Kurt Cobain's Sound on Nevermind (1991)

When Nirvana released their second album, Nevermind in September of 1991, it instantly became a major reference point in the history of music. It was not only one of the biggest selling albums of the decade (and to date has sold over 30 million copies), but it also marked a point in time that shifted guitar-based music forever.

Practically overnight, the over-produced, high octane rock-and-roll sound of the 1980s was shattered. Gone were the walls of stacks and racks, locking tremolos and big hair – Grunge had arrived with its raw, direct sound that hit home with the youth of the time.

This didn't only represent a monumental shift in the music industry; it was also a wake up call for aspiring guitar players. Grunge meant that anyone armed with a guitar, a simple rig, and a story to tell could get involved in the conversation. Nirvana set the template for simple, emotionally raw music, and all of a sudden, being a musician was within reach of everyone.

Through the recording of Nevermind, Kurt Cobain used some basic gear that is now synonymous with the sound of the era. Let's dig into this and find out more about what Cobain used to create this decade-defining album...

What are the guitars used by Kurt Cobain on Nevermind?

1969 Fender Mustang

Kurt Cobain's 1969 Fender Mustang, used on Nirvana's Nevermind and In Utero albums. Credit: Christies

One of Kurt's most recognisable guitars of this period is his 1969 Fender Mustang. This guitar in particular is widely considered to be the backbone of Nevermind, having been used for the main rhythm tracks across the album, including the hit single “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

Cobain told various guitar publications at the time that he preferred the Mustang because it was more affordable, easy to play, and didn't feature the typical Strat look that most guitar players gravitated towards.

The Mustang is a slightly shorter-scale guitar, coming in at 24 inches. This produces a very unique sound unlike anything else in the Fender range, with a slightly darker attack and less string tension. Cobain would often retrofit many of these single-coil guitars with humbuckers.

1965 Fender Jaguar

Alongside the Mustang, you would often find Cobain playing his 1965 Fender Jaguar. When he purchased the guitar around the time of the album's recording, it had already been modified with a pair of DiMarzio humbuckers: a Super Distortion in the bridge, and a PAF in the neck.

Various interviews from the period state that this particular Jaguar was used mostly for overdubs and double tracking during the studio sessions, particularly on heavier parts when some additional aggression or thickness was desired.

The mid-range push of the DiMarzio pickupd made this guitar the perfect compliment to the looser sounding Mustang.

Fender MIJ Stratocaster

The other main guitar associated with Kurt Cobain is the Fender Stratocaster. Kurt was particularly fond of Japanese made Stratocasters which were fitted with humbucker pickups. Most of the Stratocasters Kurt owned and used in this time period would have been fitted with a Seymour Duncan JB humbucker.

Kurt saw his guitars as tools to support his creative vision, so many different guitars were rotated during the album sessions. Nevermind producer Butch Vig was noted as saying that the album's sound did not specifically come from one guitar, but rather a series of carefully layered guitars.

It is not known if Kurt's most famous Strat, the "Vandalism" Strat, was used on these sessions.

Stella 5-string acoustic guitar

For the Nevermind's gentle, acoustic moment, "Polly", Kurt used a cheap Stella guitar he purchased from a pawn-shop. This guitar only had 5 strings, which he didn't even change for the sessions - Kurt felt the old, rusted strings gave the guitar a dry, unsettling tone which was the antithesis to the over-produced '80s guitar tones typical of the time.

"That’s a twenty-dollar junk shop Stella. I didn’t bother changing the strings (laughs). In fact, I had to use duct tape to hold the tuning keys in place." - Kurt Cobain, interview with Guitar World, 1992

Guitar amplifiers used on Nevermind

Fender Bassman

One of Kurt Cobain's Fender Bassman heads and matching cabinet. Credit: GottaHaveRockAndRoll

One of the central guitar amplifiers used in the Nevermind sessions was the Fender Bassman. Although known for its high headroom clean tones, the Bassman was a key component in shaping the album's distorted tones.

Cobain would often record multiple amps at the same time before blending them together - but the Bassman was often the core foundation of his tone. Rather than relying on high-gain amps, he preferred to run his Distortion and Fuzz pedals into a clean amp. The Fender Bassman's strong low-mid range and high headroom allowed the pedals to add the required drive and gain while maintaining clarity under heavy saturation.

Vox AC30

As a contrast to the Bassman, and to achieve some cleaner, janglier sounds, Kurt would use a Vox AC30. The AC30 has a brighter tone with more chime, and makes a great clean rhythm amp.

The AC30 was paired with Modulation for the track "Come As You Are", where the amp's bright tone allows for the note clarity to remain front and centre, even when soaked in a thick Chorus effect.

Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp

Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp, as used by Kurt Cobain on Nevermind. Credit: fr.audiofanzine.com

A Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp was also used during the Nevermind sessions. While not a central part of the album's guitar sound, it was a tool used by Kurt and producer Butch Vig to add additional gain textures, and for overdubs. Output via a Crown Power Base 2 power amp and Marshall 4x12 cabs, this would have been blended with the other amps at the mix stage.

Pedals used on Nevermind

Boss DS-1

A Boss DS-1 Distortion pedal used by Kurt Cobain during Nirvana's Nevermind tour at Club Babyhead in Providence, Rhode Island, on September 25, 1991. The pedal has red tape all over the bottom to secure it to the stage. Cobain was having technical problems during the show and smashed the pedal on stage, then threw it into the crowd. Credit: Julien's Auctions

It's pretty much impossible to think of Nirvana and not think of the Boss DS-1. The iconic orange pedal, loved and hated by the masses in equal quantity, was Cobain's primary Distortion pedal through this period of the band's career. While he later switched to the higher gain DS-2, the DS-1 is where the foundations for the Nirvana sound were created.

Cobain would run this aggressive Distortion into a clean Bassman amp to obtain his signature sound: tight, forward in the upper mids, and retaining plenty of clarity despite copious amounts of gain, this was a raw, angry and abrasive sound.

Set the Level to maximum, the Tone to around 11 o'clock and the Distortion to 1-2 o'clock for authentic Nirvana swagger.

To hear the DS-1 in action, you only have to listen to tracks like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Breed".

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Electro Harmonix Small Clone Chorus

The Electro Harmonix Small Clone is all over Nevermind. The song "Come As You Are" features one of the band's best known riffs, but while it's a relatively simple string of notes (which some people claim bears a striking resemblance to the 1984 Killing Joke track "Eighties") it also features a tone that has gone down in guitar history as one of the most recognisable in guitar history.

The underwater swirl you hear is created by the Small Clone Chorus. This pedal, unlike many digital Chorus units from the '80s, delivers a thick, warm analogue Chorus sound which helped it to stand out from the crisp and pristine sounds that we were more popular at the time.

This darker modulated sound, paired with the chromaticism in the riff, created one of the band's most iconic moments. You can also hear the Small Clone during the pre-chorus of "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

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Electro Harmonix Big Muff

The Electro Harmonix Big Muff was a popular Fuzz pedal in the '90s. Credit: Jo Gtz/ stock.adobe.com

The Electro Harmonix Big Muff is a pedal associated with many Grunge acts at the time, and later it became a major component in '90s alternative rock.

Cobain routinely used a Big Muff throughout the album sessions, and live - particularly for heavier overdubs such as the chorus on the track "Lithium".

The Big Muff delivers a much fatter, "wall of sound" character which has a softer attack when compared to the more cutting DS-1. 

This wasn't a pedal used all the time by Kurt, but he leaned on it when he needed to add density to his guitar arrangements.

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ProCo RAT

The ProCo RAT is another Distortion pedal associated with Kurt Cobain. Although there is no recorded evidence that he actually used one during the Nevermind sessions, it was almost always part of his rig.

The way Butch Vig crafted the guitar sounds on the album by layering different tones using different gear, there's a reasonable chance the ProCo RAT could have been used, at least in some small capacity, on Nevermind.

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Get the Nevermind sound

Although the Nevermind guitar sound is an iconic one, it's not particularly difficult to nail.

The recipe is fairly simple: you need a high headroom clean amp paired with a humbucker-equipped Fender guitar. Kurt preferred a Mustang or Jaguar into a Fender Bassman amp most of the time, but any amp with a clean channel will get you off to a good start.

The pedal chain depends on the song: for example, you'll need a DS-1-type pedal and a Small Clone-style Chorus for "Smells Like Teen Spirit", while "Breed" and "Territorial Pissings" both combine amped up and DI'd RAT signals for layered aggression.

And don't forget that raw, punk spirit!