Eddie Vedder Hopes The Custom Guitar The Mariners Just Won In The Vedder Cup Series Gets Played
If no one steps up to play it, I'll take one for the team
For years, fans have referred to the series between the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners as the "Vedder Cup," since both cities have ties to Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. He lived in San Diego, and, of course, he and Pearl Jam are practically synonymous with the Seattle grunge scene.
But this year marked the first time the Vedder Cup was an official thing, with the two teams battling it out for quite the prize: a custom Fender Telecaster based on one of Vedder's prized instruments.
The Mariners won this year's edition of the series earlier this week, which means that, for the next year, this guitar is theirs.
That's a Fender Custom Shop 1963 Telecaster modeled after one of Vedder's guitars, but only as far as the dimensions and other technical specs. Most of those graphics — and there are a lot of them — are unique to this guitar.
"He gave it a good run through," said Pearl Jam guitar tech and equipment manager George Webb, per MLB.com. "He always likes to feel like he puts a little energy, spiritual energy, into an instrument and not just hand off something that's brand new, never touched, kind of thing."
Guitar players get it. You've got to give those things some mojo. Although the Fender Custom Shop makes such cool stuff, I think they probably leave Corona, California with some pre-installed mojo.
This guitar will stick with the Mariners until next year, at which point it will be awarded again, and it will travel back and forth to the winning team like a six-string Stanley Cup.
But Webb said that Vedder doesn't want that nifty custom axe to just hang in the clubhouse or front office.
"He doesn't want it to be just a hang-on-the-wall trophy piece," he explained. "He wants it to be played."
Well, then, I hope there's a guitar player in that Mariners clubhouse. If not, it's never too late.
If no one steps up, I’ll volunteer to fly in and play a few licks on that puppy.
Hey, it's what Ed wants, so somebody has got to do it.