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Something In The Way Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Nirvana
Nirvana · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Stella 12-string acoustic (strung with 5 or 6 steel strings, likely missing high E)
Pickups
None (acoustic guitar, no pickups on studio version)
Amp
None (direct mic'd acoustic, no amp used in studio recording)
Pickup Position
N/A (acoustic, no pickup selector)
Studio version, recorded 1991 for Nevermind. Kurt Cobain played a pawn shop Stella 12-string acoustic guitar, reportedly with only 5 or 6 strings, sitting on a couch in the control room. No amp or pedals were used for the main riff/verse section. The guitar was mic'd directly. No electric guitar or amp on this section. This is confirmed by multiple sources and interviews.
Amp Settings
Mids2.5
Bass3
Gain0
Reverb0
Treble2.5
Presence2
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Tone Character
- warm and muted
- dark and mellow
- soft and intimate
- lo-fi acoustic texture
- slightly detuned, jangly
- minimal sustain
- no brightness or sparkle
- no compression or effects
- very soft attack
- fragile, haunting quality
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- No amp, pedals, or electric guitar used for the main riff/verse section in the studio recording. All sources confirm this is a direct mic'd acoustic performance.
- Some sources mention electric overdubs or feedback in the outro, but these are not present in the main riff/verse section.
- If you are researching the live or 'electric' version, gear and effects may differ—this JSON is for the original studio version only.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Kurt Cobain used a very clean, muted tone for 'Something In The Way,' likely with low gain and rolled-off treble/mids to achieve the dark, subdued sound. The amp was set clean with moderate bass and mids, very little treble or presence, and no reverb, matching the intimate, almost lo-fi production of the track.