Riff Tone

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Nirvana

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

Guitar1965 Fender Jaguar (left-handed, DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge, DiMarzio PAF neck)

AmpMesa/Boogie Studio Preamp → Crown Power Base 2 Power Amp → Marshall 4x12 Cabinets

PickupsDiMarzio PAF (neck), DiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass4.5

mid6

treble7

reverb1

presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

chorusElectro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Small Clone

Notes

Studio recording, 1991, Nevermind sessions at Sound City Studios. Clean tone for verse/intro. Guitar and amp confirmed for studio use on this song/section.

Tone Character(10)

watery and shimmeringclean and janglyslightly modulatedbright but not harshfull-bodieddistinct chorus swirlarticulate attackwarm neck pickup charactersubtle studio reverbdynamic and responsive

Difficulty

The riff is rhythmically straightforward but requires tight muting and dynamic control to achieve the iconic clean, percussive sound. The chorus pedal timing and strumming consistency add a bit of challenge, but the part is accessible to most players.

Sources

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit | Wiki @ Ultimate-Guitar.com Kurt Cobain's guitar tone on Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit Kurt Cobain's gear: the Nevermind rig (and how to recreate his ...

This tone has been researched 16 times by the community

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