Maybe I’m wrong, but I believe Mike McCready is the only person to play in separate bands with Eddie Vedder, Chris Cornell, and Layne Staley. What a legend

He is so underrated, his solos have so much feelings, hail hail Mike!

The guitars on Ten are just life changing. And Mad Season 'above' is an album where you can hear all kinds of great stuff from Mike as well. One of my favorite players, so influential.

His playing on the song Even Flow is amazing. He's one of the best guitarists of all time.

Between Ten and the TOTD record, those are some of the most impactful guitar tones I’ve ever heard. The combo of the Strat and Mike McCready’s playing is magic.

I met Mike McCready briefly about 11 years ago when he was playing guitar for Tres Mts (Jeff Aments side project) some fans, myself included, waited outside after the show to meet him and Jeff, Jeff came out kinda just waved to everyone very briefly then got into a black SUV and left. When Mike came out he really took the time to talk to everyone and made sure if everyone wanted to take a picture got one. Super nice and humble guy. You can tell he really doesn’t take for granted what he does. My friend had a similar experience on Temple of The Dog tour. Everyone left except Mike and Stone.

Awesome. Mike’s such an underrated guitar player 🙌🏻

Dude both Mike and Stone are some of the best guitarists I have ever seen.

“ How the the guitar scream and how it plays beautifully “- words that best describes a Stratocaster

Bout damn time. Him and Lifeson are the most underrated in Rock. Period.

Mike McCready is a very interesting guitarist, and like a lot of grunge guitarists, he never gets the credit he deserves.

Dude is a sweetheart and a ripper. It’s about time.

Just love to hear naturally talented yet humble people talk, great guitarist, thank you

The isolated guitar tracks of "Ten" show how incredible he and Stone are

It’s a nice coincidence that two of my favorite guitarists (John Frusciante and Mike McCready) both plays a sunburst strat.

Such a nice, down to earth guy. I can't help but admire this guy.

Absolutely love you Mike...and PJ.... favourite guitarist ever..... soundtrack to my life....live again will be ultimate bliss. Adore..

Mike has always been my favorite guitarist from the 90s era. Not just his PJ work but TotD and Mad Season as well. His work on Your Savior is still one of the best riffs in rock music. Congrats Mike, you've earned and deserve the honor.

The most underrated Guitarist ever.

I've seen PJ more times than I can count, but one of the best shows I've ever seen was Mike McCready at The Crocodile back in the day. I finally learned Yellow Ledbetter on my sunburst Strat a couple weeks back and when I finally hit something resembling the song, I thought back to the times when I watched Mike absolutely captivate stadiums with his finale solo. There's nothing in my heart but gratitude. What a gift to have been a soul in those crowds. This was before any of today's tech. We had tapers if we wanted bootlegs, then came Napster, which was mind-blowing. Every payday I'd hit Tower Records and drop a $100 on CD's. People ask why I pay $15 /month for spotify premium and I'm like, "Dude, for $15/month I can get whatever I want!" I miss the experience of going to a record store, sometimes buying albums based on the cover art. sometimes you grabbed a winner, sometimes you bought a coaster for blow. It's unfortunate that youngsters like my son will never experience the reality we had the fortune to live through. Back when you'd buy a ticket at Fred Meyer the day of the show and hope they weren't sold out. If they were, you'd show up on a lot anyhow, hoping to get your hands on a stub. Sometimes you'd find a side door to a venue that was open and you'd waive at your idiot friends to get their asses moving. As I remember these things, the only adequate descriptor of those times is the sappy smile on my face.

He is a fantastic guitar player, very underrated.

Yellow Ledbetter is one of the reasons I picked up a guitar at 29 and decided this time I was gonna do it properly. Eventually I'll decide I deserve to splash out on a strat and go chasing that tone.

Can we get a longer version of this? He is sush a great player and lover of guitar.

Love the story behind the headstock chip. I'd imagine a dramatically different outcome if he played a Les Paul.

Love Mike Mcready's playing and Pearl Jam. His interview in Hit Parader magazine back in the 90's turned me on to Muddy Waters and the Last Waltz movie.

I hate to see him getting old and knowing eventually all great things come to an end. McCready is one of those great things

McCready is one of those guitarists you can tell just from their tone and play style

Mike was a inspiration for me as a young player when I picked up the guitar in 1997. He is a pentatonic ripper for sure. As I began to learn, I realized that his style and licks were actually attainable. They were a combo of speed (at times), pentatonic runs, and pure EMOTION, & flawless delay and wah technique to name a few. With practice and dedication I was able to play like him. I've stolen his tone and style and used it in my own original bands back in the day. The ultimate compliment I got from one of my band's singers was, "man you sound like Mike McCready from Pearl Jam". I think I smiled for a week straight. Mike's feel and knowing exactly what to play and when to play it, to me, makes up for his lack of being EVH or SRV...he never had to be one of those guys to make PJ songs great. He is like a fan and great player who landed the ultimate gig. I live vicariously through him. His playing WAS and IS and always will be perfect for what Pearl Jam put(s) out. I love seeing this from Fender and although I won't buy this, appreciate the Mike McCready acknowledgement after all these years. Mike isn't just a great player and humble guy...he is a major major fan of Fender guitars which makes this all the more special. He has 59 tattooed on his arm...for all the years until they really did research on this guitar, thought this guitar was a 59 Strat.

Wow! My daughter's totally in it!! Hail to Mike and Fender, from Brazil!!

Mike, thank you for being an inspiration to us!

Congratulations, Mike! I'm so proud of the amazing musician you became, and I'm grateful I was in the rare position to watch your development from the start. THIS is what custom shop guitars are all about, and I can think of no other guitarist who deserves a custom instrument more!

Probably the best lead Guitarist out there right now!! Amazing work, especially live, Pearl Jam is probably the best live Rock band out there. In my opinion their songs are even better live. Amazing work Mike!! Congratulations 🤘

3:44 absolutely unmistakeable McCready tone and lick imo... massively inspired my own playing so much more than anyone else

To write a song like yellow Ledbetter is the frontier of musical talent. So so so angelic

His solo in "Evenflow" is one of my favorite of all time. Monster of a player.

Well, those are just magic tones. And they’re from a collaboration between the essence of Mike McCready (his mind and fingers) and the guitar and the amps and the effects. It all comes together to create something special. It simply doesn’t happen with most players, sad to say. It’s a rare gift.

Mike’s fill ins during the second verse of Evenflow (video version) are simply the best of all time. They are the equivalent to the drum fills in Tom Sawyer.

This guy is an amazing guitar player. He deserves it. And I´m pretty sure this will be a great guitar.

Nothing nicer than a beat up Stratocaster! Really glad they have honoured him with a custom shop signature, he's one of the few greats left that didn't have one.

First it screams and then it breaks your heart when he plays Ledbetter. Awesome!

Finally a guitarist worthy of a signature model... When I was 13 and heard the alive solo on the video clip on rage and taped it on VHS and watched it over and over and over it inspired me to learn more than just grunge nirvana power chords. He was hendrix for 90s grunge teens I'm 39 now btw The pearl jam concert in Melbourne 95 literally changed ny life. There was a riot it was everything. I never liked them as much after vitalogy but that period shaped me as a person - no doubt. What a time 2 be a kid

Awesome vid....for those not familiar with his brief band called Mad Season with Layne Staley of Alice in Chains on vocals...its a must!!! Some of Mike's best stuff is on the their one album they made called Above.

What a nice guy, and a killer on the fretboard. Always loved his playing. Part of my musical life for 30 years, TOTD was my first CD I bougt back in 1993.....

"... And I play in a band called Pearl Jam..." Ok, now that's a flex.

Yeah! I heard Pearl Jam for the first time when I was jogging. EvenFlow was coming across a field traveling through the wind from some speakers outside at a pool. It was the beginning of music we all heard in our heads, filling the monotonous years in between, when music sucked. We were connected to Mike’s style of playing. I remember thinking, finally some good f’ing rock again! Nice to see this from Fender! Wow.

He is one of my heroes... hands down.

Congrats, Mr. McCready. Absolutely worthy of this acknowledgment.

Mikes SRV story is such a great one!! SRV, 🙏 Rest In Peace

And of course love all your amazing solo and your War Pigs riff at the end of Alive, and need to mention Mad Season Wake Up solo, insane totally insane!!! Love it sooo very much!! ❤️🤘

Mr.Mike McCready, love you Soo much, I've watched hundreds of Pearl Jam concerts on KZfaq you my dear are sooo awesome and amazing you never disappoint ever!!! ❤️🤘🎸🌹🥰

One of those guitar players, whose music inspired me top pick up guitar

Mike and SRV are my ultimate guitar Hero’s! Well deserved Mike!

So this is as close to a John Frusciante signature we'll get!!!

Exceptional guitar player, and I'm stoked for him to have his own signature guitar. But I will never understand the desire some people have to buy a brand new guitar that has fake distressing on it. The guitar earns those battle scars through use.

Mike is the guy who gave me the inspiration to take up attempting to play guitar & I am definitely not worthy! Thanks for blowing me away for the last 30 years 🤘❤🙏

Wow. Never tried to get to know Mike more. Love this guy.

Now give me Eddie's tele with p90.

Mike the best! So lucky to see you playing live with PJ.

Mike McCready, genius of tone and play

the photo in my bio was taken at this show and shortly before I captured the photo used in the Fender promo for this incredible guitar (at the 1:20 mark!). THANK YOU Mike, Fender and Pearl Jam for inviting me to the show in Seattle on Aug 8 2018 and for the awesome opportunity to provide photos for the Custom McCready guitar!

finally. jesus its about time everyone starts appreciating these underrated guitarist

I've always wanted a Stratocaster. Now even more. Hail McCready!

Saw this as an ad in my recommended but I still clicked on it because it’s Fender

Mike McCready is a great Strat player and part of the reason why I love Pearl Jam.

Mike definitely intensified my want of a Strat. One of my favourite players if not my actual favourite.

Love you Mike!!!! Great Job Fender.

Definitely a heck of guitar player! Deserves a ton of respect! Awesome guitar

"Everytime I saw Prince....He was the best guitar player I've ever seen." - -- Awesome!!! Truth!! Kick ass Mike!!!

Fender + McCready = Awesomeness

About time Fender make your guitar I knew it just a matter of time. Whenever Mike throws his head back it's on and he is in another world.

Mike has huge tone taste and talent! Luv this guy

Finally! Another legend to the hall

His playing on the live tracks on the Mad Season album is amazing. That being said, why would anyone want a fake worn guitar? Who wouldn’t rather have a new one with the same specs that they could make their own?

Thank you Mike McCready!

Him and Stone Gossard are such underrated guitarists

The soul of the best band ever.

Never heard a super reverb sound so great with distortion pedals.

Love Mike McCready and his strat!

Classy stuff Fender. I'll never be able to afford one, but its great you're doing this.

Seems like a Great guy and Congratulations on getting a Master build signature Stratocaster !!

Weird, I was watching PJ at Pinkpop in 1992 last night and thinking how there has never been a McCready sig. Boom, and here we are !!

Oww man... Fender hit it again, fantastic. Thank you for this

I have spent thousands of hours playing along with Mike's live solos. He is my hands down favorite number 1 guitar player. We cover PJ in my band. My Strat is one of my favorite guitars. With that said for some reason I would not want this copy of his Strat. I would feel weird (I know as if thousands of hours copying his playing isn't?)

criminally underrated man. his riffs and solos are so tasteful. shit man.

fantastic! One of my favourite guitarist.

Top demais!!!!!! Mike é um dos melhores guitarristas do mundo!!!

Very underrated, the first 2 PJ albums every song was brilliant and they'd be on island with me.

I love his playing so much! Such an underrated player. HIs solo on Reach Down is so baddass it made me want a strat.

Fender is my dream guitar but I can't pay the high price...ilove you fender guitar.

Дуде mate greetings I learned to play guitar my first songs "State of love and trust" "Jeremy" ......on a Russian strat copy with brass frets ......oohhh what I time I had....

I can remember seeing that guitar at the Mad season live at the moor theater concert.

Most underrated guitarist ever

I'm surprised they took this long. Well done, Fender.

One of thee most underrated guitarists!

Love it; here f/ the other video by Fender w/ Mike

First solo I ever learned was from “Glorified G”. I’ve always loved Mike’s playing and this guitar is long overdue!

FENDER has unique sounds, the best....

Great guitar player!!!! Much fan!!!!!

Certified Gold!!!!!😎

Mike is the man awesome guitar