Song Rig

Yellow Ledbetter

Mike McCready · Jeremy (B-side) · 1992

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

The most Hendrix-adjacent McCready tone — Yellow Ledbetter uses a clean-to-slightly-broken Strat tone with a warm, vocal quality that draws directly from Hendrix's Little Wing phrasing style. The finger-picked chord melody in the intro demonstrates Mike's ability to blend chord shapes and single-note melody simultaneously.

Signal Chain

1Fender Stratocaster (vintage, middle/neck pickup blend)
2Fender Super Reverb or Twin Reverb (edge of breakup)
3Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus (subtle)

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume4

Bass6

Mid7

Treble6

Reverb4

Edge-of-breakup Fender tone — the amp is on the verge of distorting but never fully commits. Guitar volume at 8 keeps it slightly softer; rolling to 10 during the solo pushes the amp into natural breakup.

Technique

How to Play It

Hendrix-style chord-melody fingerpicking — Mike picks partial chord shapes while pulling out the melody note with his first finger, creating a simultaneous rhythm and lead approach. The right hand uses a mixture of pick and fingers.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Stratocaster (middle pickup or middle/neck blend) → Fender Deluxe Reverb at moderate volume → subtle chorus → study Hendrix's Little Wing right-hand technique for the chord-melody intro approach.

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