one of the few videos on the internet that shows exactly how these pedals sound, not glorified at all through some vintage gear, this is just what they actually sound like, which is an achievement for sure man well done

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!! 🙏 I'm trying to make the type of the videos I wish I could've found when I first started learning guitar and getting Nirvana gear

@mastrofpuppets

Жыл бұрын

which is why this channel is ome of the best 🤘

@blakemcnamara9105

Жыл бұрын

I hate to break it to you but these pedals sound different on nearly every guitar and amp type out there. This is just how they sound with THESE particular pieces of equipment. The similarity of their sounds on different rigs are rather minimal.

@kyleanderson9713

Жыл бұрын

@@blakemcnamara9105 that might be true, but we are talking minutiae here, this gives a really solid representation of what the pedal will sound like as, a clean ss pedal platform amp wont be doing much of the tone shaping here. i have a good few amps (tube and ss from a whole range of brands) and guitars with different pickups and in the room, this is really what they sound like

@davidpggarrett

Жыл бұрын

@@kyleanderson9713 Amen to that!

The Ds2 sounds the best to me. The most balanced distortion and thicker sounding than the ds1

@CS_Sardine

Жыл бұрын

Yes but I was thinking, the DS-1 maybe would let the voice and other instruments sit better in the mix maybe. The DS-2 sounded more like a hi fi fat mix, the DS-1 sounded very Nirvana and dirty, loved it. Well, loved all of the pedals, for different mixes :)

@TheJols

Жыл бұрын

thats what i thought too!

@pentastarr666

Жыл бұрын

Yes. More heavy. I like it too

@Jaeqen

Жыл бұрын

for me the proco rat is better, it has much more body.

@snorlaxatives13

Жыл бұрын

i thought that too until i actually owned one, worst pedal i've ever owned. ds-1 is much better imo

I'm really surprised how similar the rat and sansamp sound to each other. I've always held the sansamp in way higher regard

@Cboyhelfaa

Жыл бұрын

Yeah but the sans amp has a little brighter distortion.

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Completely agree! I never had a Rat before this video, was very surprised how similar it can sound to the sansamp

@Paul-dw2cl

Жыл бұрын

They sound similar here, but the SansAmp is much more versatile

@serrisdaylor1015

Жыл бұрын

I can see why despite the Rat being basically not used, it's still so associated with him! Time and again, the Rat gets underestimated

@PalmettoStateSirens

Жыл бұрын

I have a rat on the same settings and it just sounds like Bleach. Probably because my amp sounds like a dumpster fire.

For me the Ds1 nailed the 91/92 tone and sansamp just work perfectly for in utero

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Completely agree! This is why I included all 3 eras, the pedals react differently/have different strengths when it comes to what amp settings are being used

@Paul-dw2cl

Жыл бұрын

@@strat_1880 well we know for sure that the DS1 & DS2 have buffers. You might have to play each one individually and then put the DS1 & DS2 last and then try them first and compare

@Paul-dw2cl

Жыл бұрын

@@strat_1880 if you made a video on it i’d watch it

Man. I want a DS2 now! It wasn't the perfect fit for every riff but overall to my ear it had the best sound. Thanks for these videos. I grew up a Kurt fanatic and always tried to mimic is tone and never could!

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the kind words and for watching 🙂 I think if someone wanted 1 pedal to get close to his tone, I’d recommend the DS2! Like you said wasn’t perfect for everything but it nails his famous late 91 tone

@stratman4747

Жыл бұрын

Buy a ds-2. I've never been so happy with a distortion pedal. It does everything a ds-1 does, plus the glory of the turbo mode with everything dimed... it's the best.

@CarlosFromPhilly

10 ай бұрын

It's funny you say that, I came away wanting a DS1.

I remember an early 90's interview, probably RIP magazine, where he was talking about gear. They wrote down DF-1 not DS-1. Spent so much time looking for a non existing DF-1 pedal. Now everything is so documented & tested.

The DS-2 sounds just like Reading album and Sansamp sounds just like Live and Loud. Very cool!

The DS-1 sounds the most like Nirvanas tone than the others.

The sound of the RAT improved dramatically with the 1993/1994 Live Amp Settings. DS2 wins for consistency, though.

@TheOfficialCaseMade

3 ай бұрын

It really did; it doesn't sound very good at all with the previous settings but really came alive with 93-94 settings!

I've sold 3 ds-1 pedals and I always come back, they do a cool OD thing too. The turbo distortion I never liked too heavy and not heavy enough at the same time. the rat and poly chorus!! That's awesome sounding! Actually kind of sounds like a trapped rat . The rat and sans amp double tracking a part would be very close to in utero tone. Cool video duder

One of the few videos that closely demonstrates how Kurt's guitars sound in every song. I really love the sound of the SansAmp and it really captures Kurt's sound during their In Utero tour. I enjoyed this video a lot. Thanks for sharing! Lifelong Nirvana fan here since '91... so I just subscribed 'man! 🤘⭐💯🍺🎸

This is one of the coolest videos you have put out, I'm a huge fan of Kurt's pedals and this had just made my day!

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! That really means a lot, so happy you enjoyed it 🙏

For me the DS1 and 2 are the sound when I think of Nirvana, especially live. They have that almost ‘fizzy’ punchy distortion. When you played Floyd The Barber, that just had Live @ the Paramount written all over it. The Rat….well I can see why he didn’t use it much. I wasn’t overly keen on the SansAmp either, but I know it’s capable of much more than just the settings Kurt used. Nice video, I appreciate the dedication!

@iwaann_

3 ай бұрын

For the Rat..He's using it wrong, Filter Knob is the opposite of Tone Knob, instead of twist the filter knob the same as DS-1 (which might be 9-10 o'clock) twist it to 3 o'clock. Tone Knob adds more Treble (and Mids in some cases) while Proco Rat's filter knob adds more bass.

this video took so much work. thank you so much dude! this was sick!!

It’s highlight of my week when you drop a video. This was awesome

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Can't tell you how much that means to me 🙏 Thank you so much for the support!

I appreciate the thoroughness of your videos. I can't believe Kurt had the treble and mids dimed out on the amp, but it sounds accurate.

dude this is such a killer video, the ds-2 is the clear winner, but as someone who owns all the pedals above, i can say when some mods are done to the ds-1 that can take you to a whole nother level

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! I've heard that modding a DS1 can make a huge difference, I have yet to try it though!

@Gatchi

Жыл бұрын

what mods are you suggesting doing to the DS-1??

@kyleanderson9713

Жыл бұрын

@@Gatchi i took out some things to give it more fuzz and less buzz, the big one though is i ripped the diodes out and put them on switches with a few other options, its all on the first page of Google

@kyleanderson9713

Жыл бұрын

@@NirvanaGuitars get a pre 2016 ds-1, you do this by checking the serial number, take out the diodes and change some stuff around to make it less, ya know, tinny and more angry

@iamshaggy3587

Жыл бұрын

@@kyleanderson9713 can we hear what this sounds like?

Great video! each pedal demonstration definitely has its own unique sound, as i own a majority of these pedals i can now dial in more accurately! Also the polychorus sounds so much different compared to the one I own which is a more recent reissue!

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Happy my video is able to help! 😁

DS2 is the winner, but I have DS1, DS2 and a RAT, in a normal band situation the Rat is the one better sounding, it pops you out of the mix, especially with 2 guitars, with the DS1 you tend to disappear

@mysterymac38

Жыл бұрын

I loved using the Rat box. I let my friend borrow it and he broke it. :(

@dt9r

Жыл бұрын

@@mysterymac38 there are cheap copies around the sound identical to mine, the mooer for example but even the Chinese copies, the rat is not to difficult to clone

@Jaeqen

Жыл бұрын

thing that changes a lot if you use the modified version of the ds1, with the Keeley Mod.

Absolutely brilliant video, thank you so much

Wow this sound bring back my good memories listening nirvana when i'm on elementary school... this is exactly the distortion that Kurt used. Good videos! 🔥

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Nice vid bro, such quality work

Great job, man! SansAmp sounds gorgeous

Excellent video , simple and effective explanation !!! Thank you sir 👍

Hey man great presentation. enjoyed the vid !

Cool bro! Thank you for your history work and for your video.

Ds-1 for Bleach songs, Ds-2 for Nevermind and Incesticide and Sans Amp for In Utero. If i could chose only one, Ds-2 for the overall consistency. I am a little frustated though because some years ago i bought a Ds-1, you should have done this vídeo earlier 😂. Great work man, superb tone, great channel!

2:05 that picture was taken at my local college (9 minute drive from where I live) I actually met a guy at the guitar center here who actually went to that concert and saw him on the day and place where that picture was taken.

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

That is super cool! That's one of my favorite live pics, I love that we clearly see the two choruses pedals

Mestre! Sensacional! Algo perfeccionista! Parabéns!

awesome work! Now i know how he create a legendary sound ) Thank you!

Great video. much appreciated. I love it when the cheaper pedals that go way back and are very accessible have the better sound in my opinion.

Dude, awesome video!!

All great pedals! The only thing ive never been able to find is Kurt's Big Muff setting.. i always assumed he just cranked it and backed the tone off a bit (much like his boss pedals). Great content though dude! 👍👍👍

Don’t forget: for Territorial Pissings, Kurt plugged his guitar straight into the console, hence why the distortion sounds so fuzzy. He wanted to emulate the production of early punk bands for that song. Killer vid!

Excellent video I like how you set it up showing all necessary information at once with the little windows and pedal highlight. As for the pedals the SansAmp won by miles for me in the In Utero part while all the other parts the DS2 was best. The DS1 I absolutely dislike with its thinner and very fizzy sound. Great video

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the feedback! A part of me was worried there was too much going on with the pedals, window, amp settings and guitar pic all being shown at once. But I wanted to somehow present all that info haha! The DS2 and Sansamp are my favorites, so I completely understand 👏🏻

Man, you are living my 14 year old self's dreams! I ended up with a Jag-Stang, but I always wanted the HH Jaguar and an LPB Mustang. I dont listen to Nirvana much anymore, but offsets are still some of my favorite guitars.

ive been using the DS-2 for years, highly recommend

thank you very much friend, you are the best!🌹 love it

Very helpful video! Thanks for sharing!

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Incredible how it sounds really the same as the albums. Nice vid.

Great vid man!! Im surprised out of all these pedals the one I thought would be my last pick turned out to be my favorite, the plain old ds1 for the nirvana sound for sure👍. Have you tried the waza ds1 btw and if so whats the difference?

I run a ds1 in my band and I love it, it's so easy to get those really sheer in your face distortion sounds and pretty decently priced would recommend

just got a ds-2 because it sounds amazing with most of the eras, thanks!

The DS1 is by far my favorite distortion pedal. I still use it with a strat.

hey man, I was wondering where I can but the DS-1 pedal? Also keep up the great videos, these tone videos are great.

just bought the ds2 off my guitar teacher at it sounds awesome. thanks for doing this video.

Great video, would you be able able to do one on Greg Sage's pedals and amp, since he is Kurt's major inspiration for his guitar sound.

@NirvanaGuitars Fabulous video, you can really tell which pedal Kurt used for which songs (for example, Heart-Shaped Box sounds practically identical to the studio version!!), can you do a video of all the Nevermind song tones like the Bleach video and then can you do the same for In Utero???

I love my rat. It’s got nice buzz and tone settings that will wave or drone. I think it sounds most like Sansamp. But I’m gonna say for this test overall the turbo distortion sounds fullest , maybe not always most like Kurt’s but it’s still the best sounding option in this experience

@CarlosFromPhilly

10 ай бұрын

imo the DS2 sounds the most familiar, for obvious reasons.

I’ve been using the Boss DS-1 for almost 20 years. My absolute favorite distortion pedal.

Love this video! Awesome content.. Thanks!

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for your work 👍👍👍

0:27 i have and Use the Boss DS2 its sound really good, almost identical. But hey the other tones shown here sound really good as well!! 👍

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

The boss DS2 is a great pedal! Completely Nails the late 91 sound, does really well with in Utero tour settings too

Great comparison! 👍😊

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@NirvanaGuitars You make good videos, this was very good & simple

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

Great video. Loved how many songs you went over. What song is playing in the background during the history and testing method explanation? I really like it

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! It’s an instrumental version of the song Killjoy by my band Ithomiid 🙂

Even though he apparently barely used it, the Pro Co Rat sounds the best to me! I'll have to bust mine out again, could never quite get the sound I wanted out of it, but you helped change my mind! Even sounds a bit like the Sans Amp, albeit a lot cheaper.

I wish someone would do a video on "The Priest They Called Him" tone. It's sounds like a bomb inside of a bomb.

Wow awesome man! Btw how do you make your guitar videos sound loud enough, especially when you use distortion. I’m asking because every time I do so, my videos sound quiet.

Great demo!!! DS-2 definitely had a fuller sound than the DS-1. Question, is this a MIJ pre-1993 DS-1 or newer? Hopefully this comparison is between the pedals Kurt would’ve been using.

Excellent video !! I just wonder what is the impact on kurt's tone with his Mesa boogie studio preamp ? You shoud maybe try it on your next videos ;)

You are the best in KZread !! I’m your Instagram fan !

Your vids are so underrated

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

Great video, one think a lot of people miss viewing these videos is how different recorded and live nirvana is. For some of the stuff I think a twin is fine (bleach era and some of in utero) but it is very different to a mesa studio pre and boss distortions are quite picky with what you feed them into.

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Exactly! I think that's something a lot of people don't realize. Nevermind the record sounds different than live Nevermind era, and In Utero the record and the In Utero tour sound colossally different. Always wish Kurt would've had more time and recorded an album or even just demos with the In Utero tour set up, particularly the sansamp

Any of these are good - just make sure you have a good Humbucker and a decent loud clean amp and you're good to go. Also - you can get some pretty Nirvanaish tones and similar artists through any variety of Big Muff pedals.

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Agreed with those points, and I've been wanting to try a big muff!

@jasondorsey7110

Жыл бұрын

@@NirvanaGuitars Once you put a big muff on your board, there's a good chance it'll never leave

@HighTechPioneer

Жыл бұрын

My favorite is probably still the black Russian. It's a nice middle ground between distortion and fuzz, really easy to get whatever tone you're looking for, and oh man does it sound nice

@dave-jk6en

Жыл бұрын

Yeah think he used a big muff pedal on Lithium

@StopTheRot

5 ай бұрын

@@dave-jk6enhe did

Have seen a lot of videos! Great job. One question, do you use your Small Clone before DS2? Kurt was the other way, I think. Why did you end up with that signal chain. Thank youu

Great work! The amp setting shown in the video 1:47 is the amp setting closest to what Cobain used with his fender?

Great video. Can't recall if you've ever adressed this in another video, but what's the signal chain for this exact pedalboard?

I liked the sound of the DS2 a lot more than the others, although the Sansamp definitely sounds like In Utero. Also I loved the sound with the Mustang the best. Anyone knows what a replacement for the polychorus pedal would be nowadays?

Awesome video

Great vid as usual! 🫃🫃🫃🫃🫃🫃 Your vid’s are so helpful because I have been dying on how to get the 90’s grunge/alt rock sound for ages! What is your fav Nirvana song?

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Happy my videos have been helpful!! Very hard to pick, but probably come as you are and dive

@guitarpold107

Жыл бұрын

@@NirvanaGuitars great tracks

awesome man! Just a little detail: modulation in nirvana should be always after distortion on your signal.

Fantastic demonstration! Thanks for sharing . In the end, if you had to keep only one, and only one ?

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

I’d probably pick the sansamp!

i own a DS-2 yet am in love with the DS-1s thinner sound

this video gives me a completely different view on the ds-1,, love it!

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Andrew!! 🙏🏻

when we jam Nirvana, Pat uses a DS-1, and usually a classic vibe 70's squire jaguar which sounds amazing :)... i use a TC electronic Dark matter for the bass where as i don't own a Rat and i personally like the dirt it makes .

I think they all worked for their appropiate eras, which makes sense, perfect tone. (And for the RAT, yeah I guess I can see it being used for territorial pissings)

The DS2 was the first pedal i bought. One of my favorite pedals ever.

When your really break it down to basic circuitry there are only 7 or 8 different dirtboxes but the little differences and features in each “new” dirtbox that comes out to this day can sound so different from each other. You can either have a fuzzface, big muff, rat, mxr, ds1, dod250, tubescreamer or bluesdriver and every other pedal is just a variation of those pedals with tweaks and options. For me, I have 4 drives on the board. Rat, Big Muff, SD1 and an EHX Hot Tubes. This video is making me think of adding a DS1 to that collection.

Do you have a newer DS-2? I just bought one and im really struggling to get a solid In Utero era sound compared to my DS-1 which can't really do In Utero as its less smooth, any tips? Greay video, Ithomiid rocks btw

Really interesting video

What a great video. Doesn't get any more clear or better than that lol. You sold me on the Turbo Ds2

Just love the ds2

Cool video as always! Love to see fellow Nirvana fans like me obsess over things like these. What show is that btw 0:51 I've never seen those pictures before

I got my DS-1 last week, I love it so much

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Congrats! It’s definitely a great pedal

@charlieyeag8626

Жыл бұрын

thats crazy! I got a ds1 last week too! its a life changer compared to my old beat up Daddy O overdrive pedal 😂😂😂

I honestly thought the DS-1 sounded best for Bleach era, DS-2 for Nevermind and Rat for In Utero. And the Sansamp... Never sounded good haha. But thank you so much for this video, I know understand why I never manage to make my Rat work for my songs! On my way to buy a DS-2 I guess haha

I'm amazed how similar the RAT and Sansamp do sound (Sampamp having a nicer mid hump IMHO)! When I started playing guitar in 1996 I was soooo much into Nirvana (and I kind of learned how to play guitar, by learning Nirvana's songs). Back then the live album "From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah" came out, and I was so after that sounds that by looking in the booklet I saw a picture with Kurt and a Boss pedal with 4 knobs, which I mistakenly though was the OD2r Turbo Overdrive (which btw is another all Boss gem from that era)! So I got that OD2r and to be honest loved the sound I was getting out of it with my Fender Strat and a Fender 25w transistor amp. Only few month later I discovered Kurt was using the DS2! So I sold the OD2r and got the DS2, and used that extensively for many years. My sound to go was the Kurt Cobain setting but with Turbo 2 mode (and often with a switch pedal to switch between mod 1 &2)!

Great video 📹 ❤❤❤❤

i think the boss ds1 is like more clear then all of them and it sounds amazing

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Can see why Kurt used it for so long! Does really well especially with the Bleach settings I think

@brandonflroes4025

Жыл бұрын

@@NirvanaGuitars yes your amp settings sounded so good they sounded like the actual song

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

@@brandonflroes4025 Thank you so much!

Awesome video! Do you know how heavy your jaguar and mustang are? My jag sits on the heavier side at 9 pounds

Loved it

Where as Kurt did have a DS-2 in Fall of 91 (as evidenced by the Halloween show), based on information out there from roadies/techs/producers/etc, the DS-1 is still what was on a vast majority of the tracks and outtakes from Nevermind (as well as Bleach and Incesticide), and the DS-2 didn’t take it’s place over the DS-1 until February of ‘92 when the DS-1 fully died in Hawaii.

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Yes the DS1 was certainly used in studio on Bleach, Nevermind and Incesticide as those were recorded before fall 91 (with the exception of a few Incesticide tracks). But from what I’ve seen, the DS1 isn’t seen onstage anymore after we start seeing the DS2 in fall 91. I could be wrong though! It’d be interesting if there was a DS1 live pic after fall 91

@rabbitholeofmoxie

Жыл бұрын

@@NirvanaGuitars I’ll look for a picture and link you if I find it, but I remember reading a guitar tech of his speaking about the ds-1 giving up the ghost in Hawaii in ‘92 (this if the tech is accurate meaning one of the shows at Pink’s garage). I’ll start there and work my way back best I can to confirm what the tech (Not Bailey, but can’t remember the name) went on record with.

@rabbitholeofmoxie

Жыл бұрын

@@NirvanaGuitars the “clearest” DS-1 photos I found from post Paramount Halloween show are from the November 20th show in Italy. It’s blurry as all get out, but it looks like three knobs instead of four, and no orange caps on the knobs seemingly. Post November 20th the sheer amount of photos cut off at the ankles or with monitors perfectly in the way is absolutely maddening! There are a good number of shows with very visible DS-2s, and quite a few where it’s too grainy and/or blurry to tell anything or it’s just bad angles or crops for seeing pedals. The closest that could be DS-1s are January 11, 92 at MTV (specifically the photos from the dress rehearsal) and one Japan show from Feb 19, 1992. I couldn’t quite tell, but I think these could be ds-1 appearances as I don’t see four knobs. Although the knobs from the Japanese show look off for a ds-1 as well and the MTV dress rehearsal photos are in the vein of the November 20, but even worse for detail. I know I said links, but mobile was being dumb. My apologies. All the shows I mentioned as possible contenders are all on livenirvana.com with the Japan show photo with the best view being towards the last of the photos. Again, I wouldn’t say definitely DS-1 for any of them, but strong possibilities. In the mean time I’ll keep looking. Also, I found the tech quote that was quoted in an issue of Guitar World magazine: “Nick Close, Cobain's guitar tech from September 1991 until March 1992, recalls that Cobain's rig was basically the same as the one used to record Nevermind-the Mesa/Boogie Studio preamp, a Crown poweramp, a Boss DS1 and the Small Clone.” Later in the interview he said, “Kurt didn't seem to be too happy with it [the DS-2] at first, but he put it in his rig after he broke his DS1 in Hawaii”.

Don't forget that the amp that you use is going to play a huge part in the tone! Kurt later used Boogies and Marshall Cabs and they sound very different from a Twin Reverb. I got a Boss DS-1decades ago and played it through a Vox and hated it at first... Then I tried it through a JCM 800 and it was awesome.

@pentastarr666

Жыл бұрын

Yeah… I play thru a VOX and I can’t get that tone(even though I love xox amps). I had a JCM800 and it was stolen on a tour. . Killer amps.

@firewitch9531

Жыл бұрын

@@pentastarr666 Sorry to hear that! My Les Paul - which was first good guitar I bought - was stolen about 10 years ago, I still can't get over it -_-

@pentastarr666

Жыл бұрын

@@firewitch9531 I had a 72 LP and times were rough and I had to sell it… still haven’t gotten over it

Wow so cool!

the early settings and hi flyer into the RAT, and the later settings with the Mustang through the RAT are my favorite. i have the 3 distortions (no sansamp because i'm a cheapsakte) and i opt for RAT, and sometimes DS2. the Ds1 wasn't really any good for my tastes, until i yanked out a clipping diode, turning it into a louder boost/overdrivey kinda thing...but that has nothing to do with Nirvana guitar tones. I though the RAT was more during studio stuff than live, yet you got the pic there with it on stage, so who the hell knows, lolz.

I believe I've read somewhere that no bass distortion pedal was used on the Nevermind version of Breed. They just overloaded the whole Neve board!

That School chorus is so freakin good and powerful!

Awesome video I would go with ds-1 all the way to in Utero days just because the ds-2 is too muddy for me. But the Sansamp is a beast of a pedal The rat gets real gnarly for some heavy fuzz doom stuff tho

@NirvanaGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Agreed that the sansamp is a beast 👏🏻 and yeah the DS1 definitely shines for the earlier eras!

I wonder if he used the DS1 on the show in Detroit in 91 because that is by far my favorite concert and sound he ever had. His best singing too!

Качественное видео !