Sonic Youth – Dirty

Lee used this during Dirty.

This website covers Sonic Youth's November, 1992 interview appearence in Guitar World magazine, in the interview Ranaldo mentions that most of his Jaguar/Jazzmaster guitars are modified with DiMarzio Super Distortion humbuckers in the neck position.

NOTES

I think this is the second SY article in Guitar World, and it's an excellent read! All 3 guitarists are interviewed and discuss the recording of Dirty and associated gear/tunings/etc, along with the band's influence on other bands and the cost of vintage Jazzmasters, Kim's perceived frontwoman status, and which record was noisier: Goo or Dirty?. There is also a sub-article digging deeper into the band's Dirty era gear.

GEAR MENTIONED The article mentions multiple guitars:

THURSTON

• several Fender Jazzmasters (1) (2) (3) (4)

• one Fender Jaguar

• two Tele copies (1) (2)

• Turbo Rat

"I don't know anything about guitars or amps, I just know I need a 100-watt tube head."

• Marshall head

• Peavey Roadmaster head

• a few new Marshall cabs

LEE

• 3 early-70s Fender Telecaster Deluxes (1) (2) (3)

• Fender Jaguars (1) (2)

• Fender Jazzmasters (1)

• Travis Bean

• Gibson SG

Lee specifies that most of his Jaguars/Jazzmasters have DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups in the neck position.

• Cry Baby wah

• MXR Phase Shifter

• DOD Analog Delay

• DOD Digital Delay

• MESA/Boogie Mark III

• Marshall 4x12 cab

• vintage Orange head

KIM

• Gibson Thunderbird

• B.C. Rich [Mockingbird] bass

• '64 Fender P-bass

• Eterna

KIM (re: BC Rich bass): "That bass always stays in tune. You can throw it on the ground, walk on it - anything. It sounds horrible; it has no tone whatsoever. But it's really loud. Then I have an old '64 P-bass, which I bought because I thought I'd record with it. And I did use it on one song. It's really easy to play, but I missed the Thunderbird's low end."

KIM (re: "Creme Brulee"): "Yeah, it was just me. I just started playing something and Steve was playing along. Thurston was just doing some feedback on the guitar, making some weird sounds. And Lee turned on the tape machine. So we recorded it in our eight-track studio at our rehearsal space."

• Turbo Rat

• Dunlop Jimi Hendrix octave fuzz

• MESA/Boogie amp w/ 18-inch bass cab and 4x12 guitar cab.

For the Dirty recording sessions, both of Kim's cabs were miked, and she also sent a clean DI straight from her bass to the board.

KIM: "That's the basic setup. Then I have this other box, a Hendrix octave divider that I use to get ultra-distortion, like on "100%" "Stalker" and "Theresa's Sound World". Actually, it just works like an extra distortion pedal."

On the Sonic Youth website, it says, about Kim Gordon's Thunderbird Bass:

Used by Kim: 1988-1993

Used by Jim: 2004-2005

Used by Kim: 2007-2009

NOTES:

A '76 Gibson Thunderbird acquired by Kim in 1988 to replace her Rickenbacker and Ovation basses. She stopped using it live in favour of her BC Rich during the Goo era, though it did show up at a few shows. It was used for the recording of "Dirty", however, and many 'Dirty' tour shows in '92. She also used it for the recording of "Sonic Nurse". Jim used it for the Nurse tour, and Kim revisited it for the entirety of the "Daydream Nation" shows they did, except for 'Eliminator' which she played on her EB bass. Still used on the Eternal tour.

Gauges: .105 .085 .065 .045

Wood finish

2 pick-ups

Rosewood fretboard

White pickguard

Various scribbled messages, including Mark Arm "So Messed Up - You Know It" and "Sister Rock On, Love John Bram"

Used in "Candle" & "Cinderella's Big Score" videos