Solo Tone

Lithium

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Mustang (early 1970s, likely 1971, with stock pickups)

AmpFender Bassman (6G6-A/B, vintage blonde piggyback head, through Marshall 4x12 cab with Celestion G12T-75 speakers)

PickupsStock Fender Mustang single-coil pickups

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid6.5

treble7

reverb0.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

fuzzElectro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (likely V3 or V6)

Notes

Studio recording for 'Nevermind' (1991). Solo section tracked with Mustang into Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (likely V3 or V6) into Fender Bassman head, mic'd with Neumann U87, through Marshall 4x12. No evidence of additional pedals or modulation/time-based effects in the solo. Settings estimated based on era, genre, and amp type. No chorus, delay, or reverb used on solo section.

Tone Character(10)

thick and saturated fuzzdark, thumping low endcrunchy and aggressive attacksustained, compressed notesraw, unpolished texturemid-heavy presencenot overly brightminimal clarity, intentionally muddyno modulation or time-based effectsstudio mic'd for extra thickness

Difficulty

The solo is straightforward, focusing on raw energy and fuzz sustain rather than technical complexity. The main challenge is controlling feedback and dynamics with high-gain fuzz.

Sources

Kurt Cobain's Guitar Rig, Gear & Pedalboard Kurt Cobain's Effects Pedals Kurt Cobain's guitars, amps & pedals: the definitive guide | Guitar World

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