Kurt Cobain’s favorite guitar was the Fender Mustang. He owned multiple Mustangs during his career, including the Lake Placid Blue 1965 Mustang that he is most closely associated with. He played this guitar on the Nevermind tour and during the infamous MTV Unplugged performance.
He was known to frequent pawn shops to find vintage guitars and it was from one of these pawn shops that he first found his beloved 1965 Mustang. He had the Mustang customized for him by legendary guitar tech Earnie Bailey.
Bailey added extra strap buttons to the back of the guitar, to allow Cobain to play with the guitar behind his back. The Mustang was also known for its distinctive sound, which had a bright and punchy tone.
Even after Cobain’s passing, the Mustang remains his most iconic guitar.
What guitar did Kurt Cobain use the most?
Kurt Cobain played numerous different kinds of guitars during his career, but the one he most often used was a Fender Mustang. It’s a semi-hollow, offset electric guitar that was popular in the ’60s, and Kurt bought his in 1990 from a Guitar Center in Los Angeles.
Kurt’s Fender Mustang had a unique setup, featuring a raised pickup in the neck position and a wraparound bridge. He often used the bridge pickup for lead parts, relying on the middle and neck pickups for more sustaining tones.
In addition, Kurt had his Fender Mustang modified to include a Gibson-style three-way toggle switch and two humbuckers. Kurt’s Fender Mustang was his main guitar for Nirvana, and he used it on the vast majority of their studio recordings.
It was also often used in live performances, including iconic MTV Unplugged set in 1993. Following Cobain’s death, his widow Courtney Love donated the guitar to Seattle’s Museum Of Pop Culture where it is currently on display.
Did Kurt Cobain use a Les Paul?
Yes, Kurt Cobain used a Les Paul guitar. He owned two Les Pauls: a 1959 Les Paul Junior that he acquired in the early 1990s and a 1968 black Les Paul Custom. At times, he also used a Fender Stratocaster.
He became most associated with the left-handed white Fender Mustang that he used during Nirvana’s breakthrough performances in 1991, however.
Kurt Cobain’s first Les Paul Junior cost him around $600, and it was the first left-handed guitar he purchased. He got it in 1991, just before Nirvana started their Nevermind tour. He used the Les Paul for songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come as You Are,” “Lithium,” and “In Bloom.
” During this time, he also customised the guitar with a white finish and a single humbucker pickup in the bridge position.
The second Les Paul that Kurt Cobain owned was a black 1968 Les Paul Custom. He acquired it in early 1992, and it largely remained unmodified. He used it on Nirvana’s last official recording, In Utero, and it was also seen during the band’s performance on MTV Unplugged in 1993.
Sadly, both of Kurt Cobain’s beloved Les Pauls were stolen a few months after his death in April 1994. The guitars have yet to be recovered, but his legacy and influence on the guitar world will always remain.
Did Kurt Cobain have a signature guitar?
Yes, Kurt Cobain had a signature guitar. His main guitar on stage and in the studio was a left-handed 1959 Fender Mustang—a modified version of which was released as the Fender Kurt Cobain Mustang in 2011.
He used a modified version of the Mustang, with a humbucker at the bridge and a Mustang single coil at the neck. In 2011, Fender introduced a re-issue of the original model with reverse body, neck and headstock.
The re-issue also featured a custom finish, a custom neck shape, a Seymour Duncan JB Junior humbucker pick up, vintage-style tuning keys, and left-handed controls. Additionally, Kurt was known for occasionally playing, and destroying, vintage Univox Hi-Flyer guitars.
He also had a blue Hagström SuperSwede, which he used for a time before it was sold. Lastly, the model most associated with Kurt was a Fender Jag-Stang, a hybrid of the Jaguar and Mustang models built to his specifications.
Did Kurt Cobain take guitar lessons?
Kurt Cobain did not take formal guitar lessons, however he was self-taught. He studied note sheets and reportedly taught himself how to play certain songs from bands he liked. He showed great progress learning to play guitar from Seattle-based musician Crystal Gayle, however, the two eventually stopped because Cobain felt restricted.
Cobain focused mainly on riffs, chords, and techniques taught to him by musician friends. He explored other styles and techniques by listening to records and playing along until he got the riffs and notes correct.
He was also inspired by grunge bands such as the Melvins, Green River, and Mudhoney. Though he did not take formal lessons, Cobain demonstrated great mastery of the instrument, with his unique and expressive playing style.
Does Kurt Cobain play in Drop D?
Yes, Kurt Cobain used Drop D tuning on several of his songs. It was a popular tuning to use in rock music and was used as early as the mid-1960s. Cobain was known for his use of alternative guitar tunings and Drop D was no different.
He used it for some of his most famous songs including “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come As You Are,” and “In Bloom. ” He also employed the tuning for some of his acoustic songs including “Polly” and “Something in the Way.
” It gave his riffs and melodies a signature sound and helped him stand out from other rock artists of the time.
What tuning is Blew Nirvana?
Blew by Nirvana is in the key of E, with a tuning of E B G D A E. This tuning is also known as Drop D Tuning, as the lowest string is dropped down one whole step from standard tuning. In Drop D Tuning, the low E string is tuned down to a D note, giving the guitar a lower and fuller sound.
This is one of the most common alternate tunings in rock, and has been used by many other bands such as Foo Fighter, Alice in Chains, Metallica, and many others.
Why use Drop D tuning?
Drop D tuning is becoming increasingly popular because it provides a different tonal palette, adding a low-end heaviness and depth to the sound of your guitar. The low D string is dropped one whole tone down and gives the guitar a whole new sound, especially when you apply some creative and dynamic chord voicings.
It gives you immediate access to dark, aggressive chords, as well as the opportunity to easily create interesting, unorthodox chord progressions without having to move around your fretboard as much. Additionally, you can instantly create a low drone sound effect or add a low pedal note to your guitar parts.
These qualities make it ideal for particular genres of music, such as metal and rock. Drop D also allows you to play open power chords and barre chords more easily and smoothly. If you’re looking to add more flexibility in your playing, a great way to do it is by trying out different tunings on your guitar.
Drop D tuning is a great place to start.
Who plays Drop D?
Drop D tuning is typically associated with heavy metal, rock and blues music. Examples include Eddie Van Halen, Zakk Wylde, Jimmy Page, Slash, Joe Bonamassa and Peter Frampton. The most iconic example of a guitar playing in Drop D is probably the opening riff of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”, which was played by the legendary Jimmy Page.
Drop D has also been used by many hardcore punk and metal bands, including Nirvana, Pantera, Metallica, and Megadeth. It’s a popular tuning for guitarists who want to emphasize the low end of their tone, as well as those who are looking to create a dissonant sound.
What guitar was heart shaped box recorded on?
The guitar Kurt Cobain recorded “Heart-Shaped Box” on was a Fender Jag-Stang, made exclusively for Cobain by the Fender company in 1993. They took design elements from two iconic Fender guitars, the Mustang and the Jaguar and combined them into one instrument.
The Jag-Stang was the only guitar Kurt used to record Nirvana’s final studio album, In Utero. He can be heard playing it on the studio version of “Heart-Shaped Box,” as well as the live version used in their MTV Unplugged performance in 1993.
It features a single-coil on the jazzmaster-style lower pickup and a humbucker on the Mustang-style upper pickup. Both pickups are situated above a six-saddle string-through-body vintage-style tremolo bridge.
Additionally, the guitar’s neckplate bears the words “Kurt Was Here” to commemorate its transcendent association with Cobain and his pioneering influence in the music world.