Kurt Cobain's Sansamp & In Utero’s Dark Sound | Nirvana Pedal History Episode 3

[@NirvanaGuitars]

Like what I do? Buy me a coffee so I can stay awake while I mix audio and edit videos 😴 www.buymeacoffee.com/nirvanaguitars

[@beefgravy4006]

Do a video on pats gutiar and krists bass please

[@jdayson5193]

@@beefgravy4006 YES

[@Peyote1312]

Quit the e-begging. It's not a good look, especially in 2024. If you just focus on making good content, the views & subs will come. Begging for a donation is even more annoying than begging us to smash that like & subscribe. KZbinrs & e-begging. Name a more iconic duo. I'll wait...

[@jdayson5193]

@@Peyote1312 bruh what r u yapping about if u dont like it then ignore it

[@Davivd2]

Kurt did use (what I can only assume is) the Sansamp and the DS2 together at the same time. I saw it happen on a live performance on MTV. It's been a long time, so my memory isn't perfect but it was after a song Kurt kicked in a second distortion pedal (I never saw the pedals so IDK which ones he used) and the distortion and feedback was just pure noise. Kurt was using both pedals just to create choas, they were not playing any song.

[@Rebelchemist]

Thank you. You return me in my youth. Long hair, ripped jeans, guitar... Russia was cool country 1991-1999

[@bobvexer]

Russia cool country now!

[@pedka]

​@@bobvexerwhat for?

[@antkiller7537]

Russia is extremely homophobic, wich holds it back as a country​@@bobvexer

[@drtm1718]

Really? I've heard from other Russians that those were some very hard years for most Russians. Political turmoil, rampant crime, poverty, and the wars in Chechnya all sound difficult to me too, but of course, I didn't live it, so I wouldn't know. I've heard similar things about modern Russia as well, but again, what do I know? Also, why be stuck in the past? Sure, the old bands like Кино are great, but you guys still have a lot of cool artists today. I really like ssshhhiiittt!, Перемотка, Пасош, Плохо, Life on Venus, and many other contemporary bands from Russia. You guys know how to rock! Здравствуй из США. 👋

[@johnmorrison71666]

Russia is only cool in terms of temperatures.

[@alfiemcallister7517]

I love how Kurt wasn’t a normal guitar player

[@NirvanaGuitars]

That's we're all still talking about him 30 years later!

[@Silverfan97]

@@NirvanaGuitars Kurt cobain and Daniel johns are some of my favourite guitar players cause of there style!

[@Squiggler-u3k]

He’s remarkably basic dumbass

[@Silverfan97]

@@BeefMalPassado he was ambidextrous

[@Silverfan97]

@@BeefMalPassado same tbh

[@wassbot]

sansamp classic sounds great but MAN the vintage really just IS that sound

[@sidanx7887]

Yep

[@Thepalpatineboys77]

The vintage one is THE sound, the reissue is missing the mids and is too hissy

[@tateconnelley]

One of the pedals that I’d like to see covered next is the ProCo Rat. It’s a pedal that Kurt had used for a very short amount of time, and it would be interesting to learn about the way Kurt, Pat, and Krist used their Rat pedals. Pat’s Rat pedal is seen on Live and Loud on his pedal setup, and maybe even used now during the Foo Fighters.

[@Berchvbause]

Eric I love how after getting home after school there’s a video waiting for me, thanks for making my days a little more enjoyable

[@narnball]

This right here.

[@NirvanaGuitars]

This made my night 🥹 thank you so much for watching, I’m happy my nerdy videos are able to help ❤️

[@inventedsnail82]

“Yo! Yo! Yo! Bro! New NirvanaGuitars video just dropped!!! Let’s watch it RIGHT NOW” - my brain when I see a notification from this channel

[@User-jk8wq]

To my ears, modern Sansamp sounds thicker in the low end whereas the vintage one has more of a midrange “honk” and a slightly fizzier high end. I personally slightly prefer the modern one but the vintage one definitely sounds more like In Utero. Great video as always!

[@MorzakEV]

Yeah, I’d agree the vintage one is m darker with less low end. It would be interesting to hear if they could be made to sound the same with some tweaking (eg the pots are just slightly different spec or calibration), and it would also be interesting to hear if one sounds better in a mix. At face value the “classic” sounds nicer but possible too harsh in a proper mix

[@theburningfeathersband]

Same 👍👍

[@rainbowslushy223]

thats is exactly what i was gunna say .

[@chrishamel3001]

Vintage sounds flubby with less high end, like you said. Modern has more mid range punch and can sound a little metal zone like. I suspect the range of the pots was simply improved (made wider). I suspect Backing off some highs and mid range (presence?) could make the modern sound like the vintage making it a more versatile pedal.

[@GunkyFella]

about to comment something like this. i actually really want a modern one now

[@Faust_s]

The vintage sans amp just sounds way more warm and full

[@jaymoo5674]

yup, the other one is way too scooped, same with the Berhinger clone.

[@LizordSword]

really? i thought it sounded way too noisey and hissy compared the classic

[@Faust_s]

@@LizordSword huh I guess we have different interpretations

[@kierenmoore3236]

Classic sounds more like a trebly fuzz, than the Vintage unit … so I really can’t see how a Bright Switch is going to help, unless it is mislabeled !!

[@LizordSword]

@@Faust_s the vintage one does sound good but that hiss over the top of it is way too much for my taste

[@emersonfelipemelodacruz1893]

Maaaann. It's incredible that the pedals are, in theory, the same, but the vintage one sounds so much better. Incredible review 👏

[@lonelizard]

So glad you pointed out the difference between the designs. I would have never known. Had my Sans Amp for a little while and never thought to look at the design, and alas, I got the vintage one (w/o Classic)! Thought mine sounded different. I got lucky and bought mine online for like $100, now the value has gone up. It's an awesome tone overall and I've even managed to get mine to close like the coveted vintage white face Rat! They say people like us have golden ears or we are a bunch of cork sniffers...well I'll sniff away because I love this stuff!

[@kylewoodson]

Excellent and amazing video, I have always honestly wondered if there was a difference between the classic and vintage tones you could get from the sans amp. And to my ears, it does, but by a small part! The classic Sans amp has a more cleaner, more brighter tone that I think could fill a stadium with. Meanwhile, the vintage is very dirty and has more of a bite and punch, and definitely belongs on an album like In Utreo. I will say too, I love both tones- so I definitely can use the classic and get a beautiful result, however: I really do like the echo flanger effects of Radio Friendly Unit Shifter better on the Vintage Sans amp rather than the Classic. But it's all in my ears and taste. Anyways though, amazing video, you killed it with this one, and I hope your day is great and full of grunge power

[@sweeterthananything]

as a non-guitarist who has been plugging synths and samplers and other things into pedals since the year in utero was released, its crazy to me that i still haven’t heard of anyone else running a cab sim into their hot preamp section on purpose. there’s only the amateur association with the joyo/mooer/etc tier of preamp pedals with a basic fixed speaker sim (basically just a preset filter/EQ) that can’t be turned off without soldering. speakers are an amazing tool for shaping audio, and even the most basic, non-convolution speaker sim can do cool things before a dist/OD type effect or overloaded amp, kurt showed that 33 years ago. try it with an IR sim instead and another dimension can open up. it just seems like a lot of guitarists grow up not having anyone tell them they don’t need permission to try using things “wrongly” and see what comes out.

[@TheKevinNewsom]

Outstanding! You're the YT authority for Kurt's various rigs and guitars.

[@grg537]

Sansamp and Sansamp Classic sounds totally different even with the same settings. Looks like the French company lied about it when they have said that the manufacturing process did not change..These two are not the same pedal circuit-wise. Excellent video, thanks for sharing all this knowledge with us.

[@boyCobian27x]

It's a good recreation of the tone 😁

[@NirvanaGuitars]

Thank you!

[@michaelorourke7032]

Thank you for your videos. I absolutely love the attention to detail. It does make a big difference when searching for tone.

[@hendrixson_2806]

babe wake up NirvanaGuitars posted Haha besides jokes, your videos are amazing man, the dedication you've got for this all is beyond amazing, and how well made your videos are made just makes it all better, keep on the great job man!

[@grungegods]

Love this channel and your passion for the details! Correct true to form details!

[@NirvanaGuitars]

Thank you so so much!

[@trunks828]

I’m a huge fan of tech 21 I’ve been using a sans amp rbi for my bass rig for decades and just got into this pedal for guitar and I gotta say I’ll be searching for a vintage one now thanks!

[@BSIII]

I love my Tech 21 Blonde and Oxford. They sound especially good with the amp modeller turned off and into a Two Notes M Cab (using the amp modeller on that).

[@youarethecreator1]

I have the original and it’s my favorite pedal of all time. It has tons of tones and the Nirvana distortion is spot on, like exactly. I have an original metal zone that’s really great, original green big muff but the Sansamp is the best. It sounds great direct in too.

[@thieveryguitars6206]

I really like how the vintage sounds with effects and open chords but to my ears the classic sounds better for bar chords. Great deep dive!

[@godlyk3]

Great as always.

[@NirvanaGuitars]

Thank you!

[@jamanjeval]

When setting up the pedals, did you match them based upon the position of the controls or the sound? The (newer) “classic” sounds like it has a bit more distortion and with that a bit more high end. Potentiometers can have a good bit of variation and still be considered “the same”. Excellent demo!

[@bbdeffect]

Seriously. Always match by ear not knob position.

[@JerryWhite-ee5hy]

Great video. Nice guitar work man!

[@Theeletricminers]

Great great amazing video meu amigo, como sempre... sansamp vintage is the way ...

[@scottburrow8293]

I still have the original sans amp sitting in a drawer somewhere in my office. I used that thing for years.

[@tooldaniellateralus9298]

I like the classic....the vintage sounds deep ... and more thick.....the classic with the bright switch on... sounds amazing

[@Rikk_Klaww777]

As an older bloke who grew up in the 80s Glam and shred era "I HATED NIRVANA".!! Fast 4ward some years later, and I am a huge Nirvana fan, and fan "of the whole band", from his songwriting to his guitar, and the others who filled out the whole Nirvana sound. Kurt definitely knew his stuff, no matter how away from this Earth he may have been. Getting back to this video, I think the "Original vintage" pedal sounds more smoother and defined, and the newer "Classis", sounds very fuzzy and brittle. I know it's no comparison to the live videos you compared these against, as arena sounds always sound huge, deep and clear, but my ears tells me the "Vintage" wins hands down. Really good video and comparison.👌👏👏👏👏

[@andrewcrossman2165]

I like the classic better; it's less muffled in my opinion

[@DonBurtonsays...]

I love your videos. Your work is painstakingly good and you seem like such a likeable person. I prefer the vintage Sans, but from the comments it seems like the classic has won a lot of people over. I feel like the classic Sans kinda sounds like its trying to hard, if that makes sense. Keep up the great work.

[@albertandguitars]

Yooo I watched the whole video! Loved it so much

[@thekingvarietynight8593]

been watching since the beginning WE LOVE YOU❤❤❤❤❤

[@NirvanaGuitars]

😭🙏🏻 thank you for long time support, I don’t take it for granted!

[@CapoKabar]

Tech21 made awesome amp simulators. I had their trademark 60 amp. Brain may to Clapton to Nirvana, any sound you wanted you got as a kid. They had settings you can put the nobs to to get the exact sound of specific players

[@borislavvonberlichingen5394]

The Vintage model has significantly more in the mid-frequency range and therefore more warmth. It sounds more organic and is more pleasant to listen to.

[@ScottMasson]

Kurt didn’t overthink anything regarding his gear. Everybody else dissects his gear, but he just used whatever he felt sounded good and worked.

[@NirvanaGuitars]

That is not what his techs have told me

[@Aussieknuckleheads]

The og vintage one for sure. I had one back in the late 90s but that & my jagstang along with all my other gear was stolen in 2001 😭😭

[@fullclipaudio]

Vintage hands down. Now I know which one I need to go and get.

[@TL-_-Edits]

My favorite will always be the ds2, but the sansamp is great too, thanks for showing us

[@gavins9946]

the original sounds more authentic to Nirvana’s sound. I didn’t think I would really notice.

[@sheffielddave4117]

I read somewhere that there was a rumor about Kurt owning (and potentially at some point using) a Small Stone. Are you ever gonna address that in a future video?

[@thrillvilled111]

Love the pedal series!

[@deezee8508]

I listened with my eyes closed, and then I watched again. Almost all of the clips I liked were with the modern version. Both do sound great though.

[@NWOWCW4Life1]

You really can’t go wrong with either one. The reissue is a great get especially for it being cleaner. But if you can afford the original, definitely do so. This video rules.

[@whyismyeyetwitching]

I like the sound of the vintage better. I can’t help but notice it sounds just like the DS1.

[@PickledPreserves123]

Hmmm I really like both versions but the Vintage does edge the Classic out a little I think. The Classic sounds superior on RFUS though, the added clarity from the re-issue really does the riff justice and sounds better.

[@randomcrap7682]

you had my attention at "kurt" and "thick" being used in the same sentence.

[@MikesTrueStories]

I agree to an extent on what you’re saying about how he used the two different distortions. However, I think he did use the DS-2 for certain parts. Mainly being single note/single string parts, solos(sometimes stacking both), various verses, and so on. So basically the Sansamp was his main distortion sound but he’d use the DS2 a fair bit as well. Not unlike how most people now have a lighter overdrive pedal and a heavier distortion/fuzz nowadays. If it was there to completely replace the DS2 then I don’t think a minimalist like Kurt would of kept in on his board

[@Georgeisjawa]

Don’t get me wrong. The sansamp is great. But I have a ds1 and that will get you in the ballpark.

[@kevin_nagle]

you certainly have your own way of playing these songs

[@poorbrokeguitarist]

You can get killer bass tone with that pedal as well.

[@bimscutney1242]

I had the SansAmp RBI (rack mount) for my bass and it was great. Could make any amp sound great.

[@PetiteLameque]

I might be wrong, but I always saw the DS2 and SansAmp combo as a gain-stacking combo. The DS2 would be kinda his crunch tone, or in between tone if you will, and the SansAmp the main distorted tone. I always did something similar since like 1994-1996, and that's from him I got this logic.

[@thedutchdjentleman]

There’s a weird sort of Bitcrushed thing going on in high end of the original sansamp, which is really interesting to hear alongside the new one

[@soupforare]

Tech21, still in NYC! Still make great stuff that working schmos can afford, love em

[@adamdarmstaedter1256]

I have the GT2 and it's great. I haven't tried the Classic. I also have many BOSS distortions including the DS-2 (which I favor over the DS-1) and I really prefer the SansAmp over them all.

[@lorenkrug]

The way you are setup with the Classic it would probably sound best in a band live. Turn up and allow more treble however you can through your amp or another pedal with the Modern.

[@BBQDOPAMINE]

Kinda looks like, to me. That he uses the ds1 as more of a pre-amp. Probably to keep that boingy Fenderish tone he liked so much.

[@BBQDOPAMINE]

And now that I think about it, in the later transitions you can kind of hear that shift of the two pedals big time on in Utero.

[@We_all_die]

Huge difference in tone

[@intoitreviews]

I had one of these

[@EdnilsonTavares-z3v]

I had a GT2 that is a simplified SansAmp CLassic, as you say it's a amp in a box and sound's amazing direct in a mixer or in a active monitor but sounds just ok in a tube amp, imo it sonds over compressed, for this reason I think he uses his SansAmp pedal direct in his SS power amp allways on as a crunched preamp and the DS1 as a overdrive/distortion both together on as distortion.

[@mattg082]

The original has a deeper tone to it…that’s what I hear. More low end, more balance and not as much top. But sits way better in the low mids and sounds well…rounded. Classic is passable but sounds brighter and less beefier in the low mids. Essentially darker more rounded tone vs a brighter punchier tone. I’d go for an original, if I was buying as a Nirvana fan. I wonder if Kurt’s thinking was cool…it had a Marshall distortion, Fender and Mesa. So I wouldn’t have to deal with multiple amps over 3 albums…all the sounds are here. Because those were the 3 main amp tones used in the studio on those albums to a degree. But then he found his setting, and it worked for most the live sets. That would be my thinking at the time.

[@hazestudios]

I prefer the sound of the Classic, but the Vintage sounds noticeably closer to

[@playitstrange129]

definitely the OG.. I've been using one for many years its now an essential part of my rig. especially when running thru 1960AV (Vintage 30) quads, just like the man himself,, one thing tho, I read/saw Kurt's own hand written settings that Ernie Bailey still had and I seem to recall the Output was on full too....?? cos i remember memorising the settings "three up, three down, two up, all on full except 'high' at one o'clock".. oh.. btw.. which model Poly Chorus are you using?

[@stevenedmund5680]

awesome video ...Vintage has bigger sound ... Classic is a little more clear and brighter .. thanks for letting me know .... writing some Nirvana inspired songs now and will be recording soon. Thinking about buying this. LIKED

[@riffkillsman]

I was always under the impression that Cobain guitar tech had built him a range master fuzz but put it inside the boss ds enclosure?

[@PollyBonanzas]

I’m curious if you just tried to match the knob positions or tried to match the tone of both pedals to each other with the knob positions only as reference.

[@JLE999]

Had the original Sansamp and I replaced it with the GT2. It just gets the tones easier in my opinion. A little tighter, brighter, and less fuzzy. But still in the ballpark of Kurt tones. The Sansamp sounded dark and middy at low bedroom volumes, and was much better in a loud band setting. The GT2 sounds better at both low volumes and high volumes to me.

[@Bassboy1987]

I like the vintage better. It has a warmer tone than reissue in my opinion.

[@booneh]

It sounds like you could pull the highs back a little bit to match the tone of the original. Sometimes you have to tweak knobs a little bit to match two pedals, even ones made at the same time, because of component tolerances.

[@kennycartier]

damn that vintage sans amp sounds fuckin nuts.

[@PrismaticSpray]

Any pedal can be the new must have secret weapon. you just have to write something genuinely killer featuring it for people to realize it's lethality. Quit obsessing over someone else's choices and make your own.

[@NirvanaGuitars]

I have been releasing original music since 2014 with 2 different projects. Want to check them out so you can hear my personal gear choices? You won’t find my original music on this channel. I thought naming it “NirvanaGuitars” would make it painfully obvious what you are getting into when you click any of these videos. I guess not.

[@Nirvana91xGrunge89]

The tone for the songs were great 😊, but honestly i have no idea why people would try to criticize you for digital processing of recreating legendary tones by nirvana, if they are criticizing you for digital processing, then what is producing/mixing an album, i mean don't producers do digital processing of mixing albums, because thats basically the same thing, and i have no idea why people try to criticize you for digital processing of recreating nirvana tones

[@BurkeBurnett]

I actually prefer the modern one. The vintage one sounds just a tad more muffled for my taste. But if the midrange differences (which are obvious but not stark) are important to someone, it seems like something that they could easily tweak on their amp settings to get that.

[@jamescassidy4045]

Sorry, so were there 3 iterations of it then? OG, 90's Classic, and then the new 2000's reissue? Which classic was the one you had there, 90's? Have you looked inside the 2? Was it basically the exact same schematic/parts layout? Or at least if the layout changed, was it the same parts essentially or?

[@jasonsneed3731]

The vintage has way more midrange / clarity and is less harsh, but that could just be to aged capacitors...

[@GhostFace_OG]

More upper mids on the modern reissue. But an EQ pedal could fix the differences.

[@NirvanaTexas]

You're making me want to buy some much stuff ❤😂

[@Worklikeyoushouldbe]

I like the sound of Nevermind and Incesticide period. What were they DS2?

[@recordingerror]

I think the vintage one sounds fuzzier and dirtier and the classic is more crisp and sharp. Edit: I am now in possession of an original SansAmp. It is very dirty and fuzzy, I enjoy it.

[@patrickschon7715]

after being a person who is also very inspired and such by Nirvana, and using ALOT of different distortion and fuzz pedals to get the tones b/c I'm also more influenced by the Bleach and In Utero tones. But I have come to a inner ear agreement with myself that using a Earth Quacker Devices Hoof fuzz gets me very close to those meaty, dark, and tasty sounds. and also a question regarding my comment. but do you think or believe that the pedal I mentioned can do that in your personal opinion ?

[@CNCTEMATIC]

I think Kurt's best OD tone was not a pedal, it was a Mesa Boogie amp gained up

[@Theship1223]

I like this guys ability

[@Anor3xorcist]

I was lucky enough to find an original at my local music store for not too much money (about $250 Canadian) I immediately wanted to use it for Kurt’s tone but idk if it’s my amp or guitar but i cant get there, but I love using the pedal as intended to get different amp sounds, and if I combine it with my ds1 I can get a lot of noise going which i adore. Would love to see a video on the MXR Distortion+, I know Krist used it more than Kurt but Kurt did use it a bit during the bleach era and im curious about it

[@getbentaudio585]

Parts tolerance is a thing. I am sure if the circuits are the same. A few tweaks and they will be the same sound. Going off pics is no help when parts where 10+- tolerance back then. And now we are a Lil less then 5 usually.

[@sebars30]

First nice video comparison! I may be completely wrong i thing the classic is more fuzzy. Do you know how it was in is chain? Sansamp>DS-2 or DS-2>Sansamp. I prefer the original! Mine is a 1990

[@metriffs]

Do you need to use pinky and ring for chords because he did so?

[@mikecoxlong3632]

Been looking for one of these, the only ones I can find are close to $300 and in Japan.

[@Streamingfriendlyunitshifter]

The OG one sounds like it has more mids and better break up to my ear. The classic sounds good and close but a bit more brittle on the crunch

[@dmytro_kos]

Sansamp classic has brighter and more crispy sound, I like it more than vintage sansamp

[@joefarmer7727]

Sansamp vintage sounds a bit muddy. The classic is more transparent and bright. If you turn up the highs on the vintage and turn down the highs on the classic it might get closer together.

[@mrNobody100]

the reissue has some more hi-end that i like better i think. but i guuuueeeessss the original hits the mark a touch more as far as accuracy. but with a $50-$100 difference between them, if i were to get it, i'd go with the newer one because it still does the thing close enough....there was a mosky pedal supposedly modeled after this for really cheap on the reverb, i wonder what THAT sounds like . (y'know, sometimes the cheap knock-off;s still do the thing to an extent...)

[@TungstenOvergaard]

I have seen myself at the start of the video! 😛

[@Judas_Umbrella]

The vintage sounds tighter

[@danhill3302]

I definitely prefer the sansamp classic, gives just a bit more drive and is a bit more chunky

[@dicer0075]

Hey man I can’t believe it just got this pedal the 1989 , was on vacation and they had it listing for it in the local market place, I paid 280 dlls for it, donyou think it was a good deal?

[@GavMloserrrrrrrrr]

Where did you get your sansamp and where can I get one?

[@stockphotosteve1896]

Have you ever attempted to recreate the you know you're right tone?

[@aceconover1289]

If you ever do a talk to me video for the distortion try a dod grunge mine nailed the tone