GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
Territorial Pissings (Remastered) Guitar Tone Settings — Nirvana
Nirvana · 1990s · punk
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Japanese Stratocaster (likely 1989-1991, black, with single-coil pickups, possibly swapped bridge humbucker, but for this song likely stock single-coil)
Pickups
Fender single-coil (stock Japanese Stratocaster pickups, possibly bridge position)
Amp
Direct to mixing console (no amp used on studio recording, distortion from pedal and console overdrive)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording for 'Nevermind' (1991); for 'Territorial Pissings' riff, Kurt Cobain plugged his Japanese Stratocaster directly into the mixing board using a ProCo RAT distortion pedal. No amp or amp-based effects were used. This is confirmed by multiple sources and interviews with Butch Vig.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass5
Gain9
Reverb0
Treble7
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- ProCo RAT Distortion · distortion
Fender Japanese Stratocaster → ProCo RAT Distortion → Mixing Console (no amp, no reverb)
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Tone Character
- extremely aggressive and raw
- abrasive fuzz/distortion
- bright and cutting
- piercing upper mids
- lo-fi and punk-inspired
- intentionally harsh and blown-out
- no ambience or reverb
- compressed and saturated
- direct and in-your-face
- chaotic and energetic
Notes & Caveats
- No amp was used on the studio recording; all distortion is from the ProCo RAT pedal and console overdrive.
- EQ settings are estimated based on typical console and RAT pedal tone; no amp EQ was present.
- Pickup is inferred as bridge due to the bright, cutting tone, but not explicitly confirmed in sources.
- No reverb or time-based effects are present; the sound is intentionally dry and raw.
- Pedal settings are not confirmed in sources; gain is set to maximum based on typical RAT usage for this song.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Kurt Cobain used a high-gain, mid-forward, raw tone for 'Territorial Pissings,' likely with a cranked preamp on a Mesa/Boogie or Marshall, minimal reverb, and settings that emphasize aggression and clarity without scooping the mids. The tone is dry, aggressive, and cutting, matching the grunge aesthetic and production style of Nevermind.