Kurt Cobain

Purchased on September 18, 1991 from Music 6000 along with an Ibanez V300L, as summarized on fansite Live Nirvana's Day-By-Day History Calender for 1991.

Lacey, WA, US

• Kurt Cobain buys an Ibanez V300L guitar and a GC70 guitar case at Music 6000.

The Ibanez V300L and its GC70 case, which had a black sticker with "NIRVANA" in white letters, were used during the North American Nevermind Tour and for an in-store performance at Northern Lights of Minneapolis, MN on October 14, 1991.

Kurt Cobain moded this guitar's bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan hot rail pickup as seen at the timestamp 0:27

Kurt Cobain is associated with the Univox Hi-Flier Phase 3 Sunburst, a guitar manufactured in Japan by Matsumoku. This model, produced between 1973 and 1976, features humbuckers, differing from earlier phases that used P-90 pickups. A user-uploaded photo confirms Cobain's connection to this guitar, known for its distinct sound and design.

Kurt Cobain's 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic guitar, famously used during Nirvana's "MTV Unplugged" performance, was equipped with a Bartolini 3AV soundhole pickup. This modification was made because the original 1959 DeArmond pickups did not perform well with the bronze strings Cobain preferred. According to Julien's Auction House, the guitar featured this pickup, as detailed in their listing and confirmed at timestamp 1:56 in their video. Additionally, Cobain's 1961 Epiphone FT-79 Texan acoustic, acquired in mid-1992, was similarly modified. Used live for the first time on September 26, 1992, at the Castaic Lake Amphitheatre, it was later altered by Earnie Bailey to include a 1/4" input jack. By October 1993, this guitar also received a Bartolini 3AV pickup, enhancing its versatility as an electric/acoustic instrument. Notably, Krist Novoselic's Buck Owens American "Red White Blue" acoustic, played by Pat Smear during the In Utero Tour and MTV Unplugged, also featured the Bartolini 3AV pickup.

On January 25, 1992 Hordern Pavilion (Big Day Out), Sydney, Australia If you take a look at Kurt's Mount Rack you would Notice he has a Rack Drawer 3U on it... Not sure how long Kurt kept it in his Mount-Rack as Its not seen at many shows inside his Rack, not much info where it came from or what it was used for. Usually there was a Smaller Mount Rack in back or side of the stage for Kurts Guitar Techs (Nick Close) during the "Nevermind" Tour, and then (Big John Duncan) & (Earnie Bailey) were Kurts Guitar Techs during 1992 up through the In Utero Tour.... Earnie Bailey was Kurts Main Guitar Tech and was with the band from Mid/Late 1992 until March 1, 1994 (Nirvana's Last Show Ever).... had smaller Rack Drawer in the back or on the side of the stage for Kurts Techs who kept extra Guitar Cables, Strings, Duct Tape, pretty much anything that would be needed for a show/tour in case of a quick repair or string change, whichever it maybe.

But if you look at Kurts Mount-Rack at the January 25, 1992 Hordern Pavilion (Big Day Out), Sydney, Australia show Kurt's Mount-Rack from top to bottom...

1. Samson BR-3 Wireless Unit.

2. Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp.

3. Rack Drawer 3U Blank Rack Panel with 3 Dunlop Tortex Standard 0.60mm Guitar Picks stuck to it.

4. Carver PM-1200 Poweramp.

5. Crest Audio 4801 Poweramp.

On July 2, 1992 - Plaza De Toros De Valencia, Valencia, Spain and July 3, 1992 - Palacio De Los Deportes De La Comunidad De Madrid, Madrid, Spain Kurt Can be Seen using a Sennheiser MD 431 Profi Supercardioid Dynamic Microphone.

Kurt Cobain used this cabinet in the early days of Nervemind which can be seen in some of the live photos and it was on display at MoPOP Seattle

Seen here second down in his rack above his mesa boogie studio.22

In this picture you can see... Kurt's Guitar Rack for the 01/25/92 Big Day Out, Sydney, Australia.

From top to bottom...

1) Samson BR-3 Wireless Unit. 2) Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp. 3) 2 Space Blank Rack Panel with Guitar Picks stuck to it. 4) Carver PM-1200 Poweramp. 5) Crest Audio 4801 Poweramp.

This was one of many black Stratocasters Kurt had throughout 1992, but is distinguishable due to the replacement neck & black Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge position.

According to Caio Leme at LiveNIRVANA.com, Cobain used a uncertain DOD pedal on at least two dates: May 9, 1990 (at Stache's in Colombus, Ohio) and May 13, 1990 (at Duffy's Tavern in Lincoln, Nebraska). Leme includes this photograph from the Duffy's Tavern show (the photographer is unknown), which shows the pedal on top of Cobain's amplifier. Unfortunately, the angle at which the pedal appears ambiguates its identity. Leme explains:

Seen on top of the amp. As it's a red stereo pedal, it could be a FX45 Stereo Reverb or a FX62 Bass Stereo Chorus. Little is known about this particular pedal, please contact me if you have any further information.

According to engineer Steve Albini, Pedal X was used for the tremolo on "Heart-Shaped Box." He also shared that Cobain tried out Pedal X for vocal overdubs and a solo on "Heart-Shaped Box", but they were ultimately scrapped, the latter at Krist Novoselic's objection. The solo can be heard in Albini's original mix of "Heart-Shaped Box", which is included on the Super Deluxe edition of In Utero.

Reddit, “steve albini AMA here is the thread” by u/steve_albini (May 30, 2020), reply to u/rock-phillistine

rock-phillistine 4. Once you mentioned he used a Sansamp, a Boss DS-2 and a Big Muff for distortion. Recently his guitar tech said he shipped two homemade fuzzes as well. Do you remember if he actually used the Big Muff or the homemade fuzzes? If so, for which tracks?

steve_albini - I only saw Kurt use regular commercial effects pedals, the ones you mentioned, and a box I brought with me that was a kind of ring modulator/overdrive called Pedal X made by a friend of mine. That might be what his tech (Ernie?) was referring to.

Caio Leme, LiveNIRVANA.com, Live Nirvana Equipment Guide, "Kurt Cobain's Amplifiers and Effects Pedals" (citing a "[p]ersonal communication" with Steve Albini)

Pedal X

First and last recording:

02/02-26/93 - Pachyderm Recording Studio, Cannon Falls, MN (In Utero sessions)

Notes:

Steve Albini recalls Kurt using a Pedal X, made by a friend of his. He describes it as "kind of a ring modulator/overdrive." (3) It was auditioned on the Heart-Shaped Box solo (28), but Krist hated it and it wasn't used in the final mix. (35)

YouTube, Al Church, "Steve Albini talks Kurt's guitars and Heart-Shaped Box I Permanent Record plays live at Pachyderm" (November 14, 2023)

Al Church: Like you said though, his pedalboard, he— it's not like he had a pedalboard, like do you—

Steve Albini: No, no, there were one or two pedals on the floor, ever.

Church: Yeah... Did you bring pedals in for him to use at all?

Albini: There was one pedal that I brought that a friend o' mine had made, Pedal X, and we actually used that on a guitar solo and on the vocal overdub. Pedal X was a, it's a kind of a brutal tremolo effect, which if you dial the speed up high enough, it becomes a ring modulator.

Church: Oh? Huh.

Albini: Like, there's also, the preamp for it has a relatively low headroom, so it drives into overdrive pretty easily, so it can be... You could use it as just an overdrive pedal, but its main function is this sort of ring modulator overdrive combination.

Church: Interesting.

Albini: And, yeah, Kurt used that for a couple o' songs for like little... neebly noisy guitar parts. And then he sang— We, he used it as an effect, like, to sing through. The... There was a... What else? Oh yeah, there was a guitar solo on... "Heart-Shaped Box" where he wanted this sort of seasick, bendy quality to be exaggerated in the... of the guitar solo, he wanted that exaggerated. And we used the Pedal X for that, but that ended up, that was one of the things, that was some contention in the band, like, Krist Novoselic hated that effect, he really didn't like it.

Church: Really?

Albini: And in the end, that song, that noisy solo, it did not get used on the final version of it.

Church: On "Heart-Shaped Box", or on the...?

Albini: Yeah.

Church: 'Kay, 'cause there is a tremolo on that, like the bowrrr.

Albini: Yeah, that's... that's the Pedal X but in a more subtle setting.

Church: Ooh, okay.

Albini: There's a version of it, s—

Church: There was a version done where that solo had like a really blistering, burning... ring modulating kind of sound and that was the, that was the version that Krist Novoselic hated.

Church: [laughs]

Albini: I just had the opportunity to talk to him last week....

Church: Oh, wow!

Albini: and, uh, I mean, he still remembered, like... "When you guys did— put that effect on that solo, it was like you put a turd in it."

Church: [laughs]

YouTube, Aaron Rash, "How Steve Albini recorded Kurt Cobain's guitars on In Utero - an in depth interview" (@ 16:21)

There was a solo in Heart-Shaped Box, yeah, where Kurt wanted a really wild sound. Like, he wanted it to be a really uncontrolled sound that would then, like, sort of snap into that sort of tremolo, that pretty tremolo. For that we used the box that my friend Mr. Bill made for me that was ring modulator overdrive pedal that he caused "Mr. [X]" or "Pedal X" and it was a ring modulator pedal that had an amplifier that could be overdriven in it. At its lowest settings it was a tremolo, at its highest settings it was a ring modulator and anywhere along that path you could turn the gain up and it would overdrive. But it only had an on/off switch, it wasn't like you could turn off the tremolo and then turn on the gain – it was always one or the other, you know. It was always on or always off... and Kurt played around with it for a while and he came up with this really brittle ratchety sound for that solo and he loved it. And then when he played it for Krist, Krist absolutely hated it. He was like, "Why are you putting this big smelly turd in the middle of this great song?" Like, he really thought Kurt was trying to sabotage a beautiful song. Like, "Oh you think you've got a hit here? Here, let me fuck this up for you so you can't play it on the radio or whatever." And he thought that was like a strategy of Kurt's. I'm certain it wasn't. He was just— Kurt was just enjoying this freak sound.

On November 27, 1991 - Studio C, BBC Elstree Centre (Top of the Pops), Borehamwood, UK.

During the Top of the Pops, you can see during "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Kurt is using a Sennheiser MD 431 II Supercardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone.

on this picture taken at the live at Kilburn National Ballroom, London, UK. 1991 we can see a Marshall JCM800 Cabinet 4x12

In this article Jack Endino said Kurt used his Randall Comander ii as a head and had used this cab for Bleach era touring

¨In 1989, Nirvana went on its first American tour. According to Earnie Bailey, a Seattle guitar repairman who was friends with Novoselic and who often worked as a technician for the band, Cobain's live rig during this period was a red Epiphone ET270, a solid-state Randall amp head, a BFI Bullfrog 4x12 cabinet and a Boss DS-1 distortion. ¨

First & last show: 12/21/88 - Eagles Hall Hoquaim, WA.

Borrowed from Ryan Aigner. PNW Music Archives Facebook Group.

Used in 01/30/94 at Robert Lang studio for the You Know You're Right sessions

according to livenirvana.com, the accordion used by Krist during MTV Unplugged was owned by Kurt. (scroll to the very bottom of the link).

Kurt Cobain used a Marshall 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12T-75 speakers, likely from the 1980s, during the recording of "Nevermind" and on tour before "In Utero." This is detailed in an article from "The Kurt Cobain Equipment," created with input from Nirvana's guitar tech. Numerous photos from 1991 to 1992 further document its use, including performances like "Live at the Paramount" in 1991.

Kurt had 3 in Sonic Blue each with a different pattern on the pickguard skystang 1 with a white seymour duncan sh-4, skystang 2 with a black seymour duncan jb sh-4 & another in Fiesta Red which was called oranj-stang which had a black mustang neck pickup with a black seymour duncan jb sh-4 Kurt's skystang 2 is on display at the Rocks N Roll hall of fame in Cleveland Ohio

Kurt Cobain used a modified Marshall 1987x Plexi 50 Watt, paired with a custom 2x12 speaker cabinet, to achieve clean tones on the "In Utero" album. This setup is detailed in a YouTube video by Aaron Rash titled "the INSANE amp Kurt Cobain used to record clean tones on in utero."

In this September 26, 1992 photograph by Lindsay Brice of Cobain performing with Mudhoney at Castaic Lake Amphitheather, Castaic CA, Caio Leme of LiveNIRVANA.com notes the presence of an Ibanez Soundtank pedal at his feet. He notes the following:

Possibly an Ibanez SF/FZ5 '60s Fuzz borrowed from Mark Arm, as he's known to buy this model every time he finds one. (34) Little is known about this particular pedal, please contact me if you have any further information.

In this pinterest pin we see one of the two photos in color available from the in bloom music video, here we see a vintage blue mustang previously unknown to Kurt. It's impossible for this to be one of his skystangs as the music video was in 1992 while Kurt would not receive SkyStang 1 until 1993, this same guitar in the same condition is also seen in the sliver music video resting on the mannequin's lap. You can tell because of the way the brand logo is in both photos that it has to be a left handed 1965 fender mustang in daphne blue.

Extra proof: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs5r-B7lSKX/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1dth2vn3alwzi

https://youtu.be/QECJ9pCyhns?si=GDzGBeZtb5VpVe7t (0:33 in the video).

Cobain used this guitar for at least three shows in a row during the European leg of the Bleach tour. Caio Leme of LiveNIRVANA.com compiles the following reported sightings:

• December 1, 1989 (at Fahrenheit, MJC Espace Icare, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France) (visible throughout this amateur video of the concert starting at 0:23)
• December 2, 1989 (at Democrazy, Ghent, Belgium) (visible in this photograph of Cobain at the concert (unknown photographer))
• December 3, 1989 (at Astoria Theatre, London, United Kingdom for Lame Fest UK '89) - Visible among multiple photos of the concert compiled by Leme, including the one by Steve Double shown here

Kurt Cobain used two Vox V829 Tone Bender Germanium Charged Fuzz pedals during the "In Utero" tour. These pedals are visible in a poster where Cobain is seen kneeling and pressing one of them while playing his sonic blue Mustang. The name "Vox Tone Bender Fuzz" is reportedly visible on the pedal boxes in the image.

Kurt Cobain used a Fender Telecaster Vintage 1960 for practice sessions in the 1990s, as evidenced by a user-uploaded photo.

Kurt Cobain borrowed a Fender Telecaster Thinline Electric Guitar from Lee Ranaldo for a performance opening for Mudhoney in 1992. According to Kurtsguitarsnow, the guitar was later stolen from Ranaldo.

In the book Heavier than Heaven by Charles Cross it is stated That Kurt's parents had given him a mickey mouse drum kit and by the looks of it it seems to be the one in this photo

In this photo Kurt can be seen playing an ovation guitar which now resides in a Hard Rock Cafe

A dbx 160XT is used on Kurt Cobain's vocal and spare vocal, in line with a Klark Teknik DN300 on each channel.