Stunned by the discovery: Tone enthusiast Aaron Rash finally unveils the instrument behind Nirvana's iconic In Utero sound.
Uncovering the Secret to Nirvana's Iconic Tone: YouTube's Tone Sleuth, Aaron Rash
For years, the quest to unravel the enigma that is Kurt Cobain's electric guitar tone has consumed many. Among them is Aaron Rash, a YouTuber with a peculiar fixation on Nirvana's gritty soundscape and the man who may have finally cracked the code.
In his relentless pursuit, Rash has sifted through countless archives, delved into the depths of the internet, and even engaged with primary witnesses in search of the elusive, wiry anarchy of Cobain's In Utero tone.
His ultimate goal? To decode the sound that has fascinated him for so long, the very essence of Cobain's clean and distorted tones on the album.
And now, he declares triumphantly in his latest YouTube video, he has unraveled the final puzzle piece. The secret to In Utero's distinctive sound, he reveals, lies in a specific guitar make and model.
Heacquired one for himself, put it through its paces, and the result is a testament to his determination - he's effectively recreated Cobain's tone, both the cleans and the dirt.
Unearthing the Truth: The YouTube Reveal
In his video, Rash admits, "It's never been about copying Kurt or his tones or anything like that... I've just always wanted to figure out what it was, because it drove me crazy."
Crazy or dedicated? You decide. It's worth noting that this obsession led Rash to build his own guitars, meticulously replicating those he believed were used during the 1993 sessions for In Utero, where Nirvana recorded an extraordinarily hostile album under the watchful eye of Steve Albini at Pachyderm Studios, in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.
The Online Trail: Initial Clues
Initially, Rash followed the breadcrumbs online. Some led him astray. In a Reddit AMA, Albini suggested it was the Mustang, Jag, Jagstang hybrid, Univox Hi-Flier, and Albini's own aluminum Veleno guitar that was used on Very Ape, Heart-Shaped Box, and Rape Me.
Rash knew the Jagstang hadn’t been made at that point. But he spent the next six months of his life Building a Veleno replica, christening it ‘Kurt,’ and introducing it for sale.
He also created a Jagstang and a replica of Cobain's custom-made Ferrington guitar because, by this point, well, in for a penny... "I've learned everything from just watching YouTube videos," he revealed.
The Face-to-Face Investigation
Rash interviewed Albini for a deep dive into the recording process. He befriended Cobain's guitar tech, Earnie Bailey, who helped lead him to one of his first great epiphanies, the guitar amp behind In Utero's clean tones, a super-rare 1974 Fender Quad Reverb, but one with Utah speakers - the secret sauce. And Bailey also helped Rash build the Plexi-style Frankenamp that was also used on the recording. A solid state Randall Commander II combo was the third amp.
Rash found the exact recording microphones, the amps. He then released an In Utero IR Pack so you can access them via your DAW. He did the same for Nevermind.
The Final Puzzle Piece: Decoding the Electric Guitar
Rash created those IR packs at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle, where Nirvana tracked their last ever song, You Know You're Right, in January 1994. Each video found Rash at the edge of another plot twist, another detail that had "always baffled" him.
One of those, however, was the electric guitar. Many Mustangs later, Rash's attention was turned to the Univox Hi-Flier, the "pawnshop" guitar Albini referred to in his AMA, and in Rash's subsequent conversations with the producer before he passed away in May 2024.
"I knew that Kurt didn't use the Mustang to record In Utero, at least not all the mean stuff with it," says Rash. "[Albini] said that Kurt mostly used a Hi-Flier to record all of In Utero, that and the Veleno. And I also have a different email that he wrote me as well. He said, 'I only remember seeing one Hi-Flier. It had the original pickups with the nickel chrome surrounding. It's possible there were others, but it was mostly that guitar, his Mustang, and the Veleno from memory.'"
Bailey suggested it might have been a Phase III Hi-Flier. Rash tried that. He tried a modded Hi-Flier with a humbucker. But it wasn't until he saw a Phase II online with a mahogany neck and bought it out of desperation that he struck gold. He bought it.
The Historic Moment: The Moment of Truth
Researching while he waited for it to arrive, Rash learned that Cobain did own a mahogany-necked Phase II Hi-Flier. There were pictures of him playing one at the Roseland Ballroom. The electric guitar pickups were stock.
"Literally all the stars aligned," says Rash. "I know to you guys this sounds stupid, but for me, I've been trying to figure this out for so long. So I think you guys know what this means. There was only one thing left to do."
And that was to play the thing. It sounds exactly like the record. Rash sounds at a loss in this video. He solved the mystery. But who's to say that, like another great detective, might turn on his heel and ask, "Just one more thing..."
The Next Step: Phase II Hi-Flier Pickups
As Rash alludes to in this video, there will be another video to tell us more about Phase II Hi-Flier pickups. "Simply put, those Phase II pickups are absolutely wild," he says. "They're so weird." Yes, of course, he has already reverse engineered them.
You can get the Nevermind and In Utero IR Packs at Aaron Rash's website. And follow this fascinating story of obsession and learn more (all?!) about how Cobain got his sound at Rash's YouTube channel.
- *Meet Aaron Rash: the YouTuber who's gotten so close to Kurt Cobain’s Nirvana tones he's releasing a guitar and In Utero IR pack to share his discoveries*
In his video titled "Meet Aaron Rash: the YouTuber who's gotten so close to Kurt Cobain’s Nirvana tones he's releasing a guitar and In Utero IR pack to share his discoveries," Aaron Rash delves into the world of pop-culture, discussing his obsession with the music and celebrity of Nirvana, particularly focusing on Kurt Cobain's distinctive tone. He talks about how, through his research, he was able to uncover the secret behind Cobain's iconic tone on their album, 'In Utero.'
This research has led Rash to take his passion a step further, as he's now releasing a replica guitar that he believes Cobain used during the recording of 'In Utero' and an IR pack for his DAW, allowing others to access the same unique sound that captivated him. As he sums it up, "It's about sharing the passion for music, the love for celebrities, and the appreciation for pop-culture that brought me here, to finally reveal the secret behind Nirvana's gritty soundscape."
