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Rape Me (Live at The Paramount, 1991) Guitar Tone Settings
Nirvana · 1990s · rock
live
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Japan MG-69 Mustang (1991, Competition Blue, stock pickups)
Pickups
Fender Japan Mustang single-coil pickups
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp → Mesa/Boogie Strategy 400 Power Amp → Marshall 1960A 4x12 Cabinet
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Live performance at The Paramount, Seattle, 1991. Gear confirmed for this show; clean tone is from the amp with no pedals engaged. No evidence of chorus or modulation on clean section.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass5
Gain0
Reverb1.5
Treble6
Presence5.5
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Tone Character
- bright and glassy
- articulate single-coil attack
- slightly scooped mids
- clear and dynamic
- not compressed
- subtle amp reverb
- no modulation or chorus
- open and uncolored
- responsive to picking
- live room ambience
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No direct source gives exact amp knob settings for the clean section; values estimated from genre, era, and typical Mesa/Boogie/Marshall clean settings.
- No evidence of chorus, delay, or modulation on the clean riff; chorus pedal (EHX Small Clone) was on Kurt's board but not used for this section.
- Signal chain and amp confirmed for this show, but pickup position inferred from typical live footage and tone.
- Settings are for live performance, not studio recording.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Kurt Cobain at The Paramount in 1991 used a crunchy, mid-forward tone typical of his Jaguar/Mustang through a Mesa/Boogie or clean Fender preamp into a Boss DS-1/DS-2, with moderate gain, solid low end, pronounced mids, and little to no reverb, matching the raw, aggressive grunge sound of the era.