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lead guitar from “smells like teen spirit” by nirvana | ToneDB

smells like teen spirit

nirvana

lead guitar

AI generatedv1.0

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.

Gear

Fender Stratocasterinstrument
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Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preampamp
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Shure SM57microphone
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Boss DS-1processing
Reverb$50Sweetwater
Electro-Harmonix Small Cloneprocessing
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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 Stratocaster

Amp: Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp

Microphone: Shure SM57

Processing: Boss DS-1, Electro-Harmonix Small Clone

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

  • Fender Stratocaster(guitar)
  • Boss DS-1(pedal)
  • Electro-Harmonix Small Clone(pedal)
  • Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp(amp)
  • Shure SM57(mic)

Substitutions & Recommendations

Boss DS-1 Distortion$40-$50

Alternative to: Boss DS-1 Distortion

The exact same pedal Kurt used - still manufactured and provides the core aggressive distortion character of this tone

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Electro-Harmonix Small Clone$70-$85

Alternative to: Electro-Harmonix Small Clone

The exact chorus pedal used on the recording, still available and creates the signature swirling depth effect

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Fender Player Stratocaster$650-$750

Alternative to: Fender Stratocaster

Modern version of the Stratocaster with similar pickup configuration and tone characteristics to achieve the bright, cutting grunge sound

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Neural DSP Archetype Nolly Plugin$100-$120

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

ReverbSweetwater
Orange Micro Dark Terror$150-$180

Alternative to: Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp

Budget tube preamp head that delivers aggressive midrange distortion similar to the Mesa Boogie's character

ReverbSweetwater

Sources

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