Stone Gossard & Mike McCready - Guitar Setup & Tunings
Pearl Jam
Quick Facts
- Primary Tuning
- Standard
- String Gauge
- .010-.046 (McCready), .011-.052 (Gossard varies)
- String Brand
- Ernie Ball, D'Addario
- Genre
- Grunge / Alternative Rock
About Stone Gossard & Mike McCready's Sound
Stone Gossard (born 1966) and Mike McCready (born 1966) form Pearl Jam's guitar tandem since 1990. Gossard, a founding member of Green River and Mother Love Bone, provides rhythm foundation and atmospheric textures. McCready brings Hendrix-influenced lead work and emotional solos. Their interplay - Gossard's chordal complexity against McCready's blues-rock leads - defines Pearl Jam's sound. The band has sold over 85 million albums and maintained artistic integrity while achieving commercial success. Both guitarists have side projects and production credits outside Pearl Jam.
Tunings Used
E Standard - 5 songs
- Alive Try this tuning →
- Jeremy Try this tuning →
- Better Man Try this tuning →
- Corduroy Try this tuning →
- Rearviewmirror Try this tuning →
Eb Standard - 2 songs
- Black Try this tuning →
- Yellow Ledbetter Try this tuning →
Open Dm (DADFAD) - 1 song
- Even Flow Try this tuning →
Open G (Gossard) - 1 song
- Daughter Try this tuning →
String Setup
Primary Strings
Ernie Ball, D'Addario
.010-.046 (McCready), .011-.052 (Gossard varies)
Why Stone Gossard & Mike McCready uses these
Gossard frequently uses open tunings and alternate voicings, influenced by Neil Young and Keith Richards. His textural rhythm parts on songs like 'Even Flow' use unusual tunings that allow open strings to ring sympathetically. McCready's setup is more traditional - Stratocasters with medium gauge strings for blues-influenced bending. The dual guitar approach allows one guitarist to hold down rhythm while the other adds color or leads. Gossard's Guild acoustics feature prominently in Pearl Jam's unplugged moments.