Guitars of Kurt Cobain: review, description. Electric guitar Fender Jag-Stang

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Kurt Cobain lived a short but very bright life. It can be compared to a flash. There are many versions of his death. He is gone, but his memory remains forever. In his hometown, fans have painted many walls with his name, and the guitars he played are kept in a museum or become auction lots.

First tool

Kurt Cobain's first guitar was a used electric guitar. Uncle Chuck gave it to him for his birthday (age 14).

For more than a month, the teenager learned the basics of guitar skills. Studied three chords. Then he started playing an AC/DC hit called Back In Black. The guy felt the composer's talent in himself and soon began to create his creations.

After a short period, Kurt organized a musical group. Rehearsals were held at a local abandoned meat processing plant. Once a guy forgot his first guitar there. When he found her, she was thoroughly broken. Then Cobain replaced the neck, fittings and electrical components, and the new soundboard was cut out in the classroom at the lessons of labor.

Hardware upgrade

When Kurt was 17, hestepfather was Pat O'Connor. Somehow, after a family quarrel, the teenager's mother threw a solid weapons collection into the local river. The son saw this, fished out all the guns with his friends and sold them.

The proceeds were used to buy a Peavey combo complete with 12 speakers.

Cobain's first band, named Fecal Matter, actively used this amp, but this device strangely disappeared in 1987.

At the end of that year, the group had a flurry of activity. They changed names frequently until they settled on Nirvana. Kurt Cobain's guitar at the time was a right-handed Univox Hi-Flyers. He often took pictures with her.

Updating happened in the equipment. Nirvana has got:

1. Fender Champ combo.
2. Univox Syperfuzz Lotion.

It is curious that a little later someone stole this gadget right from the rehearsal base.

First contract

The Cobain team recorded good stuff. But these were amateur recordings. The musicians were lucky that their creations reached the ears of producer Jack Endido, who worked on the Sub Pop label. He was impressed with the material and suggested that the band as a whole team sign a contract.

The Bleech album was soon recorded. In this work, Kurt Cobain's guitar was still the same Univox Hi-Flyers. He supplemented it:

• original sensors;
• with "Distortion", Boss DS-1;
• also used 70-watt Celestion speakers.

Stage Guitars

In 1989, Nirvana went toUS debut tour. The following equipment was used on stage:

1. Randall Amplifier.
2. BFI Bullfrog column with parameters 4 x 12.
3. Boss DS-1 Distortion Gadget.

Then at concerts, Kurt Cobain's guitar was the Epiphone ET270. On stage, the performer was so passionate about music and drive that he smashed guitars. This fact was dissatisfied with the people from the label Sub Pop. After all, it was they who had to find new suitable tools.

In the breaks between the tour, Cobain often visited music outlets. He had only two favorite items: Guitar Maniacs and Danny`s Music. There he made bulk purchases of Univox Hi-Flyers P90 modifications.

Kurt especially liked the "humbucker" model of the designated guitar. It was distinguished by a powerful output signal and sharp highs. But on stage, he used not only her, but also such guitars as:

1. Gibson SG blue.
2. Greco Mustang.

About "acoustics"

Kurt Cobain's first acoustic guitar is Stella with 12 strings. He bought it in 1989 for $31.21.

The musician made some "demos" with her at the "Smart" studio. Cobain liked her build. After some time, nylon strings were put on it. It was on it that the musician performed the part of the composition Polly.

Nevermind time

The Nevermind record was already recorded by the team in collaboration with Geffen Records. Shortly before the formalization of their business relationship, the musicians received an advance payment of 287one thousand dollars. With this money you could buy very good equipment and tools.

But Kurt liked to shop at thrift stores. He went there again and bought several Japanese-made Strats. They were designed for lefties. The musician was impressed by their narrow necks.

The performer also had significant purchases of guitars during that period. In general, a short list of Kurt Cobain guitars purchased at that time looks like this:

1. Jaguar for lefties. It was made in 1965. Pickups were mounted on it: DiMarzio Super Distortion and DiMarzio PAF.
2. Fender Mustang. It was produced in 1969

The Mustang guitar is Cobain's favorite. But he was dissatisfied with her small parameters, poor tuning and useless string tuning.

Before recording the album, Sound City Studios received an impressive package:

1. Mesa/Boogie and Vox AC30 preamps.
2. Crown Amplifier.
3. Marshall 4 x 12 cabinets.
4. Guitars Mustangs, Jaguars and Strats.
5. Boss DS-1 and Small Clone Gadgets.

Cobain complained that he did not have an amplifier of the required power. He was too lazy to mess with the Marshals, and on the first designated preamp, he twisted the middle to the limit to achieve the desired sound.

Using the preamps, the sound engineer achieved voluminous distortion with tight low frequencies.

The Small Clone gave the sound a slight chorus and wateriness.

Special order for"Fender"

Because Cobain was quite active on stage and often broke instruments, many guitar makers did not want to cooperate with him. But one of the masters of the firm "Fender" dared to make a special order. This signature piece is the Fender Jag-Stang.

In fact, Cobain himself became its author. He developed it on the basis of two Fenders. The first is Kurt's beloved Mustang

And the second - "Jaguar". The musician had a certain sympathy for him. A photograph of this model is shown below.

The musician cut two photos of these guitars and put them together. In the Mustang, he was infuriated by the decline in the formation, but he liked the chic sound. The Jaguar, on the contrary, kept the line perfectly, but did not have a similar sound. Therefore, combining their strengths into one model for Kurt was a very important event. Read more about this in the part of the article on Cobain's work with Larry Brooks.

Since 1994, the Jag-Stang has been launched. It stopped in 2001. Two years later, they began to produce a modification with a pair of humbuckers. These are two devices:

1. Di Marzio R-3. This is a Tune-matic bridge.
2. Texas Special is some.

True, the circulation was small. And their release ended in 2005.

Also in the Jag-Stang series there are models "Fiesta" in red and "Solid" in blue.

Univox Hi-Flyers Model

Cobain was often bought in commission shops. One day hepurchased a Univox Hi-Flyers model. She attracted the musician with her price and the fact that she completely copied the modification of Mosrite Ventures.

Her body was made of maple. Maple was used to make the neck. It was equipped with pickups reminiscent of the P-90.

This was a handy guitar for rehearsals and small venues.

Collaboration with Ferrington

As already noted, many guitar manufacturers did not want to deal with Cobain. The exceptions were Danny Ferrington and Larry L Brooks.

It was in a detailed conversation with Ferrington that Kurt confessed his love for the Mustang. He also spoke about her shortcoming, and asked a specialist how to fix it.

When Nirvana was on tour in Australia, Cobain faxed Danny a picture of the model he wanted with his comments. The product looks more like a Mustang, only equipped with the following:

1. Tune-o-matid device.
2. Bartolini pickups. There are 3 of them. The location of the first one is near the saddle. The location of the second is in the middle and a little obliquely. The third is at the saddle.

The second sensor has an option to disable the coil.

Cobain wanted his guitar to have as many pickup options as possible.

You can switch the coils of the rear indicator using a small toggle switch. It is slightly elevated above the potentiometers - volume and tone curtain.

Also there is a switch for the similarity of the device inStrat guitar. It has five positions.

The body of the instrument is made of American basswood. The neck is maple. It has a rosewood fingerboard.

Also, at the request of the musician, the guitar is made in the color "baby blue", equipped with a tortoiseshell false panel. On the fingerboard, positional designations are depicted as hearts.

This Kurt Cobain guitar was equipped with the thickest strings like the E-058 bass string.

The guitar has a short scale and powerful strings. This became the foundation of Cobain's signature sound.

Working with Brooks

What guitar did Kurt Cobain play with particular trepidation? Of course, the Mustang. He also had considerable sympathy for the Jaguar.

One day, Mark Wittenberg and Larry El Brooks, representatives of the Fender company, came to visit Kurt on a business trip. Their goal was to communicate with the musician, discuss important aspects on request.

Cobain clearly and objectively explained his intentions. He took Polaroids of the Jaguar and the Mustang. Each cut in half and glued. It turned out the top of the "Mustang", and the lower part - from the "Jaguar". Such a hybrid was called Jag-Stang.

Master Larry Brooks returned to his workshop, traced this model on tracing paper, cut out the outline of the body and sent the result to Cobain. The musician made some adjustments to the soundboard balance.

Brooks listened to the wishes, because the instrument was created for a specific artist. This is a very responsible task. Alder was used to make the deck.

The neck was created with 24 vintage frets androsewood overlay. All fittings were borrowed from the Japanese Mustang model.

At the recommendation of the band's guitar engineer Ernie Bailey, a tune-o-matic device was installed on the model to keep the tuning. Also installed:

1. Signature single (from Fender) Texas Special. According to Brooks, it has a warmer sound in comparison to many singles.
2. Device DiMarzio H-3 Humbucker. It is mounted on the nut.

This combination makes the saddle sound amazing.

Two guitars and sad news

Cobain ordered two guitars - Solid Blue and Fiesta Red. With the first he worked on tour in 1993. And the second was at the stage of creation, when the masters received the sad news about the death of Cobain.

The guitar was completed and sent to the Fender Museum.

And the Jag-Stang modification itself was put into circulation production.

Guitar sales

Kurt Cobain's guitar, which he played during the band's debut tour, was purchased by a private collector in 2016. He paid $100,000 for it.

This is a wrecked Fender Mustang. He was sent to the auction by Sluggo, a former friend of Cobain, the leader of The Grannies.

According to him, he and Kurt switched instruments after the show in New Jersey. Then Cobain defeated the Fender and needed a new working guitar. Sluggo found one.

He helped out a friend, because Nirvana did not have the right budget forfrequent purchases of tools and equipment.

The guitar is badly broken, glued with a special tape. And on it flaunts the autograph of a cult artist. This is a true rarity that a collector - a fan of Cobain's work - decided to purchase.

In 2006, another Nirvana leader's guitar was sold at auction. This is a Mosrite Gospel Mark IV model. The price of Kurt Cobain's guitar "under the hammer" was $131,000. An anonymous person became its new owner.

And on February 2, 2017, on the famous shopping site eBay, visitors could see a tempting ad for the sale of the legendary "Stella" - Cobain's acoustic "girlfriend".

This is a unique instrument. It was made specifically for the left-handed musician. After Cobain's death, his widow gave "Stella" to her friend.

In early 2017, the guitar was discovered in Portland, at a local music store. And on February 2, the guitar has already become a lot at the auction. It closed on February 26th. The instrument was sold for $25,000. The entire proceeds were directed to one charitable foundation.