rhythm guitar from “drain you” by nirvana | ToneDB
drain you
nirvana
rhythm guitar
AI generatedv1.0
Tone Profile
A raw, aggressive, and heavily distorted grunge rhythm guitar tone. It's characterized by its thick, fuzzy sound and prominent mid-range frequencies, perfect for driving the energy of the song.
Gear
- Fender Jaguarinstrument
- ReverbSweetwater
- Mesa Boogie Studio .22amp
- Reverb$825Sweetwater
- Shure SM57microphone
- ReverbSweetwater
- Boss DS-1processing
- Reverb$50Sweetwater
- Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Piprocessing
- ReverbSweetwater
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The Story
Kurt Cobain's rhythm guitar tone on "Drain You" was recorded at Sound City Studios with producer Butch Vig using a Fender Jaguar through a Mesa Boogie Studio .22 amplifier. The distinctive sound comes from stacking a Boss DS-1 Distortion and Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi fuzz pedal, creating a thick wall of distortion that became a signature of Nirvana's sound. The guitar was captured with a Shure SM57 microphone positioned close to the amp's speaker, and multiple guitar tracks were layered to achieve the dense, aggressive texture heard on the recording.
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: Boss DS-1, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi
Recreation Tips
- Use a guitar with single-coil pickups for a brighter, more aggressive starting point.
- Experiment with stacking the Boss DS-1 and Big Muff Pi to find the right balance of distortion and fuzz.
- Adjust the EQ on your amplifier to emphasize the mid-range frequencies.
- Consider using a tape emulation plugin to add warmth and saturation to your signal.
Original Gear
- Fender Jaguar(guitar)
- Mesa Boogie Studio .22(amp)
- Shure SM57(mic)
- Boss DS-1(pedal)
- Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi(pedal)
Substitutions & Recommendations
Alternative to: Boss DS-1 Distortion
The exact same pedal Kurt used - still in production and provides that signature midrange-heavy distortion that cuts through the mix
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi
The original fuzz pedal is still made today and provides the thick, sustaining fuzz that blends with the DS-1 for that Nirvana wall-of-sound
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Mesa Boogie Studio .22
Offers excellent pedal response and clean headroom similar to the Studio .22, allowing the stacked pedals to shine without additional amp distortion
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Fender Jaguar
Delivers the same single-coil pickup brightness and shorter scale length as Kurt's Jaguar at a more accessible price point
ReverbSweetwaterAlternative to: Mesa Boogie Studio .22 + pedal stack
Includes excellent fuzz and distortion models that can be stacked digitally, plus tape saturation effects to emulate the analog recording chain
ReverbSweetwaterFrequently Asked Questions
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