“Strats had that great shape, Les Pauls have those beautiful curves, but the Telecaster always looked like it was thrown together with leftover parts!” Mike Campbell on what makes the Telecaster magic (even if he thinks they’re kinda ugly)

Mike Campbell takes a solo on his Telecaster while Tom Petty looks on.

The Telecaster always works. It always seems to find a spot in the band that works, and it just sounds right. 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.

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! 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.