Riff Tone

Last Kiss

Pearl Jam

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely late 50s/early 60s reissue or vintage, as per McCready's main studio guitar in this era)

AmpFender Bassman (for clean tones, as per studio use in this era)

PickupsFender single-coil pickups (stock or vintage-style, as per era and McCready's known Strat)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid6

treble6.5

reverb2.5

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1998-1999. Mike McCready is known to have used a black 1962 Japanese reissue Stratocaster and a Fender Bassman for clean tones in the studio during this period. No evidence of pedal use or additional effects for the riff section. Settings estimated based on typical clean Strat/Bassman setup for this genre and era.

Tone Character(10)

clean and brightarticulate single-coil clarityslightly scooped midswarm but present highsdynamic and touch-sensitivechimey, vintage Fender characterclear note separationno audible overdrivesubtle amp breakup at peaksno modulation or time-based effects

Difficulty

The riff section consists of simple open chords and slow, straightforward strumming, making it accessible for beginners with minimal technical challenge.

Sources

Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready looks back on 30 years of Ten: “It was the first time I was in a situation where everybody was firing on all cylinders“ | Guitar World Super Easy Beginner Song - "Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam + Basic ...

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