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
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.
@@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
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 :)
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!
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
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.
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
@@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
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.
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!
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.
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!
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
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! 🔥
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
@@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
@@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
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.
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! 🤘⭐💯🍺🎸
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!
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 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
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
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
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 👏🏻
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
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.
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
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.
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
@@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.
@@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.
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)
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.
Yeah I remember some Guitar World interview where he talks about turning the mids all the way up. It was probably pertly a reaction against the scooped-mids sound of the metal of the day, and it ended up being his signature sound
I love how fuckin simple his mindset was. Plug in his 1 distortion pedal into the amp and just play some power chords. Writes like 10 hit songs just with that technique alone. It's all in the songwriting.
DS2’s the best for me across the board. But, the best individual one, I’d say is the 93/94 In Utero RAT. Absolutely crushing, and absolutely AMAZING. The best balance is still the DS2, though. Would definitely buy it.
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! 👍👍👍
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.
Your neighbours must love you for blasting a Twin like that! 😉👍 For me the best is the DS-1, it just sounds the most appealing to me. ps maybe the DS-2 just edges ahead from Nevermind onwards
DS2 sounds better almost all the songs, while Rat something shitty. Sansamp and Rat fit better as OD for songs like About a girl, Come as you are, Serve the servants or Pennyroyal tea. However, Kurt sometimes recorded several guitar tracks for a song, especially on In utero, so more than one pedal would fit in many cases.
@@NirvanaGuitars Breed is also a Big Muff, so are the chorus parts of Heart Shaped Box. It's quite a distinctive sludgy sound that none of the others achieve. There's also a bit of mixing different tones on the albums. But yeah, he never used it live to my knowledge.
This is probably gonna sound dumb but I definitely prefer the Nevermind and Bleach stuff through the DS-1 and the In Utero through the DS-2. Which obviously that's respectively what they were used for other than the sans amp as well for In Utero. That being said, the DS-2 on Drain You sounded great, probably because its similiar to some of the extra layers on the studio track. Not a big fan of the Rat sound on Nirvana stuff, I use it for heavier music and its also a great overdrive pedal if you set it right as well as a boost for an already crunchy amp. Great video man, thanks so much!
@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 have owned all of those pedals except the SansAmp, and my DS-2 is my favorite distortion pedal I've ever owned. I love it even more than my Russian Big Muff.
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 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.
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
1993 dead on sound is DS2 with the Vintage Sans and the Clone. I run it through a 1972 Twin Reverb with Utahs. I have a 74 Univox Hi Flier Phase 3. I don't seriously think the guitar matters that much other than it looks really cool. I have Jaguars. I modified a Mustang with the Duncan pickup. Kurt makes it pretty clear in the Heart shaped box video and SNL in September 93 that the Mustang wasn't that important. He went back to the Univox, maybe just for spite. ..My 2 cents, but also I'm not nearly as cool as he was so there is that.
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
Awesome video.. I would just buy a Tube twin reverb. I had the tone Master, while It's great clean, I really sounds different with distortion pedals. It's too scooped.. If you buy a silverface twin reverb (not really expensive), you'll get the closest tone of K. Cobain on the whole internet. Amazing!
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
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
which is why this channel is ome of the best 🤘
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.
@@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
@@kyleanderson9713 Amen to that!
The Ds2 sounds the best to me. The most balanced distortion and thicker sounding than the ds1
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 :)
thats what i thought too!
Yes. More heavy. I like it too
for me the proco rat is better, it has much more body.
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
Yeah but the sans amp has a little brighter distortion.
Completely agree! I never had a Rat before this video, was very surprised how similar it can sound to the sansamp
They sound similar here, but the SansAmp is much more versatile
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
I have a rat on the same settings and it just sounds like Bleach. Probably because my amp sounds like a dumpster fire.
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!
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
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.
It's funny you say that, I came away wanting a DS1.
For me the Ds1 nailed the 91/92 tone and sansamp just work perfectly for in utero
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
@@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
@@strat_1880 if you made a video on it i’d watch it
The RAT 2 is a great budget friendly alternative
The sound of the RAT improved dramatically with the 1993/1994 Live Amp Settings. DS2 wins for consistency, though.
It really did; it doesn't sound very good at all with the previous settings but really came alive with 93-94 settings!
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.
😅
They were so close, since the DF-2 exists
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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
It’s highlight of my week when you drop a video. This was awesome
Can't tell you how much that means to me 🙏 Thank you so much for the support!
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! 🔥
Thank you!
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
Thank you! I've heard that modding a DS1 can make a huge difference, I have yet to try it though!
what mods are you suggesting doing to the DS-1??
@@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
@@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
@@kyleanderson9713 can we hear what this sounds like?
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.
That is super cool! That's one of my favorite live pics, I love that we clearly see the two choruses pedals
1 year ago:this is the first video i have watched ever, love the channel when i subscribed to you, love from Maryland 🦀
I’ve been using the Boss DS-1 for almost 20 years. My absolute favorite distortion pedal.
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! 🤘⭐💯🍺🎸
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
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!
Happy my video is able to help! 😁
ive been using the DS-2 for years, highly recommend
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
I loved using the Rat box. I let my friend borrow it and he broke it. :(
@@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
thing that changes a lot if you use the modified version of the ds1, with the Keeley Mod.
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.
The DS-1 sounds the most like Nirvanas tone than the others.
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
imo the DS2 sounds the most familiar, for obvious reasons.
I got my DS-1 last week, I love it so much
Congrats! It’s definitely a great pedal
thats crazy! I got a ds1 last week too! its a life changer compared to my old beat up Daddy O overdrive pedal 😂😂😂
He did so much in such a short career. Phenomenal!
this video gives me a completely different view on the ds-1,, love it!
Thank you Andrew!! 🙏🏻
This was super sick!! Thank you!
this video took so much work. thank you so much dude! this was sick!!
@NirvanaGuitars You make good videos, this was very good & simple
Thank you so much!
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
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 👏🏻
Your vids are so underrated
Thank you so much!
Nice video demonstration, really got me engaged 👍🏻
This shit is so freaking cool. Thanks for putting in the work to figure this stuff out for the guys who don’t have a clue lol.
The DS-1 has that gritty and crunchy distortion that every Nirvana song has. Def the best 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
Incredible how it sounds really the same as the albums. Nice vid.
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.
Agreed with those points, and I've been wanting to try a big muff!
@@NirvanaGuitars Once you put a big muff on your board, there's a good chance it'll never leave
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
Yeah think he used a big muff pedal on Lithium
@@dave-jk6enhe did
Nice vid bro, such quality work
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.
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
@@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.
@@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”.
Cool bro! Thank you for your history work and for your video.
just bought the ds2 off my guitar teacher at it sounds awesome. thanks for doing this video.
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.
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.
@@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 -_-
@@firewitch9531 I had a 72 LP and times were rough and I had to sell it… still haven’t gotten over it
Absolutely brilliant video, thank you so much
i think the boss ds1 is like more clear then all of them and it sounds amazing
Can see why Kurt used it for so long! Does really well especially with the Bleach settings I think
@@NirvanaGuitars yes your amp settings sounded so good they sounded like the actual song
@@brandonflroes4025 Thank you so much!
Great job, man! SansAmp sounds gorgeous
The sansamp is so articulate with distortion. No wonder he liked it so much.
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)
awesome work!
Now i know how he create a legendary sound )
Thank you!
Excellent video , simple and effective explanation !!! Thank you sir 👍
Dude, awesome video!!
Very helpful video! Thanks for sharing!
Glad it was helpful!
Качественное видео !
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!
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.
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!! 👍
The boss DS2 is a great pedal! Completely Nails the late 91 sound, does really well with in Utero tour settings too
Mestre! Sensacional! Algo perfeccionista! Parabéns!
This is weird because I thought Kurt's tone was usually low on the mids but you crank them up and match his tone really well.
I have found that cranking the mids really helps to get close to this tone
Yeah I remember some Guitar World interview where he talks about turning the mids all the way up. It was probably pertly a reaction against the scooped-mids sound of the metal of the day, and it ended up being his signature sound
@@TomDavidMcCauley I just don’t understand mids that well I guess then.
@@Timbiscuit12 More mids = More open and noticeable sound.
Less mids= bigger but less noticeable sound (harder to listen in the mix).
Kurt cranked the mids on the amp. But the ds-1 and ds-2 mode 1 are scooped so it balances out
I love how fuckin simple his mindset was. Plug in his 1 distortion pedal into the amp and just play some power chords. Writes like 10 hit songs just with that technique alone. It's all in the songwriting.
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!
Awesome video
Thank you!
DS2’s the best for me across the board. But, the best individual one, I’d say is the 93/94 In Utero RAT. Absolutely crushing, and absolutely AMAZING. The best balance is still the DS2, though. Would definitely buy it.
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! 👍👍👍
Overall, I think the DS-1 is probably the best
Rat, and DS-2 for me.. but Sans amp hit hard with heart shaped box
Love this video! Awesome content.. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
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.
Thanks for your work 👍👍👍
Your neighbours must love you for blasting a Twin like that! 😉👍
For me the best is the DS-1, it just sounds the most appealing to me.
ps maybe the DS-2 just edges ahead from Nevermind onwards
Really interesting video
Breed on the DS-1 Is like heaven to my ears.
I wish someone would do a video on "The Priest They Called Him" tone.
It's sounds like a bomb inside of a bomb.
DS2 sounds better almost all the songs, while Rat something shitty. Sansamp and Rat fit better as OD for songs like About a girl, Come as you are, Serve the servants or Pennyroyal tea. However, Kurt sometimes recorded several guitar tracks for a song, especially on In utero, so more than one pedal would fit in many cases.
Kurt also used a big muff for songs like lithium
As far as I know he only used it for that song and never live
@@NirvanaGuitars Breed is also a Big Muff, so are the chorus parts of Heart Shaped Box. It's quite a distinctive sludgy sound that none of the others achieve. There's also a bit of mixing different tones on the albums.
But yeah, he never used it live to my knowledge.
@@NirvanaGuitars Early versions of In Bloom could also be a Big Muff as well. The Nevermind version is DS1 though
Best UA-cam recommend ever
❤️
I like all four but I own the Boss DS-2 and thats my preferance.
That School chorus is so freakin good and powerful!
My favorite has to be the ds1 it just has that amazing bleach tone that I love
This is probably gonna sound dumb but I definitely prefer the Nevermind and Bleach stuff through the DS-1 and the In Utero through the DS-2. Which obviously that's respectively what they were used for other than the sans amp as well for In Utero. That being said, the DS-2 on Drain You sounded great, probably because its similiar to some of the extra layers on the studio track. Not a big fan of the Rat sound on Nirvana stuff, I use it for heavier music and its also a great overdrive pedal if you set it right as well as a boost for an already crunchy amp.
Great video man, thanks so much!
radio friendly shifter needs that sansamp for the modulation intro
The DS2 was the first pedal i bought. One of my favorite pedals ever.
@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???
DS-2 sounds grunge. Rat sounds more punk rock. Love both.
TD 2. Amazing.
Pretty ear to differentiate distortion!❤
I have owned all of those pedals except the SansAmp, and my DS-2 is my favorite distortion pedal I've ever owned. I love it even more than my Russian Big Muff.
ds1 gotta be my fav
Perfect pedal boss ds2 MIJ
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
What a great video. Doesn't get any more clear or better than that lol. You sold me on the Turbo Ds2
DS1 is 100% bleach era tone fr, DS2 nails 91/92 especially in combo w the small clone, sansamp 93/94. Just like how they were used
Wow so cool!
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.
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
goated demos
Thank you so much 🙏🏻
1993 dead on sound is DS2 with the Vintage Sans and the Clone. I run it through a 1972 Twin Reverb with Utahs. I have a 74 Univox Hi Flier Phase 3. I don't seriously think the guitar matters that much other than it looks really cool. I have Jaguars. I modified a Mustang with the Duncan pickup. Kurt makes it pretty clear in the Heart shaped box video and SNL in September 93 that the Mustang wasn't that important. He went back to the Univox, maybe just for spite. ..My 2 cents, but also I'm not nearly as cool as he was so there is that.
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
Agreed that the sansamp is a beast 👏🏻 and yeah the DS1 definitely shines for the earlier eras!
Awesome video.. I would just buy a Tube twin reverb. I had the tone Master, while It's great clean, I really sounds different with distortion pedals. It's too scooped.. If you buy a silverface twin reverb (not really expensive), you'll get the closest tone of K. Cobain on the whole internet. Amazing!
some of those Twin Reverbs are ice-pick shrill. my guitar pedals (like the SansAmp) sounded horrible through certain Twin Reverbs
I so needed drums during this video.
But interesting.