Top 5Uses
Fractal Audio
Axe-Fx IIISaid in Guitar World: Mike McCready on his rock opera and the future of Pearl Jam, April 2026
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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Mike McCready. Every item links to its public source.
14 items · Last checked What guitar does Mike McCready play?
On Pearl Jam's Dark Matter tour, Mike McCready played through a Fractal Axe-Fx III into Fender Tone Master FR-12 cabs, with a Line 6 DL4, Boss VB-2W, MXR Uni-Vibe, Phase 90 and Carbon Copy still on his board. He also has his own signature Fender Mike McCready Stratocaster, modeled on his 1960 Strat.
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Where to start with Mike McCready's gear.
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Top 5Uses
Fender
Tone Master FR-12Said in Guitar World: Pearl Jam's Mike McCready explains why switching to digital modeling improved his playing, March 2026
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What gear Mike McCready uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Live rig (Dark Matter tour)
Uses
Fractal Audio
Axe-Fx IIISaid in Guitar World: Mike McCready on his rock opera and the future of Pearl Jam, April 2026
Uses
Fender
Tone Master FR-12Said in Guitar World: Pearl Jam's Mike McCready explains why switching to digital modeling improved his playing, March 2026
No store page for this one.
Pedalboard
Uses
Uses
Uses
Uses
Uses
Uses
Uses
J. Rockett Audio Designs
Archer overdriveAmps
Seen using
Guitars
SponsoredHas said they love
“It's got a sound that is almost exactly what my original sounds like”
Said in SPIN: Mike McCready on his Fender Stratocaster and the new Pearl Jam album, September 2023
Seen using
Gibson
1959 Les Paul StandardSeen in Premier Guitar: Rig Rundown, Thunderpussy's Whitney Petty, September 2019
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Has said they use
Gibson
ES-335“I did it on a Gibson 335. That's a fun song to play.”
Has said they use
Gretsch
Country Gentleman“I had this Gretsch Country Gentleman and I started jamming on this little thing in D”
Said in Guitar World: Mike McCready breaks down the gear and inspiration behind 15 landmark Pearl Jam tracks, October 2022
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Questions
About Mike McCready's gear.
What guitar does Mike McCready play?
Mike McCready has said they love the Fender Mike McCready Stratocaster (spinmagazine.com, September 2023). Mike McCready has been seen using the Gibson 1959 Les Paul Standard (premierguitar.com, September 2019). Mike McCready has said they use the Gibson ES-335 (guitarworld.com, October 2022).
What amp does Mike McCready use?
He switched to a Fractal Axe-Fx III for the Dark Matter tour, with Fender Tone Master FR-12 cabs onstage. Guitar World says he was first spotted with Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb combos in 2022, and he plays a Fender Tone Master Pro at home every day.
What pedals are on Mike McCready's board?
Guitar World lists a Line 6 DL4, Boss VB-2W, MXR Uni-Vibe, MXR Phase 90, Electro-Harmonix Stereo Electric Mistress, MXR Carbon Copy and J. Rockett Archer still in rotation alongside his modeler.
Does Mike McCready have a signature Stratocaster?
Yes. Fender's Mike McCready Stratocaster copies his 1960 Strat, the first big-ticket item he bought when the band took off. He told SPIN it has a sound almost exactly like his original.
What guitars did Mike McCready play on early Pearl Jam records?
In a 1995 Guitar World interview he named a '62 reissue Strat, a Gibson ES-335, a Gretsch Country Gentleman he wrote a riff on, and a 12-string Rickenbacker that Tom Petty sent him.
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Named in this guide
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Mike McCready
About this guide · Last checked
Mike McCready is the lead guitarist of Pearl Jam and has also played in Temple of the Dog, Mad Season and Flight to Mars. This guide covers the modeling rig, pedals, amps and guitars he and Guitar World, SPIN and Premier Guitar have described, from the Dark Matter tour back to the early Pearl Jam records.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Mike McCready didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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