Q: I'm wondering what kind of guitar Ed is playing during Wishlist in Single Video Theory?

A: That is his gold 1996 Schecter Telecaster with maple neck/fingerboard and dual humbucker pickups.

Q: I know they use (GHS) Boomers strings, but what are the gauges???

A: Mike, Stone, and Ed use GHS Boomers on their guitars. Gauges?? Please view the Signal Flow Diagrams and find out.

As for the amps - well, if you remember, Ed actually started using the Hiwatt heads awhile ago before he even had that Marshall. But then he switched. Again, flavor of the month. Musician's prerogative. Now he's back to the Hiwatt. With Ed, it's whichever sound he has the most sentiment for, really. The Marshall used to belong to Johnny Ramone. Pete Townsend always used to use Hiwatt amps. See what I mean? Sentiment. The Hiwatt is an early 1970's "DR 504 Custom 50" 50w head. He also has a "DR 103 Custom 100" 100w.

On "No Code," Ed plays guitar on Sometimes, Who You Are, In My Tree, Off He Goes, Habit, Lukin, Present Tense, I'm Open, and Around the Bend.

Q: Regarding Eddie Vedder's Fender Telecaster with "skateboarding is not a crime," I caught the neck of the guitar at the July 11, 1995 Soldier Field show. I was wondering if you knew any more information on this guitar. I would appreciate any information you may have on it.

A: Yes, it was a black 70's era Fender Telecaster with the bumper sticker, "Skateboarding Is Not A Crime," stuck across the front of the guitar. It had a Maple neck and fingerboard. It was destroyed by Ed on stage during the July 11, 1995 concert at Chicago's Soldier Field. Nothing more to tell. Big help, aren't I??

Tech Guru Tip: For helpful hints regarding tube amplifier maintenance and servicing, please visit our friend, Sal Trentino, at http://trentino.best.vwh.net/. Sal has 35 years of experience working with tube amplifiers and electronics, and for the past 27 years has been Neil Young's amp technician. Over that same span, he has also regularly serviced the amplifiers of Carlos Santana, amongst others. Pearl Jam is fortunate that during the recording of "vs." in 1993, we were introduced to Sal and he has been our primary amplifier technician since 1994. Please, however, direct any questions you have concerning Pearl Jam's amplifiers to the Rumor Pit only.

Q: Regarding the answer in Rumor Pit #32, gear question G5)...Ok, so why does Ed choose to paint his fingernails??

Additional note: In regards to "what is an E-Bow?" and "when during Wishlist does Ed use it?" check out PJ's video, Single Video Theory. There's excellent close-up footage of Ed using the E-Bow at the end of Wishlist -- or check them out at www.ebow.com.

Q: I'm curious about Ed's guitar setup and was wondering if you would mind assisting me. It's widely reported that Ed doesn't use effects pedals. How does he switch between clean and dirty tones in songs like "Not For You" and "Corduroy"? Also, in Single Video Theory, a pedal is visible at his feet during Wishlist. Was this an exception or a change in his setup? Thank you for your time.

A: You are correct that Ed typically does not use guitar effect pedals, and the fact that there is a foot pedal present at his feet during the filming of SVT is purely a fluke. At times - such as during those rehearsals - Ed has experimented with using various distortion pedals, but one has never stuck - either because he wasn't happy with the distortion, or because he doesn't want to fuss with a foot pedal by his microphone stand. On top of that, Ed's really interested in guitars with distortion and/or effects built on-board the guitar, such as in the vintage, Italian-made Vox guitars that he owns. With those guitars he can turn the distortion, and/or other effects, on and off at the flip of a switch right on the guitar itself. It's a pretty neat concept, but whereas the Vox guitars naturally sound O.K., they don't sound great. So far though, Ed's never taken one of the Vox's out on tour with him. (You can check out one of his Vox's at the very beginning of "MFC" on the SVT video.)

So if he uses no effect pedals live, and no Vox guitars live, then how does he get his distortion?? Well, it's actually a little bit purer approach. First of all, most of the time Ed plays his guitars using only the front (neck) pickup. This pickup typically has a thicker, muddier tone due to its position along the length of the string. And so with the positioning of that pickup, it's a little easier to "overdrive" your amp with your strumming/picking technique. Second, Ed sets his amp tone by first dialing in a loud, clean, full tone. (Clean being the important word there.) He adjusts his input gain right to the point where the "clean" tone is on the verge of distorting slightly. Once this is set, his sound (clean or dirty) is controlled purely with his hands, changing with the intensity he chooses to strum the strings with. If he picks more delicately, he can achieve a cleaner tone. If he picks harder and more aggressively, he can achieve a distorted tone. Cool, huh?

Q: Do you know if any PJ members used an Ibanez FL-303 flanger pedal on a tour a few years back? A guitar dealer is trying to convince me that the band used the effect he has.

A: I do know and the answer is NO. None of the PJ members have ever used an Ibanez FL-303 flanger.

Note: Please do not ever buy any piece of musical equipment - guitars, basses, amps, speaker cabinets, effect pedals, drums, keyboards, etc. said to have belonged to or used by Pearl Jam without first receiving some sort of proper authentication. Non-authenticated sales of such equipment only result in you being misled and paying higher prices than the actual market value would otherwise dictate. With the exception of only a few extremely limited occasions during their nine-year career, Pearl Jam has never been in the practice of selling their musical equipment. At this point in time (while they are still successful and collectively making music), there is really no need or point for PJ to be "unloading" unwanted equipment. If you ever question someone selling musical equipment said to have been used by Pearl Jam, please email the Rumor Pit and I'll be more than happy to validate it for you.