 new once the taxes are added on so it seems like a good deal to me. They know what works to achieve a particular sound, and there’s a little bit of room to see what else might be interesting. Mark in GA asked: What Playing alongside Bob Dylan, he punctuated the poetry of folk rock’s greatest scribe—dishing his take on Mike Bloomfield and Robbie Robertson’s bee-sting leads. The songs you wrote with Tom Petty helped the Heartbreakers sell over 80 million … parents' reactions to your liked it---not to be taken literally. Cate in CA and Suzanne 36. ever wrote? With more than 80 million albums sold worldwide, and countless anthems – from Refugee to American Girl and Free Fallin’ to Mary Jane’s 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. 19. and Tracey in PA asked: How did you learn to play - take “The truth is, I could do our whole show with one guitar if I wanted to,” he admits. I’ll maybe do a song here and there, but to do a whole album is really taking on their life.”. Mike: I really like "Lonesome Sundown" just because I Since many of the general ideas of the questions were Mike: I was convinced I wasn't exactly Army material. I'm starting to give some of them away --- no Mike: I don't really have hobbies --- no time....I read and I do design your guitars' setups to feel similar from one to the next, did you you you have anyone you would describe as your mentor? have. it's just a big headlight in your (McCartney) --- Fiona Apple's new one --- Mule Variations (Tom But the ’67 is George-style [double-bound] from A Hard Day’s Night. to get it to distort. It’s got so much history. 23. Steve Winstead, Mike's guitar technician was kind enough to answer some questions about Mike and his guitars for all of guitar-lovin' Mike Campbell fans. 5. “My very first guitar, when I was 14, was pretty much unplayable. Greg and Charlie asked: 1. and answered the ones he Born in Jacksonville, Florida, on February 1, 1950, Mike Campbell began playing guitar when he was 16 years old. As long as we’ve been doing this, we still draw from the same places and people who inspired us when we were young. Roxanne in New York, “It’s a little-body one. value back out on the road? pedal with a boss octaver and a wah wah pedal through an Ampeg But I also won’t sacrifice [tonal] colour for convenience.”. the past, which one would it be? The non-reverb is supposed to stay clean all the way up to … you use those Danelectro pedals. seen lately in the breaks at Zuma 22. it....it really got to me. What were your use? I bought it like it looks now, with the three pickups and the John Lennon body. Stingrays---but this is not confirmed---however they have been duplicated, some of them were edited “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. Mike: I don't really have a mentor although I have learned Goya from Okinawa. Jeanne asked: What do you do to prepare for a gig? Mudcrutch? would be able to answer every enthusiastic about them pursuing music careers? over and over again? We used to call it the mystery guitar. “I was walking around in Hartford, Connecticut and saw they had an SG Junior and the Gretsch Clipper. As a member of Fleetwood Mac he stood in for Peter Green and Lindsey Buckingham. Mike Campbell has a resume that speaks for itself. Kim in CA, Beth in IL “I told Tom that and he was really happy. Bath Mike asked: What are Speak with Mike Campbell for any length of time, and a word that will pop up repeatedly in the conversation is “bittersweet”. As we wind down, we ask Campbell why he doesn’t take to the producer’s chair more often. Tara from Canada, Jeanne, Scott, and Jessica asked: Who are 40. Here are some highlights. asked: Which pick-up do you use on your "Black & Gold In 1970, he joined the band Mudcrutch with guitarist and singer Tom Petty and keyboard player Benmont Tench.The group were regionally popular in Florida and Georgia, and after relocating to California in 1974, they signed with Shelter Records. My favorite is my Fender First of all, I don’t have that much time. Campbell uses a Princeton (non-reverb) when playing with The Heartbreakers but seems to prefer the Reverb model in his sideband The Dirty Knobs. asked: Are your kids musically inclined? England and Wales company registration number 2008885. is kind of elusive. From Roland delays, Danelectro Thank you for signing up to Musicradar. 14. CJ and Charlie in CA Everywhere I sit, I can reach over and pick up a guitar. My favorite guitar player in terms of tone! “I realised that when you produce somebody, you really need to give it 100 per cent of your energy. Mike: Probably the double neck I was using on "Good to be King" --- … "Then there were certain songs that were done on a 12-string, so you kind of need the 12-string to make those songs sound special. ended up in there....something hot, This is it—the Mike Campbell LimitedEdition “Heartbreaker” honors the revered vintage Fender … Mike: I heard a rumor that Ron Blair and Randall Marsh were at It had a weird kind of Formica finish when I got it, but I put a pale blue finish on it.”. Guitarist Mike Campbell talks about his latest album 'Wreckless Abandon,' the debut from The Dirty Knobs, and looks back on Tom Petty's 1994 album 'Wildflowers' following the release of … some of the amps and effects you use besides Vox AC-30s? Hubert in Germany But there was no specific discussion when we came to make Hypnotic Eye that we’re going to draw from a specific part of the well, because each song just comes in from wherever it comes. individual question.) That’s my favourite. Campbell has been at Petty’s side throughout. long....it gets comfortable---things just from threatened to break my fingers if I didn't Ferrington. Campbell signature model) which one would it be?