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.

Production Credits

Signal Chain

Recording Notes

• The guitar was likely recorded with a Shure SM57 close to the cabinet, capturing the raw energy of the overdriven amp.
• Kurt Cobain was known to stack multiple distortion and overdrive pedals to achieve his signature sound.
• The Mesa Boogie Studio .22 Preamp was used to get the aggressive distortion on Nevermind.

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.

Recommended Gear

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