[Nirvana] Kurt Cobain's Equipment [Amps, Guitars, Effects]

Kurt Cobain was born in Aberdeen, Washington in 1967.
Although he grew up in a complicated family environment, experiencing his parents' divorce and family discord, he was strongly drawn to music from an early age.

My first influences were the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and rebellious punk rock like the Sex Pistols.
The presence of John Lennon in particular was special to him, and it is said that he sometimes referred to himself as the "modern John Lennon."

He taught himself to play guitar and was already a member of several bands by his teenage years.
While he was passionate about music, Kurt was also tormented by feelings of alienation and emptiness from society, and music may have been his only outlet.

He formed a fateful bond with bassist Krist Novoselic, whom he met in high school, and formed Nirvana in 1987.
Chad Channing joined the band on drums, and the band began performing live between Aberdeen, Washington and Seattle.

In their early days, they played at local house parties and small live music venues, with a style that directly reflected the rough impulses of grunge and punk.
At the time, Kurt was using affordable Univox and Fernandes guitars and solid-state amplifiers to pursue his own unique sense of distortion and sound.

In 1989, they signed with the indie label Sub Pop and released their debut album, Bleach.
The album was produced for just $600 and completed in just a few days, and was filled with a heavy, dark sound that was unimaginable from the later Nirvana.

During this period, Kurt began to exude his "devastating charisma" not only in his music but also in his stage performances.
Their live performances, which featured guitar slamming and amplifier kicking, attracted a lot of attention and left a strong impact on the underground scene.

At this time, Kurt seemed to have a clear musical vision as well as a strong determination to "change the world."

In 1991, he signed with major label Geffen Records and released his second album, Nevermind.
When the lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was played heavily on MTV, Nirvana instantly became a worldwide sensation.

The word "grunge" became a keyword symbolizing the era, and they rose from being the "symbol of alternative" to being the "kings of rock."

However, Kurt himself felt a strong sense of discomfort and conflict about this commercial success.
His attitude, which even led him to say, "We'd rather burn our records than have them recouped by commercialism," ironically only served to further deify the band.

For his studio work, he combines a Mesa/Boogie rack preamp with a Marshall cabinet to create that thick distortion.
He also demonstrates his meticulous side by overdubbing vintage amps such as the Vox AC30 and Fender Bassman, creating different "sound blueprints" for each song.

In 1993, they released their third album, "In Utero," with producer Steve Albini.
On this album, Kurt clearly distances himself from the "pop quality of Nevermind" and pursues a rougher, more raw sound.

In their signature track "Heart-Shaped Box," they made use of the strange fluctuations produced by the Electro-Harmonix PolyChorus, and intentionally pursued an expression that was not overly "tidy," for example, by leaving the intense noise and feedback in the studio as it was.

During this period, the Tech 21 SansAmp Classic was used as the main distortion amplifier, and used in conjunction with the DS-2 to switch between different distortion sources depending on the song.
Perhaps he was trying to free himself from the title of grunge icon and return to his true self both musically and spiritually.

After the release of "In Utero," the band toured Europe and the United States in 1993-94.
On stage, Kurt used a mix of new and old equipment, and even tried out the DOD Grunge pedal, remaining hungry to create sound until the very end.

However, his mental instability grew, and in March 1994, Nirvana suddenly called time on their activities in the middle of a tour.
The following month, Kurt Cobain was found dead at his home. He was 27 years old.
It was a moment that made him part of the "27 Club" in music history.

His death sent shock waves around the world, but the music and passion for equipment he left behind continues to serve as a guide for countless guitarists today.

Their approach is to bring out the maximum expression with limited equipment.
His playing embodied the idea that even with broken equipment and cheap guitars, "if there's a will, it can become art."

Kurt Cobain's career is a story of success, but also a dramatic document of his coming into contact with himself through the tool of "equipment."

Kurt Cobain declared that his "favorite guitar in the world" was the short-scale Fender Mustang.
The compact body and thin neck fit comfortably in his hands and boasted maneuverability that could withstand aggressive strokes.

The 1969 "Competition Blue" Mustang is a symbolic car that appears in their live performances and music videos.
The blue body with white stripes is also a visual icon of Nirvana.

Kurt has a genuine single coil pickupSeymour Duncan JB HumbuckerReplaced with to enhance density when distorted.
More maneuverable than a Strat and lighter than a Les Paul, the Mustang was the perfect "wild companion" for his playing style.

Currently, a signature model that faithfully reproduces his specifications is also available for sale.

Along with the Mustang, the1965 Fender JaguarA modified machine.
With a sunburst finish, red tortoiseshell pickguard and complex switching, it was impressive to see him freely change tones during the live performance.

The pickup isDiMarzio PAF ProとSuper DistortionEquipped with.
In later stages, it was replaced with a Seymour Duncan JB, which gave it a thickness that didn't get drowned out even by intense distortion.

Jaguar's signature 24-inch scale and unique tremolo system produced tight riffs and unsteady solos, emblematic of his tense playing.

The only guitar that Kurt was involved in designing himself wasFender Jagstang.
It was born from the idea of ​​"combining the best features of the Mustang and Jaguar," and the prototype was completed in 1993.

The body shape is inherited from Jaguar, and the pickup configuration is a single pickup in the front and a humbucker in the rear.
It was frequently used during live performances, and for him in his later years it was like a "mirror reflecting his own sound."

It is currently sold commercially as a signature model, making it accessible to many fans.

From around 1988 through the Bleach era,Univox High Flyer.
The Mosrite-esque shape and sharp sound produced by the P-90 type pickups were a perfect fit for Kurt's rough riffs of the time.

This affordable guitar was also used for "destructive performances" on stage, and it is said to have been broken and replaced at numerous live shows.

The live recordings after "Nevermind" were supported byMesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp + Marshall 1960 4x12 CabinetThis is the golden combination.

The thick gain created by the vacuum tube preamp is output from the Marshall cabinet with a thumping sound.
This setup was the epitome of the '90s grunge sound, epitomized by the explosive riff at the beginning of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

For power amplifiersCrown Power Base 2,Mesa Strategy 400They combined these to create a huge stack to generate sound pressure.

On the other hand, in clean tone recordings and unplugged live performances,Fender twin reverbplayed an important role.

This amp is behind the beautiful clean sound with slightly distorted acoustic guitar on tracks like "About A Girl" and "All Apologies."

It was also used as an emergency backup during live performances, and could be said to have been like a talisman in terms of both reliability and sound quality.

It was used from 1988 to 1990.Sunn Beta LeadThe transistor amplifier.
This amp, capable of producing rough, wild distortion, was highly valued during live performances and recordings during the Sub Pop era.

Highly durable, the Beta Lead was often stacked in groups, making it a perfect fit for the "destructive aesthetic" of carts.

In the studio recordings of the "Nevermind" and "In Utero" eras,Vox AC30,Fender BassmanAlso used.
These amps were layered over the Mesa's gain to create an exquisite blend of weight and air.

Kurt stubbornly doesn't stick to one piece of equipment.Flexibility to choose the best sound for each songIt is also worth noting that it had

From the late 1980s to around 1991, Kurt used the following guitars extensively in both live performances and recordings:BOSS DS-1.
Known for its orange casing, this pedal is attractive for its affordable price and stable output.

Especially in the "Bleach" period and early performances of "Smells Like Teen Spirit,"Amplifier + DS-1 combinationThis creates that rough, harsh distortion.

His settings were extreme, with full distortion and subdued tone, and you could say he was projecting his own nuances onto the DS-1, which has no clear character.

Since the end of 1991, the DS-1 has been replaced by theBOSS DS-2 Turbo Distortion.
Turbo mode allows for a wide range of adjustment for mid-range push and gain, improving sound projection during live performances.

Cart isExternal foot switch instead of the main unitHe used to switch modes, instantly changing the texture of the distortion in songs like the guitar solo in "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Even after the introduction of the SansAmp, the DS-2 continues to play an important role as a secondary amplifier.
It seems he used them flexibly depending on the style of the song and his picking style.

Introduced in the "In Utero" periodSansAmp Classiccan be said to be the true identity of Kurt's ``violent, three-dimensional'' distortion.

Utilizing the complex tone adjustment function via DIP switches,Intense distortion sound with a focus on the midrangeBuild.
The knobs were turned almost to full ten, creating a sound with a powerful "pressure" that seemed to surge across all ranges.

The SansAmp's extreme distortion explodes in the band's signature live song, "Scentless Apprentice."
The heavy, undulating guitar sound tightened up the whole song.

The most famous chorus pedal is theElectro-Harmonix Small Clone.
It has been a regular part of my pedal board since 1991, and the underwater intro to "Come As You Are" would not be possible without this pedal.

Kurt uses this pedalUse it almost always ON and blend with a volume pedalYou can create your own unique settings, such as:
It played an important role in adding warmth and shimmer to the clean section.

A multi-function modulation pedal that Kurt used temporarily.
The PolyChorus (formerly EchoFlanger), which can handle a variety of effects such as flanger, delay, and chorus in one unit, attracted particular attention during the "In Utero" period.

At the live performance, he performed the solo of "Heart-Shaped Box",High-pitched oscillatory sound effectIt created a strong impression on the audience.
However, the controls were a bit complicated and unstable, so I ended up going back to Small Clone in the second half of the game.

The thick chord work in the classic song "Lithium" is backed by a traditional fuzz pedal.Big Muff π.
The lack of separation and "wall-like" distortion was only used during recording and not during live performances.

The characteristics of a sustain-focused fuzzButch Vig used it for overdubbing.This pedal also has this aspect, making a significant contribution behind the scenes.

It was briefly used during the recording sessions for the Nevermind era.ProCo RATis a sharp and harsh fuzz distortion.
It was used on chaotic tracks like "Breed" and "Territorial Pissings."

It is said that Kurt quickly stopped using the RAT due to the difficulty of creating sounds for live performances, and returned to the DS-2 and SansAmp.

It was used briefly in the TV live show "Live and Loud" at the end of 1993.DOD Grunge.
As the name suggests, this is an extreme distortion designed for grunge and was used in conjunction with the SansAmp.

However, there was also an incident where the device had a contact problem and was thrown towards the audience during a live performance.
This "experimental" nature is what makes this episode so Kurt Cobain-like.