Riff Tone

Drain You (Live & Loud)

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender 1993 Custom Telecaster

AmpTech 21 SansAmp Classic (direct to PA/power amp, no traditional guitar amp used for clean sections on Live & Loud)

PickupsSeymour Duncan Hot Rails (bridge), stock single coil (neck)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6

treble7

reverb1

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live performance, 1993, MTV 'Live & Loud'. Kurt used his 1993 Fender Custom Telecaster for this show. Clean sections were played with the SansAmp Classic as the primary amp simulator, not a traditional amp. No evidence of modulation or time-based pedals in the clean riff section.

Tone Character(10)

raw and mid-heavytight and dryarticulate clean attackslightly compressedminimal reverbdirect and unprocessedbright but not harshaggressive picking with clean responseno modulation or time-based effectsslightly gritty edge when played hard

Difficulty

The riff is straightforward with power chords and open strings, but requires consistent picking attack and tight muting to maintain clarity in a live, high-volume setting.

Sources

Nirvana – Live And Loud - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard Kurt Cobain's Guitar Rig, Gear & Pedalboard | Equipboard Amp Settings for Drain You by Nirvana (guitars and tone) - Guitar Chalk

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account