GuitarCleanRiff
Pennyroyal Tea Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Nirvana
Nirvana · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Mustang (left-handed, early 1970s, likely Competition Blue)
Pickups
Stock Fender single-coil pickups
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp into Crown power amp and Marshall 4x12 cabinets
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Studio recording, 1993, In Utero sessions at Pachyderm Studio. Clean tone sections (verses) likely used the Mustang's neck pickup and the Mesa/Boogie preamp set for a clean sound. No evidence of pedals or effects in the clean section; distortion pedals (SansAmp, DS-2) were used for heavy parts only.
Amp Settings
Mids7.5
Bass6
Gain0
Reverb1
Treble6
Presence5
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Tone Character
- warm and rounded
- clear and articulate
- slightly compressed
- dynamic and percussive
- minimal breakup
- subtle amp reverb
- no modulation or delay
- neck pickup fullness
- open, unprocessed sound
- medium attack