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Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle — Nirvana1 / 2
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Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle Guitar Tone Settings

Nirvana · 1990s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Fender Jaguar (early 1960s, modded, used by Kurt Cobain on In Utero sessions)
Pickups
DiMarzio PAF (neck), DiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge) humbuckers
Amp
Hiwatt Custom 100 DR103 (modded, used for In Utero studio recording)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup (DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker)

Studio recording, 1993, In Utero sessions. Clean tone sections likely used the Jaguar with bridge humbucker. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section.

Amp Settings

Mids
6.5
Bass
6
Gain
4
Reverb
1
Treble
6.5
Presence
5.5

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Tone Character

  • clear and punchy
  • articulate attack
  • slightly scooped mids
  • tight low end
  • minimal reverb
  • no modulation or time-based effects
  • percussive muted strumming
  • bright but not harsh
  • dynamic response to picking
  • distinct separation from distorted sections

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings for clean tone found; settings estimated based on typical Hiwatt clean settings for 1990s rock and In Utero session context.
  • ⚠️No evidence of chorus, flanger, delay, or other modulation/time-based effects in the clean section; only minimal amp reverb inferred.
  • ⚠️Pedal use (Univox Square Wave, DS-1) is for distorted sections only, not for clean riff.
  • ⚠️Pickup choice inferred from typical Cobain usage and tonal character; some sources mention Mustang as alternate, but Jaguar is most documented for In Utero studio.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Kurt Cobain used a high-gain, crunchy, but not overly saturated tone for this In Utero-era track, likely via a DS-1/DS-2 into a clean-ish amp (Vox AC30 or Fender Twin). The tone is aggressive but not scooped, with mids slightly forward, bass tight but present, and little to no reverb, matching Steve Albini's dry production style.

Sources