Tom Petty, Mike Campbell and Rickenbackers

[JakeK]

Attached is a deleted scene from Runnin' Down a Dream. Is that a 370/12RM I see him holding?

[karl_teten]

Tom also has a 60's fireglo 425. He has played it live the last two US tours.

[campbellfan]

The Rick Petty used on Mystic Eyes last night is a Rose Morris model from the 60's I believe. The 330 "Gold" that Petty used on Free Fallin' and DCAHNM, was a custom model Petty had made at the same time his 660 was made. Rickenbacker/Petty decided to go with the 660-12TP for his signature series and the "Gold" 330 became a one of a kind (if you notice his signature is etched into the pick guard).

Campell's 360-12 is a 66, if my memory serves me correctly, when I heard him last talk about it from that tour.

[JakeK]

Here's a post I made at the official Ric forum, answering someone's question "Which models has Tom Petty played?" or something like that...

[Tom Petty] owned a '65 365OS FG since he was 16 (around 1966/67), and probably used it a little in the studio on the first few albums, but never gigged or recorded with it reguarly until the album and supporting tour for "Southern Accents". It is seen in the video for "Make It Better (Forget About Me)", "So You Want to Be a Rock & Roll Star", "Jammin' Me" and the Live Aid performances of "American Girl" and "Refugee"

He was seen on the cover of "Damn the Torpedoes" with Mike Campbell's '63 620/12FG (which [Glenn Wall] has an awesome copy of!). It was Mike's guitar, though, and was used on "Listen to Her Heart" and "Here Comes My Girl", as well as various songs until 1991. Weither Tom played it or not, I have no idea. Notably used on "So You Want to Be a Rock & Roll Star" and "Here Comes My Girl".

Tom owned a 362/12JG doubleneck by the time of the "Damn the Torpedoes" tour and was pictured with on the "Hard Promises" album. Notably used on the TV Show "Fridays" on "American Girl" (which can be viewed on the "Runnin' Down a Dream" boxset DVD at Best Buy).

Also around the time of "Hard Promises", Tom had a '65 or '66 360/12MG, which he has used on notably on "The Waiting", "Rebels" and "Saving Grace".

Tom owns a 370/12RM MG and I have a pic of him playing it acoustically in his backyard with one of his daugthers listening on. If it went to any recordings, it'd probably be a couple on "Full Moon Fever", and probably "All the Wrong Reasons" on "Into the Great Wide Open".

Tom has owned two Rickenbackers with his signature on the pickguards, too. A 1997FG and his signature 660/12TP.

The 1997 at one point had a white pickguard and TRC. It was used probably on "Free Fallin'" (as you can hear some jangle in that song) as well as some other songs on Full Moon Fever, if any. By the 1991 US tour, the guitar had a gold pickguard with Tom's signuature and a gold TRC, too. He notably used it (capoed at the first fret) on "Free Fallin'" and "Don't Come Around Here No More", and still uses it for those songs (and all his other capoed work) to this day.

And finally, we get to his signature Ric, the 660/12TP. It's no doubt he received unit number 1. But oddly enough, the words "Limited Edition" do not appear under his signature. Could this possibly be a prototype? He notably uses it to this day (tuned down a semitone from concert pitch) on "American Girl".

[He has a] 600 series JG (Mystery Ric) is most likely a 615 with added pickup. I'm still baffled how they shaved off the horns like that [or how the neck doesn't go through the body! He's used it on "Don't Come Around Here No More" during the Southern Accents tour, but it is actually owned by Mike.

[A] 300 series Ric he's seen with on Full Moon Fever looks like a special solid top 6-string version of the 1993RM.

So there you have it, all of the Rickenbackers I'm aware that Tom Petty owns. There are no doubt there are more, but that's all I've seen him with, and I have a knowledge of

And to add to that...

Tom also has a '64/'65 420 that he used on the last two tours on "You Don't Know How It Feels". I doubt it's made it onto any records.

Anyone want me to do all the Ric's I'm aware Mike has used? I love sharing my knowledge of the Rics a Ric band has used!

[8mileshigher]

Yes - Please --- give us the scoop on Mike Campbell's Ric collection !
That was a great run-down you did of T.P.' s Ric arsenal.
Regards Rich F.

[steverok]

I am almost willing to declare these guys the heros of all-things Rickenbacker, as far as guitars go. They have integreted them into their sound in so many different ways, throughout each era of the band, spanning more than 30 years. And, as they have progressed, their recordings have become more and more crisp and clear - the jangle keeps going to the next level. They've got some secret sauce going with their sound, and Rickenbacker remains a large part of it. I just love it ! Unfortunately, they're so good, it makes me want to just quit now.

[twangs]

I watched part 1 of that Soundstage last night - I was intrigued by Mikes 350 JG custom. Only 2 pups, right? What other customization was done on that guitar? It sounded GREAT on Running Down a Dream.

That show have me serious GAS - Every song had a different lineup of great guitars..

[steverok]

I had similar GAS after watching it, however, I concluded that, ultimately, TP is a rock star, and that his guitars would always look cooler on him than they would on me.

[melibreits]

No waaaaayyyy, Steve! Don't you know that any time you strap on a Ric your coolness factor gets a huge boost!

[JakeK]

I watched part 1 of that Soundstage last night - I was intrigued by Mikes 350 JG custom. Only 2 pups, right? What other customization was done on that guitar? It sounded GREAT on Running Down a Dream.

That show have me serious GAS - Every song had a different lineup of great guitars..

Yes. It was designed to look like a 325V59 with 24-fret neck. It has a toaster in the neck postition and a humbucker in the bridge position. He used it most of the time during the 1991 US Tour. Tom, sadly enough, used only his 1997 for two songs and not his new 660/12TP for 12-string work, instead favoring a Guild acoustic 12-string. Would have been nice to hear the new electric 12 on "Here Comes My Girl" rather than the acoustic 12... Tom's main 6-string for that tour was a Fender Tele '52 RI.

[steverok]

Well, I hold the old Guild 12-strings in the same light as Ric's, i.e., legendary, so, I can't fault Tom for playing his old D212, even though it's a bottom of the line Guild. Actually, I just snagged an '83 sunburst D212 off eBay, which should arrive next week ! I'm hoping my coolness factor goes up, upon arrival.

[campbellfan]

That "52 Reissue Tele" is actually a custom made tele style by Toru Nittono. I know he's made guitars for several people before, but I don't know any particular details on that particular guitar. Tom seems to have retired that guitar since the 99 Echo tour.

[JakeK]

I know he's had it in his possesion since 1981. He used it for his main guitar for the US leg of the "Long After Dark" tour. He didn't use it again until the 1991 tour, and by 1994, he had the "Wildflowers" logo engraved in it. Now that you mention it, I haven't seen pics of him with it after the "Echo" tour...

What is the full story behind Mike Campbell's '63 620/12? All I know is that it came after George Harrison's 360/12OS, and Mike ended up with it after paying $125 in 1977...

[campbellfan]

What kind of info are you looking for? You have the basic jist. PM me if you have questions...

[JakeK]

Well, tonight's the big night. Tom plays the Superbowl! I'm definately taping it and hopefully we'll see some Ric action!

What songs do you think he'll play?

I'm thinking:
Free' Fallin'
Runnin' Down a Dream
American Girl

Tom and Mike use Rics on all those songs...let's hope we "get lucky".