Distinctive, powerful, and built for players who love dynamic, expressive tones, the Mike Campbell Red Dog Telecaster is a fitting tribute to a veteran Heartbreaker with an uncanny ability to craft songs that stick and guitar parts you can’t forget.
The Fender Stories Collection celebrates the legendary musicians, their well-loved, road-worn Fender guitars, and the unforgettable music they made together.
Few guitarists have shaped rock & roll quite like Mike Campbell. His signature rhythms and searing leads are at the core of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' unmistakable sound, with his trusted Fender guitars playing a key role in crafting some of the most iconic hooks in music history.
One of Campbell’s most storied instruments, known as "Red Dog," was originally purchased from a former guitar student in Florida. Outfitted with a Bigsby tremolo and the aptly named "Destruct" boost circuit, it packed serious power—enough to help shape the anthemic tone of "Refugee" on Damn the Torpedoes. The Red Dog Telecaster remains a cornerstone of Campbell’s collection and a vital piece of rock history, even making an appearance in the track’s classic music video.
The Stories Collection Mike Campbell Red Dog Telecaster brings this legend to life with an Heirloom nitrocellulose lacquer "Red Dog Red" finish, a 1-piece maple neck with a 7.25” radius fingerboard, and 21 vintage-style frets. True to the original, it features the "Destruct" boost circuit, a custom Red Dog pickup set with two vintage-style humbuckers and a single-coil Tele bridge pickup, plus a Bigsby B5F tremolo.
The package is complete with a custom Red Dog neck plate, a vintage-style case, and special accessories, including a strap, picks, and a certificate of authenticity.
**Oh, and just a heads-up—the missing string ferrule on the back is intentional, just like on Mike’s original guitar!
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