Mike Campbell on why the Telecaster “always works” even though he once thought it looked “thrown together with leftover parts”
Mike Campbell may not be a fan of the Telecaster’s looks, but he’s got plenty of good things to say about playing one, calling it a guitar that “always works”.
In a recent chat with Guitar World, the former Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist explains why the Fender classic has become one of his go-to guitars, particularly when he’s stuck trying to find the right part in the studio.
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“The Telecaster always works. It always seems to find a spot in the band that works, and it just sounds right,” says Campbell, who currently fronts his own band, The Dirty Knobs. “If I’m stuck in the studio, I can grab the Tele and I know it’s going to work – I’ll find something that’ll fit the track.”
He also likes the fact that the Tele is straightforward to play, comfortable to hold and tough enough to take a beating.
“They’re easy to play, and they’re not heavy. You pick it up, it sits on your lap and feels balanced. Then, when you stand up with it, it still feels balanced!” Campbell says.
“You can hit it hard, and it won’t go out of tune. And between the two pickups, it’s got a range of tones where you can get a really clear sound or you can get really nasty.”
It’s no surprise, then, that Campbell describes the Tele as a “workhorse”.
“It’ll do anything you want it to do,” he says.
His connection with the guitar also goes back to his earliest days as a player. Campbell’s first Telecaster was actually a Broadcaster, the name Fender used for the model before it was renamed the Telecaster.
“Actually, my first Telecaster was my Broadcaster, which is from a few years before they changed the name. That’s an irreplaceable guitar,” he says.
These days, Campbell has a couple more in his collection, including a ’59 and a ’56 fitted with a string bender. But his appreciation for the Telecaster wasn’t always quite so strong.
“Now I have a couple; I’ve got a ’59 and a ’56 that’s got a string bender on it. But to be honest, back in the day, I always thought Telecasters were kind of ugly,” he says.
“Strats had that great shape, and Les Pauls have those beautiful curves, but the Telecaster always looked like it was thrown together with leftover parts! [Laughs] Now, I think that’s kind of the beauty of it.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
