A Custom Shop model with a hefty price-tag to match.
Following its announcement back at NAMM in January, Fender have now officially launched the Custom Shop Mike McCready 1960 Signature: an authentic replica of the Pearl Jam guitarist’s iconic touring workhorse.
Summary
- The Fender Custom Shop Mike McCready Stratocaster is based on the Pearl Jam guitarist’s battered pre-CBS model, which he previously thought was a 1959 model.
- The guitar was painstakingly recreated by Custom Shop Master Builder Vincent Van Trigt, who replicated every single scuff, scratch and nuance of McCready’s original instrument.
- Priced at $21,999, the Mike McCready Stratocaster is limited to only 60 pieces worldwide, and is available to purchase from today.
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Limited to a scant 60 models worldwide, the Custom Shop model looks to honour McCready’s longstanding influence as a lead guitarist, and coincides with the 30th anniversary of the release of Pearl Jam’s debut Ten later this year.
The task of recreating the iconic battered Stratocaster was assigned to Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Vincent Van Trigt, who spent months disassembling and studying McCready’s guitar to replicate every single spec, scuff and scratch.
Throughout this process, Van Trigt discovered that McCready’s Stratocaster was actually manufactured in 1960, with McCready previously assuming the instrument was a 1959 model for more than 28 years.
Sticking true to the specs of the Pearl Jam guitarists own model, the Custom Shop Limited Edition Mike McCready Stratocaster boasts a heavily worn Sunburst finish atop of a two-piece alder body, with the body being paired with a flat-sawn Oval C-shaped maple neck and a rosewood fretboard with 21 vintage tall frets.
As is typical from a pre-CBS Stratocaster, the Custom Shop instrument also features a vintage-style synchronised tremolo with a Callaham block, as well as a bone nut and vintage Kluson tuners.
In the electronics department, the Mike McCready Stratocaster is loaded with three custom-wound Josefina single-coil pickups, representing the upmost pinnacle of Fender Custom Shop quality.
They’re wired to a five-way pickup selector switch, as well as a volume, tone and treble bleed control to tap into all the classic Stratocaster tones you know and love.
In a statement coinciding with the launch of the guitar, McCready reflected on his initial experience with his vintage Stratocaster, noting how his love for Stevie Ray Vaughan influenced him to opt for an old-school pre-CBS model once he had enough money.
“Once I could afford a quality guitar, I immediately went for the vintage Stratocaster. It was my dream guitar because of my love for Stevie Ray Vaughan, and as my musical aspirations were coming true I had to have it,” McCready said.
“It was the first significant guitar that I bought, never thinking I could ever own one before Pearl Jam happened. My favorite feature is the playability of the neck. It’s so worn in and easy to play. It’s got the best neck and fretboard of any of my guitars. I also love how light it is.
“I actually picked up the prototype thinking it was the original a couple of times which shows me how meticulous and caring Master Builder Vincent Van Trigt and the whole Fender team has been throughout this process.”
Priced at $21,999, the Fender Custom Shop Mike McCready Stratocaster also ships in a deluxe hardshell case with a strap, certificate of authenticity and ephemera pertaining to McCready’s career with Pearl Jam.
Head to the Fender Custom Shop website to find out more about the Mike McCready Stratocaster today.
