Riff Tone

In Bloom

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Mustang (early 60s, sonic blue, single-coil bridge pickup)

AmpFender Bassman (blackface, vintage tube amp, used in Nevermind studio sessions)

PickupsFender single-coil (bridge position)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid6

treble7

reverb1

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionBoss Boss DS-1 Distortion

chorusElectro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus

Notes

Studio recording for 'In Bloom' (Nevermind, 1991). Guitar is the early 60s sonic blue Mustang with single-coil bridge pickup, as confirmed by Equipboard and video evidence. Amp is Fender Bassman, used in Nevermind sessions per Butch Vig and Equipboard. Effects chain includes Boss DS-1 Distortion and Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus. Settings are estimated based on genre, era, and typical Nevermind session gear.

Tone Character(10)

sharp, serrated attackthick, saturated rhythm tonemodulated chorus shimmertight, punchy power chordsaggressive bridge pickup bitegritty, compressed midrangearticulate note separationdynamic pick attackfull-bodied, slightly scooped EQslightly glassy top end

Difficulty

The riff is based on power chords and straightforward rhythm, but requires tight muting, consistent attack, and timing with the chorus effect for authentic sound.

Sources

Kurt Cobain's Guitar Rig, Gear & Pedalboard | Equipboard Anyone know the pedals used in 'In Bloom'? More specifically, the ...Video: How to Achieve Nirvana Guitar Tones with 5 Cheap Pedals What effect pedals did Kurt use on in bloom? : r/Nirvana - Reddit

This tone has been researched 23 times by the community

Create an account to adapt this tone to your gear

Create Free Account