Tom Petty

At around the 21 minute mark, Tom Petty begins playing Don't Do Me Like That with his blonde Telecaster with a sticker from his 1994 album Wildflowers. This guitar, known as the 'Torucaster', was actually made by a luthier named Toru Nittono. Tom Petty was quoted as saying the following in a 1999 issue of Guitar Player; "Yeah ,I got it in 1981 at Normans's Rare guitars[in Reseda,Ca.].Norm said,"take it home and tell me what you think." I haven't stopped playing it since. Toru Nitono built it at L.A. guitar Works. I've had people bring me 20 vintage teles at show and rehearsals and nothing seems to match. The closest I've gotten is an old Esquire which I baught as a spare. If I lost my main Tele I'd die. Toru even tried to make me a second and it didn't sound nearly as good. Now it adorns the wall at the Hard Rock Cafe."

Tom Petty states in this 1999 interview he uses a Way Huge Red Llama.

In this photo, one can see Tom Petty playing an Epiphone Frontier.

Tom Petty used this Rickenbacker double neck to perform 'American Girl' on the show 'Fridays' in 1981.

Tom Petty can be seen playing his Gibson Firebird guitar at a show at Red Rocks in October of 2014. This photo was posted to the official Tom Petty website.

"Taking a look at the other amps in his repertoire – such as a ’59 Fender Bassman Reissue, a Fender Vibro-King 60 watt combo, a ’69 Marshall JMP50 Plexi head and a Marshall 1987X Vintage Series 50 watt tube head, among others," states this article, by Pro Audio Land.

Tom's white Mark VI Teardrop can be seen in this image. Guitar Player confirms Tom's use of this guitar in this post.

According to the Fulltone website, Tom Petty has the Fulldrive2 MOSFET as part of his setup.

In the music video for "End of the Line" by the Traveling Wilburys, Tom Petty is seen playing a Danelectro Longhorn Bass.

Tom Pettys Gibson Hummingbrid is no usual one. It shows some very special features, which propably make it a one of a kind Guitar. It has the "upside down belly bridge" with an adjustable ceramic sadlle. That would sugest being from between 1965 and 1970. But the neck is very out of the ordinary. It has the very unusual big block inlays and is bound with the spike at the soundhole like the neck of a J200. The conclusion would be that either somebody changed the neck of a late 60s Hummingbird for a J200 neck and added the big block inlays or it is a very rare prototipe. Sadly there is pretty much no info about it online.

It has a beautiful honey sunburst and he used a LR Bags magentic soundholepickup on it.

He can be seen unsing it on multiple live performances for songs like Wildflowers and in studio, so it is probable that he also used it for recording songs like Wildflowers.

Mentioned in this March 1983 Musician article.

Ever loyal to their roots, both Petty and Campbell play through very cool looking Vox Super Beatle amps, jazzed up with Echoplex and MXR Dyna Comp.

Tom can be seen with a Vox AC30 in the Runnin' Down a Dream documentary during one of the live segments.

2:40:15 timestamp. During this performance, he and Mike Campbell are both seen using one.

In this photo, one can see Tom Petty with a Gibson Dove.

In this photo, we can see Fender Deluxe Reverb behind Petty.

Tom Petty can be seen playing a Gibson SG guitar during a performance at Red Rocks in 2014 in this photo posted to his official website.

In this link, Tom Petty describes his 1964 Rickenbacker Rose-Morris 1993-12 string in Fireglo finish. The 1993 was a variation of the 330 created for The Rose-Morris company in the UK.

In this photo, one can see Tom Petty with a Rickenbacker 360-12 in a Mapleglo finish.

Mentioned by recording engineer Richard Dodd in this Sound on Sound interview about the recording of "Learning to Fly".

"Tom would play his guitar in the control room, too, unless it was acoustic, and in his case I might have had two mics on his amp: a 57 as well as an AKG 251, just in case it sounded better, although it very rarely did. Tom's a great rhythm player, so he definitely played rhythm on acoustic and on the Tele while I think Mike played the more lead-type 12-string stuff."

Original Telefunken 251s were manufactured by AKG.

In this photo, taken by Jason Merritt, Petty is visible with the Fender Esquire, which is possibly the blond '67 model.

In this official video for "Room at the Top," Tom is singing through an SM57. The SM57 is also mentioned in this March 1983 Musician article about Tom Petty and the Heartbreaks.

They all use Shure SM57s, are mixed through a Davey Bryson console and are heard through Jensen Bulldogs.

Featured in this page from the Elite Guitars website.

The following photos are from the companion book to one of the best music documentaries that I have ever seen named "Runnin' Down a Dream." Released in 2007, the well made-movie chronicles the life and times of Tom Petty and the band that became known as "The Heartbreakers." I enjoyed viewing it and I learned a lot about the man and the band. If you're a fan too and haven't yet watched it, you should treat yourself and see it.

below: Tom is seen playing the 1966 Epiphone Casino that he acquired from me.

below: working in a "home" studio setup (Tom loved makeshift studios) recording with the late multi-instrumentalist / producer / singer and friend, Howie Epstein who is playing a vintage Danelectro Longhorn 4, and the fabulously talented Benmont Tench is on keyboards.

below: a much more recent photo of the Casino

below: This is a very good Guitar Player magazine issue from July 2006. In this issue, Tom is asked and talks about his gear and his guitars. From the interview, in the quote on the right, he reveals his thoughts and feelings about his recording studio secret weapon, his Epiphone Casino. Also included in the issue is an informative and detailed interview with Mike Campbell about his tone and gear too. That's Mike's Fender Broadcaster up at the top of the magazine cover!

The magazine excerpt can be seen here and reads:

One of my favorite guitars for recording is an Epiphone Casino. It's a great guitar, but it's kind of tough to take it on the road because it feeds back at loud volumes. Even so, the last time we were in here rehearsing, the Casino is what I was playing most of the time.

In this image you can see Tom playing a vintage sunburst Gibson ES-335 during one of his concerts.

Tom Petty can be seen with a Rickenbacker 425 in this photo.

In this 1985 live video of Don't Come Around Here No More, Tom Petty plays a jetglo Rickenbacker 325.

Tom Petty can be seen using a Gretsch G6199 Billy-Bo Jupiter Thunderbird in this photo.

In this photo, Tom Petty can be seen with a Gibson Flying V.

Tom Petty can be seen with a Fender Standard Telecaster in candy apple red color in this photo.

In this photo, a Fender Jazzmaster can be seen beside Tom Petty.

In this user-uploaded photo from Photobucket, Tom Petty is playing a white 1960s Gibson SG Junior. This guitar, as seen in the image, is noted for its exceptional quality, reportedly surpassing even his wife's 1963 Les Paul SG Custom, despite being significantly more affordable at the time of purchase.

Mentioned in this March 1983 Musician article.

Ever loyal to their roots, both Petty and Campbell play through very cool looking Vox Super Beatle amps, jazzed up with Echoplex and MXR Dyna Comp.