Riff Tone

Serve the Servants (Live at Pier 48, Seattle, WA, 12/13/93)

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Mustang (Sonic Blue, 1993, with Seymour Duncan JB humbucker in bridge)

AmpFender Quad Reverb (1970s, 4x12 combo, used for distortion via volume)

PickupsSeymour Duncan JB (bridge humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain7.5

bass6

mid7

treble6.5

reverb1

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

distortionBoss Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion

distortionTech 21 Tech 21 SansAmp Classic

Notes

Live performance at Pier 48, Seattle, 12/13/93. Guitar is a Sonic Blue Fender Mustang with a Seymour Duncan JB humbucker in the bridge. Amp is a Fender Quad Reverb, driven hard for distortion. Effects chain confirmed for Live and Loud era. Settings are for live, not studio.

Tone Character(10)

fuzzed-out and saturatedraw and aggressivecutting upper midstight and percussive rhythmslightly scooped but present midsgrainy, compressed sustainraspy, biting top endchunky, thick power chordsloose, punk-inspired crunchminimal clarity, maximum impact

Difficulty

The riff is based on fast, aggressive power chords with palm muting and requires tight timing and stamina, but does not involve advanced techniques or complex chord voicings.

Sources

"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 Nirvana: Super Fuzz Big Muff | Guitar World Nirvana – Live And Loud - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard What Was Kurt's Rig/Equipment Setup for Live and Loud 1993?

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