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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Kurt Cobain. Every item links to its public source.
34 items · Last checked

What guitar does Kurt Cobain play?

Kurt Cobain said he liked Fender-style guitars for their skinny necks and was seen with left-handed Mustangs, a modified '65 Jaguar, Japanese Strats and Univox Hi-Flyers. He was seen using a Boss DS-1, an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone, a Mesa/Boogie Studio preamp and a 1959 Martin D-18E on MTV Unplugged.

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What guitar gear Kurt Cobain uses: a sourced gear guide

Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.

Guitars

8 items

Acoustics

2 items

Pickups and hardware

4 items

Amps

10 items

Pedals

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What he wore

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Questions

About Kurt Cobain's gear.

What guitar did Kurt Cobain play?

Before Nevermind he played Univox Hi-Flyers. From 1991 he played left-handed Fender Mustangs, a modified 1965 Jaguar and Japanese Stratocasters, and later the Jag-Stang he designed with Fender. On MTV Unplugged he played a 1959 Martin D-18E.

What pedals did Kurt Cobain use?

Guitar World names a Boss DS-1 and an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone on Nevermind and a Big Muff on Lithium. For In Utero, Guitar.com lists a Boss DS-2, the Small Clone, an Electro-Harmonix Polychorus on Heart-Shaped Box, an Echoflanger and a Tech 21 SansAmp.

What amp did Kurt Cobain use?

For Nevermind he had a Mesa/Boogie Studio preamp, a Crown power amp and Marshall 4x12 cabinets, and Butch Vig also used a Fender Bassman and a Vox AC30. Guitar.com says he mainly used a Fender Twin Reverb on In Utero.

What guitar did Kurt Cobain play on MTV Unplugged?

A 1959 Martin D-18E, one of 302 built, fitted with a Bartolini pickup. It sold at auction in 2020 for over $6 million.

What sunglasses did Kurt Cobain wear?

The round white sunglasses he wore in Jesse Frohman's 1993 photos were made by Christian Roth, which reissued the style as the Series 6558 in 2017.

What shoes did Kurt Cobain wear?

Spin describes the Converse One Star as his beloved model. Converse later made an estate-approved line of Chuck Taylors, Jack Purcells and One Stars with his writing on them.

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Kurt Cobain
About this guide · Last checked

Kurt Cobain (1967 to 1994) was the singer, guitarist and songwriter of Nirvana, from Bleach through Nevermind, In Utero and MTV Unplugged. This legacy guide covers the cheap and modified guitars, amps and pedals he played, from studio and tech accounts in the guitar press, plus the sunglasses and sneakers he was seen wearing.

truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Kurt Cobain didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.

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