Riff Tone
Animal (Remastered)
Pearl Jam
Guitarrock1990s
Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (early 90s, likely Mike McCready's main guitar for heavy riff sections on Vs.)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet
PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock, late 80s/early 90s Les Paul Standard)
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass5.5
mid6.5
treble6
reverb2
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
overdriveUnknown Overdrive pedal (model unknown, likely Tube Screamer or Boss SD-1 style)
Notes
Studio recording for 'Animal' on Pearl Jam's 'Vs.' (1993). Gear confirmed for album era and heavy rhythm sections. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for main riff. No pedalboard photos from studio, but overdrive pedal likely stacked for extra gain. Settings estimated from era, genre, and similar confirmed Pearl Jam recordings.
Tone Character(9)
aggressive and saturatedtight and percussiveslight mid scooppunchy bridge pickup attackdynamic palm-muted chugsarticulate treble without harshnessmoderate compressioncrisp, defined power chordsstudio ambience with light reverb
Difficulty
The riff requires solid palm muting, tight rhythm, and dynamic control to maintain the aggressive, percussive feel. While not technically advanced, it demands precision and energy typical of 90s grunge rhythm guitar.
Sources
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Original Gear
GuitarGibson Les Paul Standard (early 90s, likely Mike McCready's main guitar for heavy riff sections on Vs.)
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet
PickupsGibson humbuckers (stock, late 80s/early 90s Les Paul Standard)
Amp Settings
gain6.5
bass5.5
mid6.5
treble6
reverb2
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
overdriveUnknown Overdrive pedal (model unknown, likely Tube Screamer or Boss SD-1 style)
Notes
Studio recording for 'Animal' on Pearl Jam's 'Vs.' (1993). Gear confirmed for album era and heavy rhythm sections. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for main riff. No pedalboard photos from studio, but overdrive pedal likely stacked for extra gain. Settings estimated from era, genre, and similar confirmed Pearl Jam recordings.
Tone Character(9)
aggressive and saturatedtight and percussiveslight mid scooppunchy bridge pickup attackdynamic palm-muted chugsarticulate treble without harshnessmoderate compressioncrisp, defined power chordsstudio ambience with light reverb
Difficulty
The riff requires solid palm muting, tight rhythm, and dynamic control to maintain the aggressive, percussive feel. While not technically advanced, it demands precision and energy typical of 90s grunge rhythm guitar.
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