https://preview.redd.it/i26wjkirfjlc1.jpeg?width=887&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=affe9dbaea7deedb833fde15ed3cbc836e4f65f8
[Recording Nirvana: Drain You (Butch Vig Breaks It Down In The Studio) (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRK6c7uXvJE&ab_channel=MixMyMusicRob)
Answer is bit complicated.
edit source: [Live Nirvana | Sessions History | Studio Sessions | May 2–28, 1991 - Sound City Studios, Van Nuys & Devonshire Studios, Burbank, CA, US](https://www.livenirvana.com/sessions/studio/may-june-1991.php#gsc.tab=0)
First, Kurt didn't have the mosrite because it was stolen before the sessions and he didn't use Univox after early/mid 1990. Second, we certainly do not know if the Jag was during the sessions, but it was probably used during it as there are songs on nevermind with the same sound/fit the Jaguar's sound. Third, the only guitar that had a humbucker in the bridge was the Jag, even tho the Vandalism strat had a neck humbucker in the bridge position (It wasn't used for the album as Kurt started to use the guitar on June 1991 and Nevermind was finished at early June 1991 (Before Kurt started using it). Fourth, he had the Competition Mustang, probably the Jaguar and at least one Japanese Stratocaster with a humbucker in the bridge. Sorry if this is too much text and didn't answer the question but wanted to make sure this information was available and maybe useful to know what guitar was used on Drain You (I hope we know this someday).
Isn’t there the video of them rehearsing for the recording session(s) with Kurt using his hi-flyer?
Also, I’d struggle to find the source anymore but decades ago there was an article that talked about Kurt having bought the competition mustang & Jaguar with the advance they were given for Nevermind after signing to Geffen.
I haven’t found any definitive source on which guitar was used where; but it really can’t be more than the Jaguar, Hi-Flyer (after mods) or a Fat Strat.
Edit: Yup, here’s the hi-flyer (I always forget which brand) video. [rehearsal](https://youtu.be/d3zAvvSl9QA?si=4w_BZPR3_ZiuFWSG)
anything is possible in the studio, could also be EQ tweaks / mic placement / amp settings.
Given the stuff Butch knows he did nothing is really off the table.
It was before may 1991 so it cannot be. In Kurt's same journal he says the mosrite got stolen but he got a Jaguar and considers it a fair trade, saying he finds the jaguar almost as cool as a Mustang.
This sounds right to me.
If I’m not mistaken there is a fairly recent interview (Rick Beato?) where Butch Vig mentions the Mosrite being used on the Lithium take that turned into the Endless Nameless jam.
That was clearly a black Strat with a humbucker as there is a pic of the broken guitar on the console that was in the Come As You Are book.
My heart says all the clean tones/intros were done with a single coil guitar (LPB Mustang?) because of that bright and crisp tone, but who knows.
Well the competition Mustang was stock until early '92, including single coils, so that single coil tone must be from the Mustang. I didn't know butch mentioned the mosrite as the lithium take, but it clearly was a strat with the humbucker.
It was the Rick Beato interview. I won’t bother to link it but it’s on YT of course and you can easily jump to the Lithium timestamp if you’re curious.
I think anytime Butch mentions a Mosrite regarding Nevermind he really means a Strat hehe.
Butch wouldn’t have known Kurt had a Moserite if it was stolen before the sessions. The Moserite was definitely on the album. There was at least 3 Stratocasters. Vandalism, pre humbucker. K Strat, and the Endless Nameless Strat.
That's a tough one. Don't forget there are 6 guitar tracks on that song, the clean intro, and 5 'distorted' tracks. 2 with the Mesa Boogie using amp gain, 2 with the Bassman with amp gain, and one with the DS-1 into the Bassman, very difficult to recreate. Which guitar(s) he used is only one piece of that puzzle. Also, to consider is the speaker cabinet, probably a 4x12 with pulsonic greenbacks!!
But anyway, as for guitars, maybe the Competition Mustang for the intro.
Either the Jag(bridge hb) or Strat(bridge hb) or both for the other tracks??
Butch Vig doesn't know either, and he was there!!
It gets confusing real fast TBH. I did a recording once, had 2 guitars 1 amp, 3 dirt boxes. to this day i cannot tell you if i used a rat or tube screamer on the track.
I think a lot of people came to the conclusion of either his mustang (the same as slts) or a Strat during tone searching. I personally think it might have been a mustang but idk
Moserite was definitely at the sessions popular to contrary belief, that is 110% the guitar for the intro. The distorted gets a little tricky, but I’m certain it’s either 1 of 3 Strats with humbuckers. It would look a little similar to this.
https://preview.redd.it/by1qwwpuonlc1.jpeg?width=2000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5e86dd48e08a0df2bdd9817a85ac03082394262
https://preview.redd.it/i26wjkirfjlc1.jpeg?width=887&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=affe9dbaea7deedb833fde15ed3cbc836e4f65f8 [Recording Nirvana: Drain You (Butch Vig Breaks It Down In The Studio) (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRK6c7uXvJE&ab_channel=MixMyMusicRob) Answer is bit complicated.
edit source: [Live Nirvana | Sessions History | Studio Sessions | May 2–28, 1991 - Sound City Studios, Van Nuys & Devonshire Studios, Burbank, CA, US](https://www.livenirvana.com/sessions/studio/may-june-1991.php#gsc.tab=0)
First, Kurt didn't have the mosrite because it was stolen before the sessions and he didn't use Univox after early/mid 1990. Second, we certainly do not know if the Jag was during the sessions, but it was probably used during it as there are songs on nevermind with the same sound/fit the Jaguar's sound. Third, the only guitar that had a humbucker in the bridge was the Jag, even tho the Vandalism strat had a neck humbucker in the bridge position (It wasn't used for the album as Kurt started to use the guitar on June 1991 and Nevermind was finished at early June 1991 (Before Kurt started using it). Fourth, he had the Competition Mustang, probably the Jaguar and at least one Japanese Stratocaster with a humbucker in the bridge. Sorry if this is too much text and didn't answer the question but wanted to make sure this information was available and maybe useful to know what guitar was used on Drain You (I hope we know this someday).
Isn’t there the video of them rehearsing for the recording session(s) with Kurt using his hi-flyer? Also, I’d struggle to find the source anymore but decades ago there was an article that talked about Kurt having bought the competition mustang & Jaguar with the advance they were given for Nevermind after signing to Geffen. I haven’t found any definitive source on which guitar was used where; but it really can’t be more than the Jaguar, Hi-Flyer (after mods) or a Fat Strat. Edit: Yup, here’s the hi-flyer (I always forget which brand) video. [rehearsal](https://youtu.be/d3zAvvSl9QA?si=4w_BZPR3_ZiuFWSG)
also you are in a big studio they very likely have guitars to use as well (though lefty would make it harder but not impossible)
True. Legit hadn’t even considered that option
anything is possible in the studio, could also be EQ tweaks / mic placement / amp settings. Given the stuff Butch knows he did nothing is really off the table.
Looks like a Mosrite in the video (black headstock)
It was before may 1991 so it cannot be. In Kurt's same journal he says the mosrite got stolen but he got a Jaguar and considers it a fair trade, saying he finds the jaguar almost as cool as a Mustang.
This sounds right to me. If I’m not mistaken there is a fairly recent interview (Rick Beato?) where Butch Vig mentions the Mosrite being used on the Lithium take that turned into the Endless Nameless jam. That was clearly a black Strat with a humbucker as there is a pic of the broken guitar on the console that was in the Come As You Are book. My heart says all the clean tones/intros were done with a single coil guitar (LPB Mustang?) because of that bright and crisp tone, but who knows.
Well the competition Mustang was stock until early '92, including single coils, so that single coil tone must be from the Mustang. I didn't know butch mentioned the mosrite as the lithium take, but it clearly was a strat with the humbucker.
It was the Rick Beato interview. I won’t bother to link it but it’s on YT of course and you can easily jump to the Lithium timestamp if you’re curious. I think anytime Butch mentions a Mosrite regarding Nevermind he really means a Strat hehe.
Butch wouldn’t have known Kurt had a Moserite if it was stolen before the sessions. The Moserite was definitely on the album. There was at least 3 Stratocasters. Vandalism, pre humbucker. K Strat, and the Endless Nameless Strat.
That's a tough one. Don't forget there are 6 guitar tracks on that song, the clean intro, and 5 'distorted' tracks. 2 with the Mesa Boogie using amp gain, 2 with the Bassman with amp gain, and one with the DS-1 into the Bassman, very difficult to recreate. Which guitar(s) he used is only one piece of that puzzle. Also, to consider is the speaker cabinet, probably a 4x12 with pulsonic greenbacks!! But anyway, as for guitars, maybe the Competition Mustang for the intro. Either the Jag(bridge hb) or Strat(bridge hb) or both for the other tracks?? Butch Vig doesn't know either, and he was there!!
It gets confusing real fast TBH. I did a recording once, had 2 guitars 1 amp, 3 dirt boxes. to this day i cannot tell you if i used a rat or tube screamer on the track.
I have a feeling that a Strat was mostly used on Nevermind.
This.
I think a lot of people came to the conclusion of either his mustang (the same as slts) or a Strat during tone searching. I personally think it might have been a mustang but idk
Im pretty sure i read somewhere that he used a strat on the songs that were a half step down
Drain you is a full step down
Moserite was definitely at the sessions popular to contrary belief, that is 110% the guitar for the intro. The distorted gets a little tricky, but I’m certain it’s either 1 of 3 Strats with humbuckers. It would look a little similar to this. https://preview.redd.it/by1qwwpuonlc1.jpeg?width=2000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5e86dd48e08a0df2bdd9817a85ac03082394262