For every photograph that runs in the Fretboard Journal, there are dozens or even hundreds that don’t make the cut, due to space or other constraints. In light of the lengthy interview Eddie Vedder gave to us in the FJ #24, we thought we’d share a few of our favorite outtakes.
Like most of our magazine’s readers, Vedder is a huge guitar (and ukulele) fanatic. He enthusiastically showed us some of his tried-and-true ukes and guitars, as well as some oddball eBay finds that may or may not ever show up on stage. We could have spent days talking guitars with Vedder alone. With any luck, we’ll get to cover the guitars of Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and Stone Gossard in the magazine soon.
If you’d like to purchase a copy of the Fretboard Journal #24, which features a lengthy interview with Vedder and many more exclusive photos (the article is 20 pages long), simply visit our web store.
All photos © The Fretboard Journal / Jason Verlinde.
An outtake from our cover photo shoot. Vedder plays his Fender Esquire dubbed the ‘Old Man.’ Like many of Vedder’s guitars, this instrument has been modified quite a bit. A P-90 neck pickup was cleverly added at some point in this guitar’s life. The neck sports the decal of a ’55 though we’re not sure about the vintage of the body. The back of the headstock is signed by Paul Burlison of the Rock and Roll Trio, though it’s hard to say if this guitar ever belonged to the rockabilly legend.
Just some of Vedder’s guitars. Note the 1-inch holes added to the guitar straps, which pay tribute to Vedder’s hero Pete Townshend. They also have a practical purpose: they give the straps a nice stretch when playing hard.
Vedder with his Mya-Moe ukulele.
Pearl Jam, needless to say, has a lot of gear.
Eddie Vedder’s Mya-Moe ukulele. This is a tenor model made of myrtle. Mya-Moe sells reproductions of this model (sans the Sharpie pen treatment) for around $1,500.
At the time of our visit, Vedder had his acoustic instruments going through a few Avalon Ultra Five direct boxes.
Vedder isn’t necessarily known for his acoustic guitars but he certainly owns some nice ones. Here we see his ’30s era Gibson L-00, his 1934 Martin 0-18K and his ’50s-era Martin 00-17.
