Mike McCready — Rig Network

Multiple vintage Strats are McCready's primary instruments — he uses original 1960s Stratocasters alongside modern custom shop examples. The Strat's bridge and neck pickups are both used extensively, often within the same song, for tonal variety.

Used for heavier, thicker passages where the Les Paul's sustained midrange suits the dense arrangement — appears on Vs. and Vitalogy era material.

Used in the studio and on stage through the early Pearl Jam years — the Flying V's brighter attack and resonance contrast with the Strat's rounded tone for specific songs.

The JCM800 is McCready's primary gain source — its compressed, tight gain character suits the dense Pearl Jam ensemble sound. The JCM800 has more available gain than a Plexi and a tighter low end, making it more manageable in a loud live context.

Used for clean passages — the vintage Vibroverb's spring reverb defines McCready's clean tone on 'Even Flow', 'Black', and 'Daughter'. The 2x10 combo breaks up naturally at moderate volume for light overdrive without a pedal.

Added later alongside the JCM800 — the vintage Plexi provides the warm, blooming Marshall tone for specific songs that benefit from less controlled gain.

Unique to this artist in the database

Wah as an expressive voice tool — McCready's Hendrix influence is most audible in his wah use: slow, deliberate sweeps for vowel inflection rather than rapid rhythmic patterns. The wah appears on solos throughout Ten and Vs.

Phase 90 for subtle movement on clean and semi-clean passages — adds a shimmering quality to sustained chords without overt modulation. A direct reference to Hendrix's Phase 90 use on 'Little Wing'.

Tube Screamer for lead boost — pushing the JCM800 harder for solos to add compression and sustain. Set for moderate gain with maximum output for level boost rather than standalone distortion.

Digital delay for adding dimension to lead passages — set for moderate time with one or two repeats, never wet enough to wash the signal.