Mike Campbell Gear Guide
Mike Campbell’s Broadcasters, Telecasters, signature guitars, amps and a wide-ranging Heartbreakers pedalboard.
A quick-reference inventory of guitars, amplification, effects and recording-period associations. Exact equipment varies by song, session, venue and tour.
Guitars
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 Fender Broadcaster | Campbell’s favored vintage guitar; used to create the octave riff on American Girl. | Heartbreakers |
| 1959 Fender Telecaster Custom | Long-time Telecaster with a distinctive pickup combination. | Selected touring |
| Fender Red Dog Telecaster | Mike Campbell Fender Stories Collection signature model. | Signature era |
| Rickenbacker 625 / 12-string models | Bright electric tones for selected Heartbreakers tracks. | Studio / live |
| Duesenberg Mike Campbell models | Signature instruments used in later touring and Dirty Knobs work. | Later career |
| Gibson Les Paul | Humbucker voice for thicker rock leads. | Selected use |
| Gretsch guitars | Hollow-body and distinctive custom colors across the collection. | Selected use |
| Acoustic, mandolin and dobro | Campbell played these instruments on selected album tracks. | Studio |
Amplifiers
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| Ampeg Rocket | Early Heartbreakers amp later rediscovered and reused on recordings. | Early / recent |
| Vox AC30 | Chime and edge-of-breakup sound in touring and studio setups. | Selected rigs |
| Fender amplifiers | Clean platform for single-coil guitars. | Selected use |
| Marshall-style heads | Higher-gain rock voice for selected stage tones. | Touring |
| Multiple amp setup | Different guitars and parts can use dedicated amp voices. | Live |
Effects
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| DigiTech Whammy II | Pitch-shifting effect in live pedalboard accounts. | Selected board |
| Boss RC-20 Loop Station | Phrase looping for selected live arrangements. | Selected board |
| Line 6 DL4 Delay | Delay and looping textures. | Selected board |
| Line 6 MM4 Modulation Modeler | Modulation colors including chorus and rotary-style effects. | Selected board |
| Vox-Crybaby Wah | Filter sweeps for lead parts. | Selected board |
| Way Huge Camel Toe | Overdrive/distortion colors in touring setup. | Selected board |
| Boss tuner | Stage tuning; model differs between board accounts. | Touring |
| Delay and boost switching | Campbell has described a small live board for delay and extra gain. | Tour dependent |
Song references
| Gear / reference | Details | Era / use |
|---|---|---|
| American Girl | 1951 Broadcaster doubled with another guitar to create octave sparkle. | 1976 |
| Refugee | Broadcaster/Telecaster attack and layered rhythm parts. | 1979 |
| Here Comes My Girl | Broadcaster parts build the guitar hook. | 1979 |
| You Don’t Know How It Feels | Slide guitar and compact amp tone. | 1994 |
| Mary Jane’s Last Dance | Slide, delay and layered lead colors. | 1993 |