Solo Tone

Drain You

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Stratocaster (likely 1965 reissue, with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in bridge)

AmpFender Bassman (silverface, late 60s/early 70s, studio recording)

PickupsSeymour Duncan Hot Rails (bridge), stock Fender single coils (middle/neck)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6

treble6.5

reverb2

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording for Nevermind (1991). Clean sections (intro/verse/solo) are widely reported to use a Fender Bassman amp and a Stratocaster with the neck or middle pickup. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for the clean solo. Pickup likely set to neck or neck+middle for clean tone.

Tone Character(10)

bright and glassyarticulate single notesslightly compressed attackdynamic and percussiveminimal breakupFender clean amp characterno audible modulationslight room ambiencestudio claritynot lo-fi

Difficulty

The solo is not technically complex but requires clean, articulate picking and dynamic control to maintain clarity and avoid unwanted noise. Moderate difficulty due to phrasing and timing.

Sources

How do you get Drain You guitar tone? : r/Nirvana Kurt Cobain's guitars, amps & pedals: the definitive guide | Guitar World

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