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lead guitar from “yellow ledbetter” by pearl jam | ToneDB

yellow ledbetter

pearl jam

lead guitar

75% ai confidence

Tone Profile

The lead guitar tone is characterized by its warm, slightly overdriven sound with a touch of chorus, creating a swirling, ethereal quality. It's a classic, slightly-out-of-focus, vintage rock tone.

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The Story

Mike McCready's lead guitar tone on "Yellow Ledbetter" was achieved using his Fender Stratocaster through a Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier with a Boss CE-1 chorus pedal providing the characteristic swirling texture. The recording combined both mic'd amp signals and direct input, captured with a Shure SM57 microphone at Southern Tracks Recording Studio in Atlanta with producer Brendan O'Brien and engineer Nick DiDia.

Production Credits

Producer: Brendan O'Brien

Engineer: Nick DiDia

Recorded at: Southern Tracks Recording Studio (Atlanta, GA)

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Fender Stratocaster into a Fender Tweed Deluxe amp.
  • Use a mild overdrive setting on the amp to achieve a warm, slightly crunchy tone.
  • Add a subtle chorus effect using a Boss CE-1 or similar chorus pedal.
  • Experiment with blending a direct input signal with the amp signal to achieve the desired clarity and warmth.
  • Use a Shure SM57 close to the speaker cone for a focused sound.

Original Gear

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Substitutions & Recommendations

Boss CE-2W Waza Craft ChorusShop on Reverb$150-$180

Alternative to: Boss CE-1 chorus pedal

Recreates the warm, vintage chorus character of the CE-1 with both CE-1 and CE-2 modes for that subtle swirling effect

Fender '57 Custom DeluxeShop on Reverb$1,400-$1,600

Alternative to: Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier

Modern reissue of the classic tweed Deluxe circuit that provides the same warm, slightly overdriven tube saturation

TC Electronic Corona ChorusShop on Reverb$80-$100

Alternative to: Boss CE-1 chorus pedal

Budget option with vintage chorus modes that can approximate the subtle, warm chorus texture

Universal Audio Fender '55 Tweed Deluxe PluginPlugin Boutique$150-$200

Alternative to: Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier

Accurate digital modeling of the tweed Deluxe's preamp and power tube saturation for home recording

Boss Blues Driver BD-2Shop on Reverb$100-$130

Alternative to: Fender Tweed Deluxe amplifier

Can push a clean amp into the mild overdrive territory similar to a cranked tweed Deluxe

Sources

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