Riff Tone

Lithium (Live at Reading, 08/30/92)

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

Guitar1965 Fender Jaguar (left-handed, modified with DiMarzio PAF and Super Distortion pickups)

AmpMesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp into Crown Power Base 2 power amp and Marshall 4x12 cabinet

PickupsDiMarzio PAF (neck), DiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge)

Amp Settings

gain7

bass6

mid6.5

treble6.5

reverb1.5

presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionBoss Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion

Notes

Live performance at Reading Festival, August 30, 1992. Kurt Cobain used his iconic modified Jaguar for most of the set, including 'Lithium.' The amp setup is confirmed for this era and show. Pedalboard was minimal and focused on distortion/fuzz. Settings are for live, not studio.

Tone Character(9)

chunky and thick cleansfull-bodied, mid-heavy crunchaggressive, biting distortiontight, percussive rhythm attackslightly scooped but not thindynamic, responds to pick attacknot overly saturated, retains claritydistinct, cutting presence in the mixraw, punk-inspired edge

Difficulty

The riff is based on power chords and straightforward rhythm, but requires dynamic control and tight, aggressive strumming to capture the song's energy.

Sources

Nirvana – Live at Reading - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard NIRVANA [Live Reading 1992]: Objectivity on the concert The story of Kurt Cobain's Fender Jaguar

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