Mike McCready

• Hendrix vocabulary in a grunge context — practise Hendrix phrasing (double stops, call-and-response, wah dynamics) then apply to Pearl Jam tempos
• Uni-Vibe running slow creates the swirling texture on "Even Flow" and similar songs — keep the rate very slow, almost imperceptible
• The Strat neck pickup for lead solos — the singing, sustained quality comes from the neck pickup's warmth, not the bridge's brightness
• String bends are very expressive and wide — McCready bends well past the target note and vibrates there. Study his "Alive" solo note by note
• Wah used expressively during solos, parked mid-sweep for filtered rhythm texture — similar to Hendrix's filtering technique
• The TS808 runs at near-zero drive and boosted level — it's a clean push into the Marshall, not an overdrive pedal
• Vibrato is wide and immediately applied — do not delay before starting the vibrato. The note barely rings before the vibrato kicks in
• The Marshall gain is moderate, not high — McCready's solo tone has pick dynamics. A high gain setting removes the touch sensitivity he relies on
• Listen for the space between phrases — unlike Cobain's rhythm focus, McCready leaves room for the phrases to breathe. The silences are as composed as the notes

Mike McCready of Pearl Jam brings a Hendrix-influenced blues vocabulary into a grunge context — expressive solos, Uni-Vibe textures and a highly melodic lead approach that makes him stand out in a genre more associated with raw noise.