Riff Tone
Spank Thru (Live In Rome, Italy, November 19, 1991)
Nirvana
Guitarpunk1990s
Original Gear
GuitarFender Mustang MG69 (left-handed, likely blue or sunburst, as used by Kurt Cobain in late 1991 live shows)
AmpHiwatt DR103 Custom 100 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12T-75 speakers
PickupsStock Fender single coil in neck, Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 humbucker in bridge (bridge pickup most likely for clean riff sections)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5
mid5.5
treble6.5
reverb1
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
Notes
Live performance, Rome, Italy, November 19, 1991. Gear confirmed for this tour/era by multiple sources. Settings and effects inferred for clean section; most sources focus on distorted tone, but clean intro/riff is present in this song.
Tone Character(10)
chimey and openbright and articulateslightly scooped midsclear note separationpercussive attackminimal breakupdynamic responseuncompressednot harsh or brittleno audible modulation
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, accurate power chord changes and tight muting for clarity, but does not involve advanced techniques or complex fingerings.
Sources
This tone has been researched 2 times by the community
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Create Free AccountGuitarpunk1990s
Original Gear
GuitarFender Mustang MG69 (left-handed, likely blue or sunburst, as used by Kurt Cobain in late 1991 live shows)
AmpHiwatt DR103 Custom 100 head into Marshall 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12T-75 speakers
PickupsStock Fender single coil in neck, Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 humbucker in bridge (bridge pickup most likely for clean riff sections)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass5
mid5.5
treble6.5
reverb1
presence5.5
Effects & Signal Chain
No effects used for this tone
This tone has been researched 2 times by the community
Notes
Live performance, Rome, Italy, November 19, 1991. Gear confirmed for this tour/era by multiple sources. Settings and effects inferred for clean section; most sources focus on distorted tone, but clean intro/riff is present in this song.
Tone Character(10)
chimey and openbright and articulateslightly scooped midsclear note separationpercussive attackminimal breakupdynamic responseuncompressednot harsh or brittleno audible modulation
Difficulty
The riff requires fast, accurate power chord changes and tight muting for clarity, but does not involve advanced techniques or complex fingerings.
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