ilovefuzz.com

I'd like to know how Nirvana sounds so amazing and all Kurt needed was a Boss pedal thru a Marshall. I know the REAL magic is always in the fingers, but I've never heard a DS-1 sound like Kurt made it sound. Any ideas or suggestions?

Right now I've got an Egnater Tweaker thru 4x12 and I have a small collection of basic pedals I like a lot, but no classic distortion. I've been searching for some vintage sounding magic-box that can do Nirvana but I can't bring myself to buy the DS-1 or DS-2. I'm looking at the VFE Alpha Dog because I know Kurt used a Rat on his later stuff, but I feel like that's so close to a metal sound that I can get it already...

Sorry for rambling, but I'm on a tone quest for Kurt's mojo. I just have serious reservations about Boss's distortion series. If anyone knows a good Nirvana cover band I'd love to chat with them

The trick to any "classic" guitar hero tone is this:




I'm not being sarcastic. Hendrix did it. Clapton did it. Page did it. Townsend did it. I'm sure Cobain did too. That's a big part of their sounds. Playing through a small amp at 3/10 isn't going to sound the same even with the same pedals and guitar.

I do know however that Devi Ever's Vintage Fuzz Master is geared towards this sort of issue, but I'm not sure how well it achieves it, or how appropriate it would be for Nirvana tones specifically. It's probably worth looking into though.

I have the VFM, and it's DEFINITELY not for getting Nirvaner tone... more of a disharmonic quasi-octave scrambly thing. It can get into Brassmaster-ish territory, and fizzly robot territory, and all sorts of great stuff, but not that.

For the OP, why not just try some Boss stuff? I know they're mass produced and yadda yadda yadda, but if it gets you the sound you want, so what? I promise that we won't lose any respect for you. Well, not all of us anyhow...

Also, try stacking pedals - sometimes the right circuits can sound amazing when pushed by something else. The example I always give is my And Aardvarks - it's a great OD on its own, but sounds awesomely amp-melting-down-like when there's something cranked before it (fuzz, OD, whatever) pushing it hard.

Just like with the Pumpkins, stupidly loud power amps are more important in Nirvana's live tone than any pedal Cobain could have used.

Why not buy a used DS1 and stack it with a few distortions and / or Fuzzes? I could have sworn I saw one on ebay for like thirty quid.

The Elements from Dr. Scientist can get all kind of distortion and fuzz sound.
I think you already have one... start with Ryan's Woofer Wailer Square Setting and tweek knob until you got what you want.
Click here: viewtopic.php?f=146&t=18617&start=15#p286887
I'm sure you will get close to the Nirvana sound with that setting.

jrmy wrote:For the OP, why not just try some Boss stuff? I know they're mass produced and yadda yadda yadda, but if it gets you the sound you want, so what? I promise that we won't lose any respect for you. Well, not all of us anyhow...

Hey, man. King Buzzo uses a DS-1. Respect.

EDIT: ODB-3, sorry. Bass equivalent of the DS-1. Bonus respect.

foomanfat wrote:

jrmy wrote:For the OP, why not just try some Boss stuff? I know they're mass produced and yadda yadda yadda, but if it gets you the sound you want, so what? I promise that we won't lose any respect for you. Well, not all of us anyhow...

Hey, man. King Buzzo uses a DS-1. Respect.

King Buzzo's pedalboard:

yes. krist is a wizard

I'll refrain from talking much about how Cobain didn't use marshall amps, but, the DS-1 running into a really loud stage set up (or in the studio through a loud Fender Twin) sounds a bit different from how most people hear a DS-1: At bedroom volumes through a 15 watt solid-state practice amp.

Oh, also, Kurt's best live tone came in the In Utero era when he started using a Tech 21 Sans Amp. So, I would try that before anything else.

sylnau wrote:

foomanfat wrote:

jrmy wrote:For the OP, why not just try some Boss stuff? I know they're mass produced and yadda yadda yadda, but if it gets you the sound you want, so what? I promise that we won't lose any respect for you. Well, not all of us anyhow...

Hey, man. King Buzzo uses a DS-1. Respect.

King Buzzo's pedalboard:

THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYIN'!!!!!!!

I've told this story many a time, but Mission of Burma has one song where their bass player Clint gets this MASSIVE piano-like tone... after the last time I saw them, I hung around and asked him what he used for it (cuz I could see that he was clicking something on)... and it's a stock Boss bass overdrive.

There ya go.

Hmm...
I wasn't expecting this to be a serious thread.

sylnau wrote:

foomanfat wrote:

jrmy wrote:For the OP, why not just try some Boss stuff? I know they're mass produced and yadda yadda yadda, but if it gets you the sound you want, so what? I promise that we won't lose any respect for you. Well, not all of us anyhow...

Hey, man. King Buzzo uses a DS-1. Respect.

King Buzzo's pedalboard:

I personally think Buzzo's tone went downhill when he switched to those Bass Overdrivers.

sylnau wrote:King Buzzo's pedalboard:

lol, what a n00b pedalboard.