Riff Tone

Rape Me (Demo)

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Mustang (early 70s, left-handed, likely stock single coils)

AmpMarshall Plexi 1959SLP (Frankenstein modded, as used in In Utero demo sessions)

PickupsFender Mustang single coil pickups (stock or vintage spec)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid7.5

treble6.5

reverb1

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio demo recording, 1992-1993, In Utero demo era. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this clean section. No pedals confirmed for clean part; distortion pedals used for heavy sections only.

Tone Character(10)

raw and slightly gritty cleanbright and jangly attackmedium output single coil clarityhollow, booming low endemphasized midrange presenceslightly compressednot sparkling clean, but not distortedsubtle amp reverb for spacepercussive pick attackno audible modulation or delay

Difficulty

The riff is straightforward, using basic chords and strumming, but requires dynamic control to maintain a clean tone and avoid unwanted breakup, especially with single coils into a Marshall amp.

Sources

Nirvana – In Utero - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard "Rape Me" clean tone? - Jag-Stang.com Forum Aaron Rash has taken his Nirvana gear journey to a whole new level: he's built the 'Frankenamp' Kurt Cobain used that's the final part in the In Utero tone puzzle | MusicRadar

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