Riff Tone

Plateau (Live Acoustic)

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarMartin D-18E (1959, modified with Bartolini and DeArmond pickups)

AmpFender Twin Reverb (Silverface, 1970s, combo amp, mic'd on stage)

PickupsBartolini 3AV (neck, single coil), DeArmond (bridge, single coil), plus piezo under-saddle (stock wiring bypassed, used Bartolini/DeArmond for live sound)

Amp Settings

gain2

bass6

mid6

treble6

reverb3.5

presence5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live performance, MTV Unplugged in New York (1993). Guitar was run through the amp with minimal effects. Acoustic guitar with magnetic pickups, not piezo. No evidence of pedals for clean riff section.

Tone Character(10)

warm and woodyclear and articulateslightly scooped midsnatural acoustic resonancesubtle amp reverbbright but not harshpercussive strummingno audible effectsopen, airy sounddynamic response to picking

Difficulty

The riff is based on straightforward open and barre chords with a steady strumming pattern, requiring moderate dynamic control but no advanced techniques.

Sources

Nirvana – MTV Unplugged In New York - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album The story of Nirvana's MTV Unplugged set – and final chapter | Guitar World

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