Riff Tone

Old Age (Nevermind Outtake)

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarEarly-'90s Japanese Fender Stratocaster (left-handed, with Seymour Duncan JB humbucker in bridge)

AmpMesa/Boogie Studio Preamp into Crown Power Base 2 power amp and Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet

PickupsSeymour Duncan JB bridge humbucker

Amp Settings

gain6.5

bass5

mid7.5

treble6

reverb0

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionBoss Boss DS-1 Distortion

Notes

Studio recording, 1991 (Nevermind sessions, Sound City Studios). Guitar was a Japanese Strat with a JB humbucker in the bridge. Amp was a Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp into a Crown power amp and Marshall 4x12. Boss DS-1 pedal was main distortion. No evidence of chorus or modulation on this riff section; Small Clone used elsewhere but not on this track.

Tone Character(10)

raspy, saturated distortionmidrange-forward punchtight, percussive attackslightly scooped lowsarticulate pick responseraw, uncompressed dynamicsbridge humbucker biteno modulation or time-based effectsclassic 'Nevermind' rhythm crunchaggressive, present upper mids

Difficulty

The riff is based on power chords and straightforward rhythm, but requires tight muting and aggressive picking to match the attack and energy of the original recording.

Sources

Kurt Cobain's guitars, amps & pedals: the definitive guide | Guitar World Kurt Cobain‘s guitar tone on Nirvana‘s Smells Like Teen Spirit: secrets behind the sound | Guitar World Need help finding the best settings to sound like nirvana (on guitar)

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