Kurt Cobain

12/03/89 - Astoria Theatre (Lame Fest UK '89), London, UK. Kurt is seen using a MXR Distortion + & an Arion HU-8500 Stage Tuner (1980's) Black Japanese Made.

Kurt only used this amp for gigs, and just few times.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH HIS 1982 TWIN REVERB BLACKFACE

19). Borrowed Fender Twin Reverb reissue, belonging to Steve Turner, used for the Bellingham show where NIRVANA opened for Mudhoney. Amp was a new blackface reissue (59).

Obviously not his Courtney or Custom tele. Seems like it dates back to 1993, judging by his clothes. Has one humbucker but the bridge pickup is hard to make out. Has 4 knobs, so seems to be a deluxe?

In the live performance of "Territorial Pissings" at the Paramount in 1991, Kurt Cobain used a Marshall 1960A 4x12" Cabinet, as seen in the NirvanaVEVO video.

Reverb Interview With Earnie Bailey

"For the In Utero recording, Kurt used his competition blue Mustang, his Fender Jaguar and Albini’s aluminum Veleno guitar. I know he used a Fender Quad Reverb with one of the tubes removed to give a distorted tone, and a Marshall Plexi 100 that Krist had also used for bass tracks." Steve Albini can be heard in this interview talking about these facts. https://youtu.be/MjI9IzPLvvw

Dean Markley (Light Top/Heavy Bottom) Guitar Strings.

The only piece of information in regard to strings coming from Kurt himself comes from one of the interviews from the Musician magazine, in 1992, where Kurt mentioned that he’s using actual piano strings for low E and A. I use piano wire for guitar strings, ’cause it’s a lot thicker. I buy it in bulk, in these big long tubes, and just cut it to the length of the guitar. They’re thicker than the thickest guitar gauge that’s available. I don’t know what the thickness of ’em is anymore – I can’t remember. I use a really thick E string, and then a smaller size A. A few of the others are guitar strings – I think I use Dean Markley because they’re the cheapest.

However, this was most likely just a joke that over the years developed into a legend. Piano strings would be impossible to fit on most of the guitars that Kurt was using at the time, and if he indeed wanted thicker strings, there were easier ways to achieve that.

One of them would, of course, be to just use a heavier set – which is most likely what he did. Based on the photos, and a statement from Ernie Bailey, Kurt actually used Dean Markley LTHB set (.010, .013, .017, .030, .042, .052). For strings, he used .010-.052 Dean Markley’s (the red pack).

In case you’re looking to buy the same set, unfortunately, it’s no longer being made. If you want something similar from Dean Markley, their Blue Steel heavy set (10-52) should do a pretty good job (same principle as the original – Light Top/Heavy Bottom)

Kurt used this throughout the European tour in 1989. This is not his amp and it was owned by Gary Thorstensen from the band Tad. (notice in the image how there is no guitar plugged into the Fender Twin Reverb)

Kurt Cobain didn't like Marshalls, but he played the cabs, because he did like the vintage 30 speakers in combo with the Boogie heads. The link goes over his settings.

According to Azerrad, Cobain's amp during this period was a tiny Fender Champ. Also around this time, Cobain acquired a Univox Superfuzz, but it was stolen from his rehearsal space.

"He also used a Fender Bassman on about four songs and a Vox AC30 for some clean tracks. Four microphones were used to mic Kurt's speaker cabinet (he would pick which mic he liked best for each song and its signal was sent through the Neve console at Sound City): a Shure SM57, an AKG 414, a Neumann U87, and occasionally a Sennheiser 421."

We also know he used an AKG C414 to record 'Polly' and 'Something In The Way'

Kurt can be seen throughout this video using the Hot Rails on his Stratocaster.

Kurt Cobain used this microphone at the MTV Unplugged gig.

In this image Kurt can be seen playing a Epiphone FT 79 Texan with a "Nixon Now" sticker.

Kurt Cobain is seen with a Framus Strato De Luxe, used as a prop for a 1992 "Alternative Guitar" magazine cover, in an image from Theredlist.

he used dean markleys .10-.52 gauges according to dean markley themselves

Starting at 1:04, Nardwuar asks Kurt about using an Echoplex, To which Kurt replies "I have one", though it is unknown if it is on any recordings that have been released, and it was likely not used live.

The website says he had one for chorus effects but didn't like it as much as the small clone and broke it.

Kurt Cobain is seen using an Audix OM7 microphone in an Instagram post tagged with #kurtcobain and other Nirvana-related hashtags, indicating his connection to the gear. Additionally, during the In Utero Tour, Cobain began using a Guitar Center Strap, which can be glimpsed in other images linked in the discussion.

In this image you can see Kurt using a Randall Commander II head with a SoundTech 2x12 speaker cabinet.

This guitar was played on the last three songs during the set that Nirvana played at Bogart’s, Long Beach, CA, on February 16, 1990. At the end of the gig, the guitar was smashed, resulting in the neck popping off, and the body is split in half.

The only other time this guitar was seen was at the beginning of the show played on February 12, 1990, at Cattle Club, Sacramento.Kurt starts the gig off with the Mustang, but switches to an Epiphone before the first song is even played.

Make/Model: Home-made Mustang, Left-handed.

Finish: Surf Green.

Pickguard: None.

Fingerboard: Rosewood w/ dot inlays; 22 frets.

Pickups: H. (what looked like a Maxon pickup,)

Bridge/Tailpiece: Non-Tremolo Hardtail Bridge. (fitted with a Schaller non-tremolo bridge).

Other Distinguishing features: Chandler neck w/ black headstock. Mustang control plate. Metallic barrel Shaped speed knob.

This guitar was used in parts of the "In Bloom" Sub Pop Music Video Version...

First Recorded Use: 04/27/90 - SAGA, Dining Rooms, Hampshire College (Amnesty International Benefit), Amherst, MA.

Last Recorded Use: 04/30/90 - J.C. Dobbs, Philadelphia, PA.

It shows here he used Dean Markley Gauge .10-.52 strings

A Space Echo can be seen on top of kurt's speaker cabinet during this show. At around 17 minutes in he plays about with the self oscilation while dave's broken drum is repaired.

Kurt Cobain had a Marshall 3005 Lead 12 Mini Stack in Red Tolex during the 1993-1994 In Utero tours. It was used solely as a stage decoration. [User-uploaded photo]

Kurt only used the Mesa Boogie Studio. 22+ Combo Amp once. It was at Off The Record, San Diego, CA on October 24, 1991.

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.

The Studio 22+ is a combo version of the Studio Preamp, that Kurt, used mainly for live.

This guitar was first seen on October 3, 1992, at Sam Carver Gymnasium Western Washington University Bellingham, Washington. serial # 1002904. The guitar featured sunburst finish, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, and a red tortoise shell pickguard and truss rod cover. Based on the specs, the raised plastic “Univox” logo on the headstock, and the two rocker switches – this was a Phase One Custom model, that was originally shipped with two P90-style pickups. and was purchased from Danny's Music. This was his favorite Univox. This was the first guitar that had a Duncan JB installed in it. Kurt loved the sound of this "plywood beast". Earnie bought it for him for $150. The previous owner was a Minister in Everett, Washington.

Earnie Bailey did the mods... He replaced the stock pickups with a Seymour Duncan SH-1 '59 Neck & SH-4 JB Bridge and Humbuckers and This had an Ibanez Gibraltar bridge installed (vintage version with mounting studs, similar to Gibson’s Tune-o-Matic) instead of the original. The the two rocker switches used for pickup selection were also taped over, likely to avoid accidental toggles.

As far as using the guitar for live performances, Kurt had it with him for the couple of shows he did in October 1992, (10/03/92 Sam Carver Gymnasium Western Washington University Bellingham WA, 10/04/92 Crocodile Cafe Seattle WA 10/30/92 Estadio José Amalfitani Buenos Aires Argentina) and then picked it up again in 1993 and used it during the band’s second Saturday Night Live appearance on September 25th. Also by this time the Original White Plastic Tuners were replaced with Vintage Schaller Tuners (Kurt's Favorite) That was also the last time the guitar was ever seen.

"Early days, we did not carry our own 58's, we just used whatever was in the club. When things got bigger, I used Crown CM310 noise-cancelling vocal mics." - Craig Montgomery (Nirvana's live sound engineer from 1989-1993)

(from the website) "A detailed gear diagram of Kurt Cobain's stage setup that traces the signal flow of the equipment in his 1993 Nirvana "In Utero" tour guitar rig. This rig was compiled from extensive research culled from numerous concert photos, live footage, and old magazine interviews (both with Kurt and guitar tech, Earnie Bailey). This 1993 "In Utero" rig diagram by GuitarGeek.Com was originally commissioned for the May 2014 "Nirvana" issue of Total Guitar (UK)."

Kurt using some sort of combo amp at the 1988 Capitol Lake Jam (it is a Sunn Beta Lead 2x12).

Cobain used this guitar for Nirvana's performances at Tower Records, New York, and Northern Lights, Minneapolis, during their Nevermind tour in 1991.

Cobain had a Mid 60's Sunburst Fender XII electric 12-string, serial # F 136692, dot neck, right-handed (unlike most, if not all, of Kurt's other Fenders). It had cherub stickers on it. He wrote "Serve the Servants" on this guitar. but were damaged in the Spring of 1992. Kurt hid some guitars, Fender Electric XII, Blue Mosrite Mark IV, songbooks, and tapes in their bathtub figuring burglars wouldn't look in the tub, were the house ever robbed. The bathtub filled with sewage and damaged his guitar the most-- the body was water-stained about halfway up, split, and warped. Earnie offered to build a new body for it, but Kurt didn't think the guitar was worth saving. Kurt was very depressed about the unfortunate accident to this guitar. Purchased around the end part of the "Nevermind" tour. The Blue Mosrite Mark IV that was damaged in bathtub incident. Kurt gave this to Pat at SNL 1993.