lead guitar from “smells like teen spirit” by nirvana | ToneDB
smells like teen spirit
nirvana
lead guitar
Tone Profile
A raw and aggressive grunge sound, characterized by a thick, distorted tone with a slight chorus effect, creating a swirling, powerful presence. It's a sound that's both chaotic and iconic, defining the grunge era.
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The Story
Kurt Cobain achieved the lead guitar tone on 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' using a Fender Stratocaster run through a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal for the main drive, followed by an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus pedal to create the signature swirling effect. The signal was then fed into a Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp and captured with a Shure SM57 microphone. The track was recorded at Sound City Studios with producer Butch Vig and engineer Craig Montgomery.
Production Credits
Producer: Butch Vig
Engineer: Craig Montgomery
Recorded at: Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, CA
Signal Chain
Instrument: Fender StratocasterShop on Reverb
Amp: Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 PreampShop on Reverb
Microphone: Shure SM57Shop on Reverb
Processing: Boss DS-1Shop on Reverb, Electro-Harmonix Small CloneShop on Reverb
Recreation Tips
- Start with a Fender Stratocaster and a Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp.
- Use a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal with the gain set relatively high to get the core distortion sound.
- Add an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus pedal to thicken the sound and create the signature swirling effect.
- Experiment with microphone placement on the Mesa Boogie to dial in the final tone. An SM57 is a great starting point.
Original Gear
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Substitutions & Recommendations
Alternative to: Boss DS-1 Distortion
The exact same pedal Kurt used - still manufactured and provides the core aggressive distortion character of this tone
Alternative to: Electro-Harmonix Small Clone
The exact chorus pedal used on the recording, still available and creates the signature swirling depth effect
Alternative to: Fender Stratocaster
Modern version of the Stratocaster with similar pickup configuration and tone characteristics to achieve the bright, cutting grunge sound
Alternative to: Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp
High-gain preamp modeling that can replicate the Mesa Boogie's aggressive midrange character essential to this grunge tone
Alternative to: Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp
Budget tube preamp head that delivers aggressive midrange distortion similar to the Mesa Boogie's character
Sources
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