Mike McCready’s beat up sunburst ’60s Strat looms massive within the historical past of grunge; heard on Pearl Jam’s illustrious physique of recorded work and seen within the band’s millions-viewed movies, it was additionally a key participant on numerous excursions. So it made sense when McCready teamed with the Fender Customized Store to supply a ding-for-ding re-creation of the guitar in 2021 – 30 years after Ten. And whereas it was cool as hell, the guitar was additionally ungettable for many, being restricted manufacturing and carrying a price ticket of $15,000. Happily, they’ve lately joined heads once more to supply a made-in-Mexico model priced inside attain of the lots.

Sporting an alder physique with massively Street Worn nitro sunburst end, the brand new McCready Strat is beautiful. Its slim C-shaped maple neck additionally will get the therapy, making it easy, snug, and feeling prefer it’s been performed for 60 years (minus the grime). The slab-rosewood fretboard has barely flat 9.5″ radius and sports activities 21 Jescar medium classic frets together with dot inlays. Whereas interval right and slim, the circumference and really feel will simply translate to most types of music.

Additional superbly replicated put on consists of headstock injury from an onstage accident. Different particulars embrace a vintage-style Strat vibrato, bent-steel saddles, a cold-rolled metal block, aged Tone knob, and McCready’s autograph on the again of the top.

Voiced to copy the sound of McCready’s unique, the customized pickups get his thumbs-up by producing heat, articulate tone that – as ’60s Strats have been so typically referred to as on to do – create sounds versatile sufficient for a wide range of genres.

Plugged right into a Bassman and an assortment of pedals, the McCready proved itself to be a real performer’s axe with no battle and all of the period-correct sounds, together with 60-cycle hum. Welcoming whammy abuse whereas holding tune, it fortunately went full-blown Hendrix, SRV, or Ernie Isley, and the clear tones have been mellifluous, clear, and bell-like; the neck pickup like butter. A light-weight guitar, it radiates old-school ’60s taste and resonates with an open-sounding woodiness not discovered in lots of present Strats.

The Mike McCready Stratocaster is a trustworthy re-creation of a grunge-rock icon. Pearl Jam’s discography apart, it will possibly go from impolite to horny with the sort of craftsmanship and a spotlight to element that makes performing the pleasurable expertise it must be.

This text initially appeared in VG’s December 2023 concern. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.