Kurt Cobain

Kurt played a left-handed Mosrite a lot. He had a Mesa Boogie amp, and we rented a Fender Bassman, a Vox AC3O and a Marshall stack which we didn't really use.

Kurt Cobain used the MXR M104 Distortion+ pedal during some of his live performances, as confirmed through conversations and emails with his guitar technician, Earnie Bailey. This information is supported by a photo on Kurtsequipment titled "leanover.jpg."

Kurt only used the Mesa Boogie Studio. 22 Combo Amp once. Kurt mainly used the Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp with a Crown power amp and a variety of Marshall cabinets. In live performances, his Crown power amp was eventually replaced with 2 Crest power amps,

The Only time Kurt used the Mesa Boogie Studio .22 Combo Amp was on October 24, 1991 at Off The Record, San Diego, CA. This was supposed to be an acoustic show, with instruments supplied by the record store, but since they didn't have any left-handed guitars, the band ended up using their own instruments and playing an electric set. So the Mesa Boogie Studio.22 Combo Amp Belonged to the Record Store.

13). Univox Superfuzz. Kurt had it before "Bleach" but it was stolen from the band's practice space. Earnie built him a handwired duplicate in a silver, metal box which he humorously labeled the "Yung-Mann Fuzz".

Also commented here: http://www.groundguitar.com/kurt-cobain-gear/

– Univox Superfuzz Used in the very early days, before Bleach was even recorded.

And in this book, "Guitar World: The Life & Genius of Kurt Cobain": http://tiny.cc/kurtssuperfuzz

In this interview with Kurt's guitar tech, Earnie Bailey, he explains that Kurt used a Fender Baseman Quad and a Marshall Plexi 100 during the "In Utero" recordings.

Kurt Cobain used duct tape to cover the circuitry of his Jaguar guitar and as a makeshift strap button on his Vandalism Strat during the Paramount show. He was also known to cover the logo on his Marshall cabinet with it. This usage is referenced in an image on Pinterest by cristina.

In this live preformance, Cobain can be seen with an Epiphone ET-270.

Cobain used this Guitar in Nirvana's early days during the “Bleach” era, it was later smashed while preforming live at the Pyramid Club in New York.

A still shot of this Guitar can be seen here.

From http://www.kurtsequipment.com/ site, who claims the source for this info is Ernie Bailey itself, Kurt's guitar technician:

Sources: 59). My conversations and emails with Earnie Bailey. 60). Various emails.

Effects: 7). Orange MXR Phase 100 which was used for "Curmudgeon." This was owned by Kurt (59) and supposedly purchased at Voltage Guitars at the same time as his Fender XII and blue Mosrite (60).

"Near the end he began inquiring about metal neck guitars, after borrowing Steve Albini’s Veleno for several tracks on In Utero, and his being a fan of the Jesus Lizard and Duane Dennison’s extensive use of a Travis Bean."

This guitar owned by Steve Albini and used by Cobain to record "Very Ape" for the "In Utero" album. If you listen to the album & try to recreate the tone on the whole album with his jaguar it does not sound the sames the Veleno

This Veleno was refurbished by Kevin at Electrical Guitar Company in 2015. Kevin re-chromed the guitar, re-fretted, replaced the tuners and replaced the pickups with EGC pickups. He fabricated new pickup covers to fit them in the cutouts. He also did quite a bit of work on the electronics.

In this picture, you can see Kurt Cobain using a left-handed white Fender Stratocaster with a rosewood fretboard and a white seymour duncan hot rail & an all white pickguard he used this guitar during the 1992 which NIRVANA proceeded to open with the intro to rape me then go into lithium must people/fans call this the lithium stratocaster

Hand-written note with Kurt's settings for the Electro-Harmonix Polychorus, new version of the 1977 Echoflanger, (for Heart-Shaped Box and Radio Friendly Unit Shifter):

ehx.com/blog/ehx-tone-tips-the-sound-of-nirvana

From kurtsequipment.com:

Effects:

10). Electro-Harmonix EchoFlanger (32)(40) and Electro-Harmonix PolyChorus (37)(seen at various photographs/concert footage.).

Despite the different names, the Polychorus and Echoflanger had the same internal circuitry. Kurt supposedly only had one EchoFlanger, despite what is said in (32). Kurt used the EchoFlanger on the Brazil shows (source info? Rio perhaps?) and the song "The Priest They Called Him" (found on various bootlegs, etc.). Both pedals were taken on the "In Utero" tour.

The EchoFlanger sometimes "acted up" and Earnie gave Kurt his PolyChorus as a back-up. This PolyChorus was used on "In Utero" for the "Heart-Shaped Box" solo, "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter," and "Scentless Apprentice" (41). Earnie sent out another PolyChorus to Kurt, hoping to get his back, but the "new" one broke and was given to Eric Erlanderson of "Hole" who had it fixed. Earnie did eventually get his PolyChorus back, but not before Kurt marked his settings on it with nail polish and put Velcro on it.

The EchoFlanger was supposed to be used on "Unplugged" but caused too much 60-cycle hum in the control room. Courtney now has Kurt's EchoFlanger (40).

Sources mentioned:

32). "Guitar World" magazine (and possibly also a later issue for the item mentioned in parenthesis under the "Recording of 'Nevermind'"). March 1995.

37). "From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah," album. (DGC) 1996. Photos from insert and cover.

40). My phone conversation with Jim Vincent, NIRVANA's tour tech from later 1993 through all of 1994. 1/28/97.

41). Chris Lawrence's Equipment Tutorial which also contains information from Earnie Bailey, Kurt's main guitar technician.

Hand-written note with Kurt's settings for the polychorus (for Heart-Shaped Box and Radio Friendly Unit Shifter): ehx.com/blog/ehx-tone-tips-the-sound-of-nirvana

From kurtsequipment.com:

Effects:

10). Electro-Harmonix EchoFlanger (32)(40) and Electro-Harmonix PolyChorus (37)(seen 15).

Despite the different names, the Polychorus and Echoflanger had the same internal circuitry. Kurt supposedly only had one EchoFlanger, despite what is said in (32). Kurt used the EchoFlanger on the Brazil shows (source info? Rio perhaps?) and the song "The Priest They Called Him" (found on various bootlegs, etc.). Both pedals were taken on the "In Utero" tour.

The EchoFlanger sometimes "acted up" and Earnie gave Kurt his PolyChorus as a back-up. This PolyChorus was used on "In Utero" for the "Heart-Shaped Box" solo, "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter," and "Scentless Apprentice" (41). Earnie sent out another PolyChorus to Kurt, hoping to get his back, but the "new" one broke and was given to Eric Erlanderson of "Hole" who had it fixed. Earnie did eventually get his PolyChorus back, but not before Kurt marked his settings on it with nail polish and put Velcro on it.

The EchoFlanger was supposed to be used on "Unplugged" but caused too much 60-cycle hum in the control room. Courtney now has Kurt's EchoFlanger (40).

In this photo, Cobain is playing Hagstrom II.

This Marshall JMP 50 was used by Kurt Cobain on Nirvana’s last recording session, January 28-30 1994 while recording “You Know You’re Right”. This amp is very well documented in interviews and comes with a letter from Robert Lang Studios where this session was recorded.

It had two dimarzio x2n pickups and coil splits. He din't use it live 'cause it made him seem like Jimmy Page, but he used it along with his jaguar for the recording of the In Utero albums. It was allegedlly kept years later in a vault with Kurt's possessions, but it had some changes. For more info, this article explains it well: https://www.groundguitar.com/kurt-cobain-gear/kurt-cobains-ibanez-les-paul-copy/

This is where Kurt sang In Utero [Pachyderm Recording Studio, Cannon Falls, Minnesota], from left to right: EV RE-20 (dynamic mic), Lomo 19a-9 (tube condenser mic), Sennheiser MD421 (U4 most likely, dynamic mic).

1980s Marshall Red 3005 Lead 12 Micro Stack Red Tolex. Krist and Pat both had ones with Black Tolex.

Kurt used it on the 1993/1994 In Utero tours, they were used as Props, for visual purposes, it was never plugged in or used.

Kurt Cobain's Martin D-18 is found at the Martin Factory in Nazareth, PA. The plaque located under the guitar reads, "This well-worn D-18 was coined 'Grandpa' by Cobain himself, and was gifted to the rocker by then girlfriend Mary Lou Lord in 1991. The guitar was was used by Cobain by while on tour for Nirvana's second and most notable album, 'Nevermind'. Here's a pic of the guitar as well.

Kurt Cobain used a guitar lent to him by Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo to perform "The Money Will Roll Right In" with Mudhoney. This guitar, stolen from Sonic Youth in 1999, was returned in a refinished state in 2005.

According to a Guitar Geek diagram, Kurt Cobain used GHS Guitar Boomers 0.10 strings.

Cobain used the instrument on two early demo recordings he made at his aunt Mari Earl’s house near Seattle during his pre-Nirvana days. The demos, one recorded under the moniker "Organized Confusion" in 1982 and another in 1985 under the name "Fecal Matter", most die-hard Cobain fans know these demos and the song “Spank Thru” from the 1985 recordings went on to become a staple of Nirvana’s live set and would become Nirvana’s first official song, according to Krist Novoselic.

In this photo, Kurt Cobain is seen playing a Gibson Ripper Bass.

Kurt Cobain is associated with using the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi fuzz pedal, particularly in the studio at the Nevermind Sessions on the track "Lithium" and likely "Endless Nameless" which stemmed from a failed take of "Lithium." Although sources often debate which Big Muff version he specifically used, comparisons suggest that either the Triangle or the Ram's Head Big Muff sounded closest to his tone. However, the first version of the Ram's Head, featuring similar internal components, is likely the model he used, as noted on www.kurtsequipment.com.

This photo shows Cobain playing a Warwick Dolphin.

In this video Cobain's former technician explains how and when he bought Cobain these guitars.

1960 Hagström Deluxe 90 Blue Sparkle. He got this in December 1992, paid $500, a lot for that model at the time. Had a pearloid fingerboard and back.

In December 1982, Kurt Cobain used the Teisco FB-29M to record his first demo, "Organized Confusion," at his Aunt Mari's house in Burien, WA. A photo from that day shows a 15-year-old Cobain with the guitar, which he had converted from right-handed to left-handed for his use.

Kurt used a 1982 Fender Twin Reverb Blackface (not Silverface) on studio session (In Utero and maybe others), MTV Unplugged and (maybe) others.

On www.kurtsequipment.com in the "Miscellaneous Guitars" section number 11 on the list it mentions Cobain owning a "Lefty Rickenbacker 4001 Bass, natural, which he loved" also in the 2015 Movie "Kurt Cobain : Montage of Heck" on the DVD in the picture gallery you see a picture of Kurt's Rickenbacker 4001 Bass. I believe he used in in early 1994 on the last demos he recorded in the basement of the Cobain residence before Kurt passed away in April 1994.

In early January 1990, Kurt Cobain began using three Sunn Beta Lead amplifier heads, primarily paired with unidentified 2x12 speaker cabinets. These amplifiers became his main choice during Nirvana's February-March Bleach tour and were used until Cobain destroyed them on May 1, 1990, at The Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC. The following day, he switched to a Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp and a Crown Power Base 2 Poweramp, along with an Aria Pro II Cardinal Series CS-350 guitar, for a performance at The Milestone in Charlotte, NC. From May 2, 1990, to March 1, 1994, the Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp remained his primary preamp, initially with the Crown Power Base 2 until December 31, 1991, and later with the Crest Audio 4801 Poweramp, which he used for the rest of Nirvana's career.

Before the American In Utero tour, Kurt's guitar tech, Earnie Bailey, gave Pat Smear the Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp that Kurt had purchased in May 1990, along with an additional unit. Cobain then received two new Mesa Boogie Studio Preamps and an extra Crest Audio Poweramp to ensure uninterrupted performances. This information is supported by a user-uploaded photo.

In this video, we take an in depth look at Cobain's Fender Jaguar, covering how he acquired the instrument, the modifications made to it, inconsistencies from standard Jaguars made at the time, aswell as past/future owners.