Mike Campbell Duesenberg Alliance I and Alliance II Guitars
written by Levente Littvay
I have been thinking about writing about Mike Campbell for a long while. But it was always hard to get started. Mike is not your easily recognizable guitar Gods like Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton or Al Di Meola. He does not even have the name recognition of other Duesenberg Alliance artists like Joe Walsh of the Eagles or the multiple Academy Award nominee and novelty guitarist Johnny Depp. He is not known for a unique sound. He does not play scorching leads. But, indicted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 as the guitarist of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers band, Mike Campbell has a more than prominent place in rock and roll history. He wrote many of their songs, produced a number of their albums and collaborated with acts such as Don Henley (also of the Eagles) as a songwriter and Fleetwood Mac as a replacement of the irreplaceable Linsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac on the 2018-2019 tour.
If you do not know Tom Petty, you probably still know Tom Petty. You have heard the songs I Won’t Back Down, Free Falling, the Last Dance of Mary Jane, not to mention Refugee or Here Comes My Girl that Mike Campbell has writing credits on. Diverging from the flash of the 80s, the hai, makeup, and shredding of guitar solos, the Heartbreakers produced the most honest and least flashy sound of the era pointing the way to the 90’s grunge scene that good songs and good songwriting is all you need. And good songs, good sound, and feel good rock and roll is something the Heartbreakers have. At the core of all this is the musical genius of Mike Campbell. During the last few years of the Heartbreakers before Tom Petty’s untimely death in 2017, that sound was produced mostly by Mike’s Duesenberg Alliance guitars along with his side by side 1950’s Fender Tweed Deluxe and 1960’s blackface Fender Princeton (non-reverb model) their lives shows made famous.
Appearing with mostly Rickenbackers and Telecasters throughout the years, among others, and as a loyal Fender amp guy, Mike Campbell certainly could have just become a Fender (or Rick) endorsed artist. But instead he had Duesenberg design his signature guitars. The racing stripes on the art-deco semi hollows give the guitar an iconic look, especially with the 40th anniversary metallic racing green color of his semi-hollow Alliance I. No photos do this guitar justice. It is glorious. The Alliance II model is fully hollow taking inspiration from the Epiphone Casinos and Gibson ES-330s of the 1960’s but given a modern constriction, and a truly unique flare. I have personally played these guitars (almost walked out the store with the Alliance II, with the Alliance I only being safe as my own Starplayer is very close both in look and feel). Needless to say, these guitars sound versatile and out of this world, as we are used to with these German built instruments, with in-house designs of every little part down to the last bits and pieces of the hardware. They look unique, they feel premium and they are truly at a different level of guitar making with their original designs.
And the looks do not just appeal to me. We know that Johnny Depp is also a Duesenberg artist. But before his own signature model (and even since) he has mostly been seen with a blue racing stripe startplayer, most prominently in the New Basement Tapes - Kansas City video. While the pickguard of this guitar is missing Mike Campbell’s signature, its DNA is identifiably related.
Beyond recommending that you walk out of Stageshop (literally or figuratively when ordering online) with one (or both) of these guitars while you still can, I also have another Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers recommendation for you. If you have not seen Tom Petty - Somewhere You Feel Free - The Making of Wildflowers a YouTube original documentary yet, do yourself a favor and watch it. The musical genius of both Tom Petty and Mike Campbell truly shines through in this amazing compilation of recently recovered footage. I had the Wildflowers album on repeat for weeks after seeing it, hearing many many things I was missing on the album in the past. It was one of the most interesting musical journeys I had been on in a while. Don’t miss it.
Levente Littvay
