GuitarCleanSolo80% confidence
Smells Like Teen Spirit Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Nirvana
Nirvana · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (likely Japanese, black, with Seymour Duncan JB bridge humbucker)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan JB Model SH-4 (bridge humbucker)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp into Crown Power Base 2 power amp and Marshall 4x12 cabinets
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup (Seymour Duncan JB humbucker)
Studio recording, 1991, Nevermind album. Clean tone sections (verses) used the amp's clean channel with pedals for modulation. The solo section is not fully clean but is less distorted than the main riff; however, the user requested the cleanest solo tone. Effects chain included chorus pedal. Pickup selection is inferred from typical Cobain setup for clean/chorus parts.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain0
Reverb1.5
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus · chorus
Fender Stratocaster (Seymour Duncan JB bridge) → Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus → Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp (clean channel) → Crown Power Base 2 → Marshall 4x12 cabinets
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Tone Character
- watery and modulated
- clear and glassy
- bright and articulate
- slightly compressed
- dynamic and responsive
- shimmering chorus effect
- not harsh or brittle
- full-bodied clean
- studio-polished
- distinct modulation swirl
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No direct numeric amp settings for clean solo found; settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp clean channel usage and 1990s rock genre.
- Pickup selection inferred from Cobain's use of bridge humbucker for clarity and punch in clean/chorus sections.
- No evidence of delay, reverb, or other modulation effects in the solo section besides chorus.
- Amp reverb likely minimal or off; most ambience from studio mixing.
- No evidence of effects loop usage in studio setup.
- If user is seeking the distorted solo tone, settings would differ (higher gain, DS-1 pedal engaged).
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Kurt Cobain used a high-gain, crunchy but not ultra-saturated tone for the solo, likely from a DS-1/DS-2 into a clean-ish amp (often a Fender or Mesa/Marshall), with mids and treble set for cut but not harshness, moderate bass, little to no reverb, and neutral presence for clarity without fizz.