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

smells like teen spirit

nirvana

rhythm guitar

AI generatedv1.0

Tone Profile

The rhythm guitar tone is a raw and aggressive grunge sound, characterized by a thick distortion and a slightly scooped midrange. It's the sound of a guitar amp pushed to its limits, creating a powerful and iconic sonic texture.

Gear

Fender Jaguarinstrument
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Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preampamp
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Shure SM57microphone
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Boss DS-1processing
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Electro-Harmonix Small Cloneprocessing
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The Story

Kurt Cobain's rhythm guitar tone on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was recorded at Sound City Studios using a Fender Jaguar through a Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp. The signal chain included a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal and an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus, with the amp sound captured using a Shure SM57 microphone positioned close to the cabinet. Producer Butch Vig helped shape the aggressive, scooped-midrange sound that became synonymous with the grunge movement.

Production Credits

Producer: Butch Vig

Engineer: Andy Wallace

Recorded at: Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, CA

Signal Chain

Instrument: Fender Jaguar

Amp: Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp

Microphone: Shure SM57

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

Recreation Tips

  • Start with a Fender Jaguar or a similar guitar with single-coil pickups.
  • Use a Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp or a similar tube amp known for its high-gain capabilities.
  • Experiment with different combinations of distortion and overdrive pedals to find the sweet spot.
  • Place a Shure SM57 close to the speaker cone to capture the amp's raw sound.
  • Adjust the EQ to scoop out some of the midrange frequencies for a more aggressive tone.

Original Gear

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

Substitutions & Recommendations

Squier Classic Vibe '60s Jaguar$450-$500

Alternative to: Fender Jaguar

Provides the short-scale neck and single-coil pickups essential to Cobain's raw jaguar sound at a budget-friendly price point

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Mesa/Boogie Mark V 25$1,200-$1,400

Alternative to: Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp

Modern Mesa head that captures the aggressive high-gain character and midrange scoop of the original Studio .22

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Boss Katana 100 MkII$350-$400

Alternative to: Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp

Budget-friendly amp with high-gain voicing and built-in effects that can approximate the saturated Mesa tone

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Boss DS-1 Distortion$50-$60

Alternative to: Boss DS-1

The exact same pedal Cobain used - still in production and essential for that buzzy, aggressive distortion character

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Electro-Harmonix Small Clone$70-$80

Alternative to: Electro-Harmonix Small Clone

The identical chorus pedal that adds the subtle warble and width to the rhythm guitar sound

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Neural DSP Archetype: Gojira$100-$120

Alternative to: Complete signal chain

High-gain amp modeling with aggressive distortion and built-in chorus effects suitable for grunge tones

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Sources

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