Guitar tone · rock

Tom Petty guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 5 Tom Petty songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Fender Precision Bass into Ampeg SVT (likely Blue Line or similar vintage model).

Guitars Tom Petty used

Fender Precision Bass1 song
Gretsch 6186 Clipper (tuned to open-G)1 song
Fender Stratocaster (Mike Campbell's '64 Stratocaster, used on Full Moon Fever sessions)1 song
Fender Telecaster (likely early '60s, Mike Campbell's main studio Telecaster)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (likely 1957 reissue, as used by Mike Campbell on Full Moon Fever sessions)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (Mike Campbell, studio recording)1 song
Rickenbacker 360/12 (12-string electric)1 song

Amps Tom Petty used

Ampeg SVT (likely Blue Line or similar vintage model)1 song
Ampeg Rocket1 song
Fender Tweed Deluxe (original 1950s, studio recording)1 song
Fender Princeton + Fender Tweed Deluxe (run together, studio recording chain)1 song
Vox AC30 (studio recording, 1988-1989 era, as referenced by Campbell for this period)1 song
Vox AC301 song
Fender Princeton Reverb (likely studio amp, era-correct, supported by multiple sources)1 song
Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, mid-1960s)1 song

8 Tom Petty tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Free Fallin' · riff	Riff · clean	Rickenbacker 360/12 (12-string electric)	Fender Twin Reverb (blackface, mid-1960s)	0
I Won't Back Down · riff	Riff · distorted	Gretsch 6186 Clipper (tuned to open-G)	Ampeg Rocket	3.5
Love Is a Long Road · solo	Solo · clean	Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (likely 1957 reissue, as used by Mike Campbell on Full Moon Fever sessions)	Vox AC30 (studio recording, 1988-1989 era, as referenced by Campbell for this period)	0
Love Is a Long Road · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (Mike Campbell, studio recording)	Fender Princeton Reverb (likely studio amp, era-correct, supported by multiple sources)	4.5
Runnin' Down a Dream · clean	Clean · clean	Fender Precision Bass	Ampeg SVT (likely Blue Line or similar vintage model)	0
Runnin' Down a Dream · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (Mike Campbell's '64 Stratocaster, used on Full Moon Fever sessions)	Fender Tweed Deluxe (original 1950s, studio recording)	0
Runnin' Down a Dream · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard	Vox AC30	5.5
You Wreck Me · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Telecaster (likely early '60s, Mike Campbell's main studio Telecaster)	Fender Princeton + Fender Tweed Deluxe (run together, studio recording chain)	5

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Tom Petty use?

Across 5 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Ampeg SVT (likely Blue Line or similar vintage model) (1 song), Ampeg Rocket (1 song), Fender Tweed Deluxe (original 1950s, studio recording) (1 song), Fender Princeton + Fender Tweed Deluxe (run together, studio recording chain) (1 song).

What guitar did Tom Petty use?

Most often: Fender Precision Bass (1 song), Gretsch 6186 Clipper (tuned to open-G) (1 song), Fender Stratocaster (Mike Campbell's '64 Stratocaster, used on Full Moon Fever sessions) (1 song), Fender Telecaster (likely early '60s, Mike Campbell's main studio Telecaster) (1 song).

How do I get Tom Petty's tone on my amp?

Open any Tom Petty song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.