Tone Profile

A quintessential '90s grunge tone, defined by its stark dynamic shift from a watery, chorused clean sound to a thick, raw, and saturated high-gain distortion.

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• The 'quiet-loud' dynamic is the most critical element of the performance and sound.
• Producer Butch Vig recorded multiple takes of the main rhythm guitar and layered them to create a massive 'wall of sound' in the chorus.
• The primary amp sound came from a Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp running into a Crown solid-state power amp, not a traditional guitar amp head. A Fender Bassman was also used, possibly blended with the main tone.
• The BOSS DS-1 was used as a gain boost into the Mesa/Boogie preamp, not as the sole source of distortion.
• The Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus pedal is only active during the clean verses.

Recreation Tips

• Use a guitar with a humbucker in the bridge position for the necessary output and thickness.
• To achieve the dynamic shift, use a chorus pedal for clean parts and stomp on a distortion pedal for the heavy parts. The order should be Guitar > Distortion > Chorus > Amp.
• If you don't have a Mesa/Boogie, a Marshall-style amp (like a JCM800) or even a Fender Hot Rod DeVille driven hard with a DS-1 in front will get you in the ballpark.
• Record two separate takes of the distorted rhythm part and pan them hard left and right in your DAW to simulate the double-tracking technique.
• Don't scoop the mids. The tone is punchy and has a strong midrange presence, so keep your amp's mid control around 5-7.

Recommended Gear

• Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar/Mustang(guitar)
• BOSS DS-1 Distortion(pedal)
• Electro-Harmonix Small Clone(pedal)
• Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp(preamp)
• Marshall JCM800(amp)
• Shure SM57(mic)