I also own a Gibson Les Paul DC Standard and a Yamaha Pacifica Tele. Grab yourself a pack a set of Dean Markley Heavy strings (as these were most likely what Kurt used himself), and a pack of Dunlop Tortex. I've been playing over 10 years now and this was my first acoustic. Add to that an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus, which is what Kurt used to create that ‘wobbly’ effect on “Come As You Are”, and during verses on “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Strings, Picks Pick yourself at least a distortion pedal, more precisely a Boss DS-2 (which is what Kurt used in his later years). In case you plan to only practice in your room and don’t want to invest in pedals, get yourself a modeling amp, maybe a Fender Mustang LT-25. In the case you do, it would probably be best to get yourself a decent used 50w+ combo amp. You’ll pretty much use the clean channel all the time anyway, and add distortion with a pedal. When it comes to amps, you can get away with almost any decent amp. Grab a cheap Mexican Stratocaster, or even a Squier, and load it with a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails pickup in the bridge position – because that’s exactly what Kurt did with a lot of his guitars. However, a cheaper option would be building something of your own.
So, if you really want the ‘iconic stuff,’ you could get yourself the Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar, which is based on the guitar that Kurt used probably the most. Kurt wasn’t too picky about his guitars, and especially in the early years, prior to Nevermind, he had to make do with what was available. To see the equipment that Jeff actually used himself, and all that went into it, refer to the chronological list below. In reality, a lot of factors go into replicating someone’s sound, and it’s usually nearly impossible to achieve. Please note that this is just a quick basic guide for beginners. In the latter years, he switched to an EHX Pol圜horus/EchoFlanger. He also used an EHX Small Clone Chorus pedal on a number of Nirvana’s hits, including “Come as You Are”, and “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Regarding effects, Kurt used a Boss DS-1 and DS-2 distortion pedals, the latter of which replaced the former around the time of Nevermind release. To see the photos, check out our Pinterest board at Kurt Cobain’s DS-1 on Pinterest.Kurt playing his Martin D-18E during MTV Unplugged concert. DS-1 on TourĪs noted in the opening paragraph, the pedal was used for the entirety of the Bleach tour, and for the first couple of months of Nevermind. If you by any chance happen to come across an interview from Butch (or from Kurt for that matter), where there are specific pedals mentioned, be sure to forward it. However, Butch Vig, who produced the album, and was interviewed in a 2005 documentary ‘ Classic Albums: Nirvana – Nevermind‘, does not mention which pedal Kurt used exactly.įurthermore, every single article from a well-known magazine that lists the Boss DS-1 as the pedal used on Nevermind doesn’t list their source, and always seems to quote Butch indirectly.
The Definitive Kurt Cobain Gear Guide By Chris Gillīy the time the band started recording ‘Nevermind’ in April 1990, Kurt most likely continued using the pedal. He was using a little orange Boss DS-1 distortion pedal and these Univox guitars that looked like Mosrites. Kurt brought in a little closed-back 2×12 cabinet with two Celestions, most likely 70-watt models. Based on this, it is also likely that the pedal was used on the following tour between June 1989 and May 1990. Bleach, NevermindĪccording to Jack Endino, who produced ‘Bleach’, during the studio sessions Kurt was playing through a Boss DS-1 pedal. If you happen to come across an interview where Kurt talks about pedals, and which ones he preferred, be sure to forward it. At some point during the Nevermind tour, he did make a switch to a DS-2 model, but it’s hard to determine when exactly this happened due to the lack of photos.Īlso worth mentioning is that most of what is known about this pedal, and Kurt’s preference in regards to pedals, mostly comes from other sources and not Kurt himself. The Boss DS-1 could arguably be considered one of the key elements of Kurt’s sound since he used it as his main distortion pedal basically throughout Bleach and Nevermind era.