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Solo Tone
Black
Pearl Jam
Guitarrock1990s
Original Gear
Guitar1960 Fender Stratocaster
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet
Amp Settings
gain6
bass5.5
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Notes
Studio recording, 1991. Mike McCready used his 1960 Stratocaster for the solo on 'Black' from Pearl Jam's 'Ten'. Amp is a Marshall JCM800, as confirmed by multiple sources for the 'Ten' sessions. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this solo.
Tone Character(10)
singing sustainsmooth and expressivevocal-like bendsclassic rock crunchtouch-sensitiveclear articulationwarm upper midsslightly overdrivennot overly saturatedhint of amp reverb
Difficulty
The solo requires intermediate lead technique, including expressive bends, vibrato, and dynamic phrasing to match the vocal-like quality of the original. While not technically fast, the emotional delivery and sustain control add to the challenge.
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock1990s
Original Gear
Guitar1960 Fender Stratocaster
AmpMarshall JCM800 2203 head into Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet
Amp Settings
gain6
bass5.5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
Notes
Studio recording, 1991. Mike McCready used his 1960 Stratocaster for the solo on 'Black' from Pearl Jam's 'Ten'. Amp is a Marshall JCM800, as confirmed by multiple sources for the 'Ten' sessions. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for this solo.
Tone Character(10)
singing sustainsmooth and expressivevocal-like bendsclassic rock crunchtouch-sensitiveclear articulationwarm upper midsslightly overdrivennot overly saturatedhint of amp reverb
Difficulty
The solo requires intermediate lead technique, including expressive bends, vibrato, and dynamic phrasing to match the vocal-like quality of the original. While not technically fast, the emotional delivery and sustain control add to the challenge.