Q: In the video (Single Video Theory) Stone is playing a red Telecaster and it looks like it's had some slight modifications done to it. Could you please give some more information as to what kind it is and what he has added to it?

A: See the above question.

Q: Stone's red Telecaster or Telecaster clone has the nicest tremolo (system) I have ever seen. I saw a tremolo that looked close to his on a Les Paul. So did he take a tremolo off a Les Paul and stick it on his Telecaster?

A: No. The tremolo unit is part of the original hardware for that Telecaster, as manufactured by Fender. Although the tremolo unit's base piece was die-cast and painted with the Fender "F," the system is otherwise identical to a Bigsby tremolo system, which from time to time can be found mounted on a Les Paul or other Gibson/Gretsch/Guild guitars. For instance, Neil Young's main guitar - a black 1952 Gibson Les Paul Custom - has a Bigsby tremolo system.

Q: On the acoustic songs on Live On Two Legs, is that a real acoustic guitar or an electric with a pedal?

A: The acoustic guitar that you hear on "Live On Two Legs" is from a Hamer "Duo-Tone" acoustic/electric guitar. (www.kamanmusic.com/hamer/) It's a semi-hollow body guitar that has electro-magnetic humbucker pickups (for an electric sound) as well as a piezo bridge-saddle pickup (for an acoustic sound). The Duo-Tone also has two separate output jacks (one for the electric pickups, one for the acoustic pickup) which allows the player to have separate control over the sound he/she is going for. With a blending pedal (such as an Ernie Ball Stereo/Pan pedal), the player can have either a fully electric/overdriven tone, a fully clean, acoustic guitar tone, or a blending of both.

During the recording of studio records, Stone or Mike would choose to use a true 100% acoustic guitar for acoustic parts, but on stage the Duo-Tone is more convenient, flexible, and sounds pretty good, so it's a better fit for the road.

Q: What kind of guitars do Pearl Jam use? (Brand, series, name of guitar.) And what size strings do they use?? It sounds like Mike's are lighter - like in Given To Fly, his guitar (tone) is higher. What brand of effects do Pearl Jam use?

A: You're the same guy that asked about what kind of amps Mike and Stone use, aren't you?? Jeez, the amp list could have been really long if I'd made it so, but the guitar, bass, and effects list could be about ten times as long!! So, I'm not going to sit here and list them all. Sorry. I'd suggest checking out the Signal Flow Diagrams if you want to see what some of their main guitars and effect pedals are. While you're there, you'll notice Mike's preferred string brand and gauge. Mike has the same gauge strings on all of his guitars and I'm positive that he did not switch to a lighter set just for Given To Fly.

Q: I am just starting to purchase my very first guitar and know absolutely nothing. I want to get some feedback similar to Pearl Jam's. What do you recommend? What do Mike and Stone predominantly use? I assume they use mostly Fender and Gibson but what body style? I am debating primarily between a Fender Strat and a Gibson Les Paul. Is one better than the other to start out with? What are the advantages and disadvantages with each? Would I be stupid to spend around $800 for my first born? I understand that a lot of it is personal preference, but your feedback is more than greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

A: Mike and Stone predominately play both Fender and Gibson guitars. Stratocasters, Telecasters, and Les Pauls. You're right, one is not necessarily better than the other to start out with; it's just personal preference. If you like a thicker, chunkier sound, buy a Les Paul. (www.gibson.com)(www.fender.com) The biggest difference between the two is going to be in tone and the versatility of the tones one can achieve. The body styles are obviously different too, thus resulting in the way a guitar feels on you. Other than that, the only other BIG difference you'll find between the two models are going to be in price. Fender offers three or four different lines of Strats, based upon the manufacturing location (and subsequent quality of parts and production). There are the Mexican Strats (cheapest), the Japanese Strats (middle of the road), and the U.S. Custom Shop Strats (best and most expensive). That I'm aware of, Gibson does not offer such quality and/or price variations on their Les Pauls.

You might be stupid to spend $800 on your first guitar, but that depends on whether you consider yourself rich or not? Do you know how to play at all right now, or are you pretty much starting from scratch? If you're just starting, I might make the suggestion of considering a cheaper acoustic guitar for your first guitar. With an acoustic guitar you won't have to sink additional money into purchasing an amp, and I think acoustics are better for learning proper picking, strumming, and fretting techniques - all your mistakes are easily audible, thus forcing you to develop better habits, rather than the "cheating" techniques that you can get away with on an electric. Acoustics, for this same reason, are also better for developing your hand strength. And ultimately, if you continue playing guitar, then you can put more money into getting a nicer electric guitar and amp. And if you lose interest in playing the guitar - well, then you haven't wasted so much money into something you don't use. My pick? Check out Taylor's "Baby Taylor" acoustic. It's small, easily portable, relatively inexpensive, sounds great for what it is, and is perfect for kids, adults, and/or beginners. (www.taylorguitars.com)

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.

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: Does anyone know if Stone uses the old vintage MXR Dynacomp compression pedal or the new re-issue with the big rubber knobs on them? I like the old one, it's got a cleaner tone to it, just wondering what Stone prefers.

A: Pearl Jam doesn't actually own any vintage Dyna Comp pedals, so I guess that makes us reissue users (although, without the removable big rubber knobs). The Jim Dunlop company currently owns the rights to, and manufactures all the of the reissue MXR pedals. (www.jimdunlop.com) It's a lot easier for us to obtain the pedals (and repairs too, if necessary) through Dunlop, so that's what we do.

However, if you notice in the Signal Flow Diagram, as of this past summer's U.S. tour, Stone has taken the Dyna Comp pedal out of his system. Don't ask me why - Musician's prerogative.

Q: I was wondering what type of effects Stone used on the solo in Wishlist (2nd) and did he just use his volume knob at the end of the solo or a pedal? I really liked the sound of the guitar and wanted to get a similar effects pedal.

A: Well, well. I learned something new myself when I researched this question. Although I'd had never noticed it, the band reports to me that Stone does indeed play a solo in Wishlist, however, it is only the first solo section. Stone says he uses his delay during this part. Mike plays the main (2nd) solo section, and Ed plays the outro solo at the end of the song. For that solo Ed plays with an E-bow.

Q: Ok, I know from the Musician magazine "complete stage set up" thingy that they did on PJ about a year ago that both Mike and Stone use Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamers. I also own one of these. However I can't really get a strong (beefy) sound out of it. I was wondering where the dials are set on Mike and Stone's pedal. Do they always use that for distortion, or do they use an amp channel switch. My amp is a solid state Marshall head, with a JCM 900 cab, do I just plain old need a tube amp, or can I get that strong sound out of this pedal??

A: Did you check the battery?? Ha, ha. Just kidding. Keep in mind that just because Mike and/or Stone use the Tube Screamer pedal doesn't necessarily mean that it's the pedal for you too. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that your solid-state Marshall amp is the reason you can't get the overdriven sound you want, because I don't know how your particular head sounds, nor do I know exactly what kind of sound you're trying to achieve. However, I do typically have dislikes for solid-state guitar amps. I can tell you, though, that neither Mike or Stone use solid-state amps; neither typically use channel switching (they own a few dual-channel amps, but use either one channel or the other 96 they never switch back and forth); and, when using a head/cabinet setup, they greatly prefer cabinets loaded with low wattage speakers (25w) that break up easier. And don't forget about the guitar itself. My suggestion to you is that if you're not happy with the tone you're getting from your Tube Screamer, try some other pedals and/or some different amps. There are a million of them out there. Borrow from a friend or take your guitar with you to the music store and sit down and experiment. Footpedals, or amps, aren't exactly cheap, so I think most music stores should be willing to let you try before you buy.

Q: I am looking to purchase a distortion/overdrive pedal. Can you please tell me what brand/model pedals Stone and Mike use?

A: Stone and Mike own a ton of different distortion pedals (there are a million of them out on the market), and different ones get used here and there during the recording process, but for most occasions they use the Ibanez Tube Screamer pedal. Check out their Signal Flow Diagrams for more info.

Q: Just a short question to the TechGuru... What is the order of Stone's and Mike's effects and amps?

A: Just a short question, huh? While neither of their set-ups are complex, it's not a question that can be answered with a super short answer. Check out each band member's page to see their current Signal Flow Diagrams.

Q: I would like to know if you could divulge who made the guitar effects pedalboards that Stone and Mike put their stompboxes in. I'm an amateur musician who has been trying to get some expert direction on how to get one.

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.