Fender Custom Shops, in conjunction with Mike McCready , guitarist of Pearl Jam , have unveiled a new replica of the vintage 1960 Stratocaster model.
The custom guitar commemorates the 30th anniversary of Pearl Jam's monumental debut album, Ten . Anyone who has seen the band perform over the years has undoubtedly seen McCready's trusty Stratocaster.
Under the supervision of master builder Vincent Van Trigt , the Fender Custom Shop meticulously crafted a near-duplicate of McCready's beloved and most frequently used instrument throughout his career. Like all exclusive replicas, even the scratches and paint wear have been preserved. The press release emphasizes that it's like "holding the same guitar."
The recreation utilizes a lacquer finish on a select two-piece alder body, a flat-sawn flame maple neck with a 1960s “oval C” profile, and a flat rosewood fingerboard with 21 vintage frets. Custom hand-wound Josefina pickups have been matched with the originals and are wired to a five-way switch with vintage wiring, including a “treble bleed” tone capacitor.
Other features include a three-ply vinyl pickguard, synchronized tremolo with Callaham bridge block, tuning machines, bone nut, and wing string tree with metal spacer. All in a vintage style true to the 1960s.
McCready initially sought out the guitar after being inspired by his idol, blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan , who played a 1959 Stratocaster. For years, McCready thought he had obtained the same instrument. However, only his guitar technician knew it was actually a 1960 model. Van Trigt finally revealed the secret to McCready when making the signature model to “create the perfect replica.”
The Mike McCready 1960 Stratocaster is limited to 60 pieces and sells for a collector's price of $15,000 at Fender Custom Shops.
