Riff Tone

Rearviewmirror (Live)

Pearl Jam

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely '62 reissue, Aged White, as seen in early 90s live performances)

Amp65 Amps Empire 22-watt Tube Head and/or Satellite Atom 36-Watt Head into Marshall 1960A 4x12 Cabinet

PickupsFender single-coil pickups

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass6

mid7

treble7

reverb2

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionFulltone Fulltone Distortion Pro

modulationDunlop Dunlop JD-4S Rotovibe

delayUnknown Delay pedal (model unknown)

Notes

Live performance, early-mid 1990s (Vs. era). Mike McCready is confirmed to use a Stratocaster with single-coils for the riff. Amp setup is a blend of 65 Amps Empire and Satellite Atom heads through Marshall 4x12. Pedalboard includes Fulltone Distortion Pro and Dunlop Rotovibe, both seen in period-correct live setups. Settings are estimated based on genre, amp type, and era due to lack of explicit numeric values.

Tone Character(10)

crunchy and openaggressive pick attacktight and percussive rhythmbright and articulate highsslightly scooped midsraw, uncompressed live sounddynamic response to pickingminimal ambient effectsclear note separationclassic 90s alternative rock drive

Difficulty

The riff requires fast, aggressive strumming with precise palm muting and dynamic control to maintain clarity and energy, making it moderately challenging for intermediate players.

Sources

Mike McCready's Guitar Gear, Pedalboard & Amps | Equipboard Amp Settings for Rearviewmirror by Pearl Jam (guitars and ...Mike McCready breaks down 15 landmark Pearl Jam guitar tracks | Guitar World

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