Riff Tone

Rape Me (Live In Los Angeles, Great Western Forum - December 30, 1993)

Nirvana

Guitarpunk1990s

Original Gear

Guitar1993 Fender Custom Telecaster (blue, known as 'Blue Courtney')

AmpFender Quad Reverb (1970s silverface, 4x12 combo)

PickupsSeymour Duncan Hot Rails (bridge), stock Telecaster neck pickup

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6

treble6.5

reverb2

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Live performance, December 30, 1993, Great Western Forum, Los Angeles. Gear confirmed for In Utero tour and this show. Clean tone sections use amp clean channel with pedals bypassed. No evidence of modulation or delay effects for clean riff section.

Tone Character(10)

clear and uncompressedbright and articulateslightly scooped midsdynamic and percussiveopen and ringing chordsminimal reverbdistinct Telecaster clarityno audible modulationtight low endnatural room ambience

Difficulty

The riff is built on simple chord shapes and strumming, with no advanced techniques or fast passages, but requires precise dynamics to maintain clarity in a live punk context.

Sources

Nirvana – Live And Loud - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard Kurt Cobain's Guitar Rig, Gear & Pedalboard | Equipboard "It sounds exactly like the record" – guitarist nails Kurt Cobain's Nirvana In Utero distorted tones with two pedals, a Fender amp and some insider information | MusicRadar

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