Pearl Jam

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Kurt Cobain

The electric guitar shredded itself to death in the ‘80s. It had to start over, but the ‘90s grunge revolution didn‘t just change the face of guitar playing – it changed the world

By Brad Tolinski published

Guitar World presents a grunge guitar guide to the ‘90s, the decade when Seattle became the epicenter of the musical universe, and resurrected the electric guitar with a raw, dirty sound that gave birth to a whole new generation of guitar players

Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Slash perform Paradise City onstage with Guns N' Roses in Seattle

“Two of rock’s elite guitar soloists go lick for lick”: Watch Slash and Mike McCready trade leads on Paradise City as the Pearl Jam guitarist joins Guns N’ Roses onstage

By Matt Parker published

McCready dropped in on the LA legend’s Seattle show for a barn-storming cameo

Mike McCready with his new Fender Signature Stratocaster

“My original ’60 Stratocaster will always sound the best. This one is right next to the best”: Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready on why he’s playing his more affordable signature guitar live, covering Eruption and embracing digital amps

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Now onto his second signature Fender, grunge’s answer to Stevie Ray Vaughan reflects on his greatest Stratocaster moment, how Eddie Van Halen and Chris Cornell inspired his guitar playing, and why you should be excited for the next Pearl Jam album – oh, and his rock opera about the Seattle scene

Mike McCready of Pearl Jam performs onstage at Pearl Jam Performs Live At The Apollo Theater For SiriusXM's Small Stage Series on September 10, 2022 in New York City.

“They’re some of the best amps I’ve ever played”: Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready on why he made the switch to Fender’s digital Tone Master amps

By Michael Astley-Brown published

The self-confessed tube lover changed up his backline for Pearl Jam’s 2022 US tour – but it wasn’t a decision he took lightly

Mike McCready of Pearl Jam performs onstage at Madison Square Garden on September 11, 2022 in New York City.

“Andrew Watt pushed us as hard as we could be pushed”: Pearl Jam’s energetic new album is “just about finished” – but Mike McCready is also working on a rock opera about the Seattle music scene

By Michael Astley-Brown published

The lead guitarist shares the first details of his ambitious new musical that honors Chris Cornell and other Seattle legends – and why he used Andrew Watt’s gear rather than his own for the rock veterans’ forthcoming record

Fender Mike McCready Stratocaster

“I’m honored to deliver a more approachable guitar to the next generation of players”: Fender makes Mike McCready’s iconic 1960 Stratocaster accessible to the masses with new signature model

By Matt Owen published

The Pearl Jam legend’s second signature Strat is vastly more affordable than its $15,000 Custom Shop sibling, but still carries all the hallmarks of McCready’s fabled 1960 workhorse

Mike McCready and Jeff Ament of Temple Of The Dog perform at The Forum on November 14, 2016 in Inglewood, California.

“So that harmonic, I'm kind of ripping The Firm's Radioactive”: How Jeff Ament discovered a slide harmonic on Pearl Jam’s Even Flow

By Nick Wells published

“I remember accidentally hitting harmonics and sliding on it, so I just started experimenting”

Stone Gossard performs live with Painted Shield, playing a Fender Custom Shop Mike McCready 1960 Stratocaster

Stone Gossard spotted playing Pearl Jam bandmate Mike McCready’s signature Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster onstage

By Michael Astley-Brown published

The $15,000 guitar appeared to be one of the Seattle rhythm king’s main squeezes at side-project Painted Shield’s debut shows

Mike McCready

Learn the rhythm and soloing styles of Pearl Jam's Mike McCready

By Martin Cooper published

A fusion of classic rock with elements of funk, Pearl Jam's sound is unique and slippery, and this lesson in McCready's style offers a stern test of your rhythm and pentatonic phrasing

Multi-instrumentalist Josh Klinghoffer of Pluralone performs live on stage at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on May 03, 2022 in San Diego, California.

Josh Klinghoffer: “I’ve never lost this sense that I’m a beginner, and I think that gives me a more primal approach to the guitar”

By Joe Bosso published

Josh Klinghoffer was a Red Hot Chili Pepper – and now he records with Eddie Vedder and performs with Pearl Jam. What is it about him that all these (hugely successful) acts want?

WEMBLEY ARENA Photo of Mike McCREADY and PEARL JAM, Mike McCready performing live onstage

Mike McCready breaks down the gear and inspiration behind 15 landmark Pearl Jam tracks

By Jeff Gilbert published

In this classic 1995 interview, the Seattle great details how the tricks he “stole directly from Ace Frehley, Angus Young and Keith Richards” wound up on choice Pearl Jam and Temple of the Dog cuts

Nancy Wilson and Mike McCready

Watch Nancy Wilson and Mike McCready tear it up in raucous live cover of Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll

By Matt Parker published

The Pearl Jam man dropped in as a guest at the Heart legend’s recent Seattle show – and even borrowed her iconic Fender Telecaster

James Hetfield, Kurt Cobain and Dimebag Darrell

The greatest guitar albums of the '90s

By Jenna Scaramanga published

From Pearl Jam to Pantera, Metallica to Morello

Jeff Ament

Jeff Ament: “Stone was always writing from a Zeppelin angle, so seeing if fretless bass could work in that realm was exciting“

By Joe Daly last updated

The Pearl Jam bassist looks back at the making of Ten, and details his new solo project, American Death Squad

Warren DeMartini of Ratt in 1984 and Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard in 1992

Stone Gossard says grunge didn’t kill ‘80s hard rock bands – but “yes, some did die”

By Matt Parker last updated

The Pearl Jam guitarist argues it was the natural “life cycle” of pop culture, not grunge, that caused the mass extinction event

[L-R] Johnny Marr and Eddie Vedder

Watch Johnny Marr perform Neil Young’s Throw Your Hatred Down and The Who’s Baba O’Riley with Pearl Jam

By Sam Roche published

The veteran Seattle rockers brought the former Smiths guitarist onstage during their second night set at BST Hyde Park, London

Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam cancel final US tour dates after bassist Jeff Ament tests positive for Covid

By Sam Roche last updated

The news comes after drummer Matt Cameron also tested positive, leading the band to recruit founding drummer Dave Krusen for a recent show in Fresno

Mike McCready of Pearl Jam performs onstage at The Forum on May 07, 2022 in Inglewood, California.

Watch Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready pay tribute to Eddie Van Halen with Eruption cover

By Michael Astley-Brown last updated

McCready tackles the track’s iconic whammy bar dives and two-hand tapping on a vintage Strat

Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard, Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready perform live in May 2022

Pearl Jam break out digital amps and rare Gibson guitars on US tour

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Mike McCready is now rocking Fender Tone Master combos, while Stone Gossard and Eddie Vedder have been wielding obscure Gibson models

Pearl Jam

Watch Pearl Jam, Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer pay tribute to Taylor Hawkins with Foo Fighters cover

By Matt Parker published

The collective, led by Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, joined together to play Cold Day in the Sun in tribute to the much-missed Foo Fighters drummer