Achieving Nirvana's iconic guitar sound involves a combination of gear, settings, and playing style. There's no single "Nirvana tone," as Kurt Cobain's sound varied across albums and even within songs. However, we can outline common approaches to getting close.
Amp Settings: A Starting Point
A good starting point for your amp settings is around 4-5-6 (Bass-Mids-Treble). However, depending on your amp, you may need to adjust significantly. Expect to experiment within a range of 5-5-4 to 6-8-8. Remember, these are guidelines; your specific amp and its response will dictate the ideal settings.
- Experimentation is key: Start with the suggested settings and adjust to your liking. Listen carefully and fine-tune until you find a sound you're happy with.
Essential Gear and Effects
While amp settings are crucial, the right equipment plays a vital role in achieving the Nirvana sound.
- Distortion Pedal: A DOD Grunge pedal is often cited as a key component in replicating that signature grunge distortion. Other distortion pedals can also work; experiment to find one you like.
- Chorus Pedal: Adding chorus can help thicken the sound and provide that characteristic "shimmer" found in many Nirvana songs.
Playing Style: More Than Just the Gear
Kurt Cobain's playing style was as crucial to his sound as his gear.
- Power Chords: Cobain primarily used power chords, often played with his index and ring finger in a somewhat sloppy, less precise style than many guitarists. This contributed significantly to the raw feel of his music.
- Clean Intros: For cleaner intros, he would typically utilize neck pickups. Remember that the clean passages would often be played with a light touch to retain clarity.
Refining Your Tone: Album-Specific Considerations
While the above provides a general approach, remember Nirvana's sound evolved across their albums. Researching specific album tones will yield more refined results. For example, the tone on Nevermind might differ from In Utero. Pay attention to the specific songs you want to emulate to nail those nuances.
Examples from Various Sources:
- Peavey Classic 30: One user suggests using a guitar with humbuckers, a Peavey Classic 30 amp (set to barely distort when digging in), full mids, bass at 3/4, treble at noon, and a DS-1 distortion pedal.
- Vox Pathfinder 10: Another recommendation involves setting bass and treble to halfway (noon) on a Vox Pathfinder 10 and utilizing a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal and a chorus pedal.
- Line 6 Spider V 20: A suggestion for the Line 6 Spider V 20 includes: Gain - 7, Treble - 7, Mid - 4, Bass - 3, Reverb - 2. This was supplemented with Drop D tuning.
