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ON NIRVANA'S EARLY recordings, Kurt played either a Univox Mosrite copy or a Japanese Epiphone through a BOSS DS-1 [distortion unit] into a Randall head powering the cabinet of the week. Chris ran an Ibanez Black Eagle bass through a Fender Twin Reverb for the recording of Bleach. Kurt later switched to a Sunn Beta-Lead head driving Peavey 4X12 cabinets as Nirvana made the transition from bars to ballrooms.
For the recording of Nevermind, Chris used a Gibson Ripper bass through an Ampeg SVT 400. Kurt now had a late-sixties Mustang, a Jaguar with Dimarzio pickups and several new Stratocasters with humbuckers in the bridge position. An Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus was used with the DS-1 for this album, along with a Mesa/Boogie Studio Two preamp.
This became the live rig for the Nevermind tour, along with various exploding power amps and Marshall cabinets that seemed to multiply on a nightly basis. Later came the switch to a BOSS DS-2 distortion pedal and Crest 4801 power amps (the amps that wouldn't die).
For In Utero, Kurt primarily used his Jaguar and a Twin Reverb. Effects consisted of a DS-2 distorion, a Small Clone and an Electro-Harmonix Poly Chorus (or Echoflanger: same electronics, different packaging!). Chris used his Ripper through a 200-watt Hiwatt head (converted to accept KT90 tubes) through a Marshall cabinet. Before the In Utero tour, Fender sent out four new Mustangs, even more Stratocasters and a Jag-Stang prototype Kurt had been working on. The Mustangs all had to be routed for humbuckers and fitted with Tune-O-Matic bridges, as did the Jag-Stang. Kurt returned to the white Univox as well as a sunburst Univox custom and added a SansAmp distorion pedal to his lineup of gizmos. His signal chain went as follows: Guitar-Boss DS-2-SansAmp-Poly Chorus or Echo Flanger (whichever worked that day)-Small Clone-Amp.
On the last tour, Kurt had eight cabinets, Chris had another eight and Pat Smear carried yet four more. they were all running wide open; and it was, to say the least, unbelievable. Running the guitars and bass through the P.A. became almost unnecessary.
Kurt's Martin D-18E, which he used on the Unplugged show, became his main acoustric at the start of Nirvana's 1993 tour. Before that, Kurt played an early-Sixties Gibson made Epiphone Texan. This guitar had its adjustable bridge replaced with a lefty flat-top bridge, which greatly improved the sound. for "Polly," "Something In The Way" and "Dumb," Kurt used a mid-Sixties Stella 12-string that strung with a six-set of nylon folk strings.
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