Song Rig

Alive

Mike McCready · Ten · 1991

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

The quintessential early 90s alternative rock guitar solo — built on a Stratocaster through a Fender amp, squarely in the blues-rock tradition (McCready cites Stevie Ray Vaughan as his main influence). The solo to "Alive" is one of the most celebrated in modern rock: pentatonic blues vocabulary, wide vibrato, and a climactic whammy-arm dive at the peak.

Signal Chain

1Fender Stratocaster (vintage-style, neck or bridge-middle pickup)
2Fender Super Reverb or Vibrolux
3Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer (light boost)

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume6

Bass6

Mid6

Treble7

Reverb3

Fender amp at edge of breakup — SRV-influenced, amp-driven tone. Tube Screamer as a push boost, not the primary distortion. Moderate reverb. The Strat's neck pickup gives the warm, vocal tone for the lead sections. The amp's natural compression from being pushed to the edge creates the sustain.

Technique

How to Play It

SRV-influenced blues phrasing with wide, expressive vibrato — McCready uses aggressive string bends (up to a step and a half) and a slow, arm-wide vibrato on held notes. The whammy arm dive at the climax of the solo is a signature move — let the note sustain at peak, then dive the bar.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Stratocaster (neck or middle-neck position) → Tube Screamer (drive low, level high) → Fender Blues Deluxe or Super Reverb at edge of breakup → room reverb.

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