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lead guitar from “drain you” by nirvana | ToneDB

drain you

nirvana

lead guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

A raw, distorted, and somewhat chaotic guitar tone with a fuzzy edge, characteristic of early 90s grunge. It's thick and saturated, yet retains clarity for note definition.

Gear

Fender Jaguarinstrument
ReverbSweetwater
Mesa/Boogie Studio .22amp
Reverb$825Sweetwater
Shure SM57microphone
ReverbSweetwater
Tech 21 SansAmp Classicprocessing
ReverbSweetwater

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The Story

"Drain You" was recorded at Sound City Studios with producer Butch Vig during the Nevermind sessions. Kurt Cobain likely used a Fender Jaguar through a Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 amplifier, with the signal heavily processed through a Tech 21 SansAmp Classic pedal. The guitar was close-miked with a Shure SM57, and the recording features double-tracking with chorus and flanger effects to create the thick, saturated grunge sound.

Production Credits

Producer: Butch Vig

Engineer: Butch Vig

Recorded at: Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, CA

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Jaguar

Amp: Mesa/Boogie Studio .22

Microphone: Shure SM57

Processing: Tech 21 SansAmp Classic

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Fender Jaguar or similar guitar with humbucker pickups for a thick base tone.
  • Use a SansAmp Classic pedal to dial in a high-gain, fuzzy distortion sound. Experiment with the drive and output levels to find the sweet spot.
  • Set your amplifier to a clean or slightly overdriven setting to provide a foundation for the distortion pedal.
  • Place a Shure SM57 microphone close to the speaker cone of your amplifier cabinet, slightly off-axis.
  • In your DAW, try double-tracking the guitar part and panning the two takes slightly to create a wider stereo image.
  • Apply a subtle chorus or flanger effect to add depth and movement to the tone.

Original Gear

  • Fender Jaguar(guitar)
  • Mesa/Boogie Studio .22(amp)
  • Shure SM57(mic)
  • Tech 21 SansAmp Classic(pedal)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Squier Classic Vibe '60s Jaguar$400-$450

Alternative to: Fender Jaguar

Offers the same offset body style and pickup configuration as Kurt's Jaguar at a budget-friendly price point

ReverbSweetwater
Mesa/Boogie Mark Five 25$1,200-$1,400

Alternative to: Mesa/Boogie Studio .22

Modern Mesa amp that captures the clean foundation needed for the SansAmp to work effectively

ReverbSweetwater
Tech 21 SansAmp Classic$200-$250

Alternative to: Tech 21 SansAmp Classic

The exact same pedal used on the recording, still in production and essential for this specific fuzzy distorted character

ReverbSweetwater
Shure SM57$100-$120

Alternative to: Shure SM57 microphone

Industry standard dynamic mic that's identical to what was used and perfect for capturing aggressive guitar tones

ReverbSweetwater
Neural DSP Archetype Plini$120-$140

Alternative to: Complete signal chain

Includes high-quality amp sims and effects that can recreate the doubled, chorused grunge sound in the box

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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