Riff Tone

About a Girl (Live Acoustic)

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarMartin D-18E (1959, heavily modified with Bartolini pickups and controls)

AmpFender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1960s, used as acoustic amp for MTV Unplugged)

PickupsBartolini 3AV soundhole pickup (neck position), stock DeArmond soundhole pickup (bridge position), both active in blend

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid5.5

treble7

reverb4

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live performance, MTV Unplugged in New York, recorded November 18, 1993. Guitar was strung with light gauge acoustic strings, played with a pick. The Martin D-18E was run through the Fender Twin Reverb for stage monitoring and FOH. No pedals were used for the clean riff section; all effects are from amp or board.

Tone Character(10)

clear and natural acoustic timbrewoody resonancebright and articulate highsslightly warm midsopen and airy top enddetailed string attackdynamic and responsiveno audible effects colorationsubtle spring reverb ambiencepresent but not boomy low end

Difficulty

The riff is based on open chords with a steady strumming pattern and requires clean, even dynamics for clarity, but does not involve advanced techniques or fast changes.

Sources

Nirvana – MTV Unplugged In New York - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album Song specific gear : r/Nirvana

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