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Riff Tone
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Nirvana
Guitarrock1990s
Original Gear
Guitar1965 Fender Jaguar (left-handed, DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge, DiMarzio PAF neck)
AmpMesa/Boogie Studio Preamp → Crown Power Base 2 Power Amp → Marshall 4x12 Cabinets
Amp Settings
gain0
bass4.5
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Notes
Studio recording, 1991, Nevermind sessions at Sound City Studios. Clean tone for verse/intro. Guitar and amp confirmed for studio use on this song/section.
Tone Character(10)
watery and shimmeringclean and janglyslightly modulatedbright but not harshfull-bodieddistinct chorus swirlarticulate attackwarm neck pickup charactersubtle studio reverbdynamic and responsive
Difficulty
The riff is rhythmically straightforward but requires tight muting and dynamic control to achieve the iconic clean, percussive sound. The chorus pedal timing and strumming consistency add a bit of challenge, but the part is accessible to most players.
This tone has been researched 13 times by the community
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Create Free AccountGuitarrock1990s
Original Gear
Guitar1965 Fender Jaguar (left-handed, DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge, DiMarzio PAF neck)
AmpMesa/Boogie Studio Preamp → Crown Power Base 2 Power Amp → Marshall 4x12 Cabinets
Amp Settings
gain0
bass4.5
Create an account to see all tone details
Create Free AccountEffects & Signal Chain
This tone has been researched 13 times by the community
Notes
Studio recording, 1991, Nevermind sessions at Sound City Studios. Clean tone for verse/intro. Guitar and amp confirmed for studio use on this song/section.
Tone Character(10)
watery and shimmeringclean and janglyslightly modulatedbright but not harshfull-bodieddistinct chorus swirlarticulate attackwarm neck pickup charactersubtle studio reverbdynamic and responsive
Difficulty
The riff is rhythmically straightforward but requires tight muting and dynamic control to achieve the iconic clean, percussive sound. The chorus pedal timing and strumming consistency add a bit of challenge, but the part is accessible to most players.