Riff Tone

Once (Live)

Pearl Jam

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely '62 reissue, Aged White, as seen in 1992 live footage)

AmpMarshall 1960A 4x12 Cabinet with 65 Amps Empire 22-watt Tube Head and Satellite Atom 36-Watt Amp Head (live rig, early 1990s)

PickupsFender single-coil pickups

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb3

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionFulltone Fulltone Distortion Pro

Notes

Live performance, early 1990s (Ten era). Mike McCready used a Stratocaster into a combination of 65 Amps Empire and Satellite Atom heads, running into Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinets. This is based on live rig rundowns and video/photo evidence from the era. No evidence of Les Paul or other guitars for this part. Settings are estimated based on typical usage and genre/era.

Tone Character(10)

aggressive and bitingBritish-style crunchtight and percussiverich in high endslightly fizzyclear and articulate attackdynamic and responsiveraw and energeticmedium to high gain saturationslight room ambience from amp reverb

Difficulty

The riff requires solid palm muting, aggressive picking, and precise timing to capture the raw energy and articulation of the original performance.

Sources

Mike McCready's Guitar Gear, Pedalboard & Amps | Equipboard Pearl Jam – Ten - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard Mike McCready Guitars & Gear | Complete List of Guitars, Amps, Effects & More | Ground Guitar

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account