<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Nirvana ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/nirvana Wed, 06 May 2026 14:21:20 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “I was like, ‘God, what do I do? If I sit behind the drums, it makes me sad. If I listen to music, it makes me sad’”: Dave Grohl on life in the aftermath of Kurt Cobain's death – and how his switch to guitar and songwriting marked a new chapter ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/how-dave-grohl-transitioned-from-drums-to-guitar-after-nirvana gsBgTBzCZpKffg5KTZubLP Wed, 06 May 2026 14:21:20 +0000 Thu, 07 May 2026 14:51:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “You thought, ‘Who are these people?’ They've only been playing for a year, and they're proud that they can't play”: Adrian Smith on how Nirvana and grunge negatively impacted Iron Maiden's career trajectory in the ’90s ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/how-nirvana-and-grunge-negatively-impacted-iron-maiden-in-the-90s Kk7262BF4xL55C94DZ7ycU Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:30:26 +0000 Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:51:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I didn’t think Pat would be our guitar player. I just sent him a tape. And he was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s so poppy’”: How Pat Smear surprised Dave Grohl and joined the Foo Fighters ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/dave-grohl-on-pat-smear-surprising-him-by-joining-foo-fighters 9kLTQgGSKAtCXSqW47uZkQ Sat, 25 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Alice Cooper deliver a shock rock version of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, with some help from new guitarist Anna Cara ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/alice-cooper-covers-nirvana-at-coopstock-2026 nRScZ56QALvXSCrb2NzVAX Mon, 13 Apr 2026 14:02:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Own a piece of grunge history”: The backline used on Nirvana’s Bleach tour is to be auctioned off today ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/amps/nirvana-bleach-backline-auction BsPRKoWK3Ns4a9iKbGaFym Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:26:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I literally cried tears of joy”: After years of searching, YouTuber finally uncovers the identity of Kurt Cobain’s mystery In Utero amp ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/amps/kurt-cobains-mystery-in-utero-amp saj64qQxpiLkJhHzHEUtgh Tue, 17 Mar 2026 13:02:52 +0000 Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:03:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Left-handed necks of that era typically say ‘Custom’ or ‘Special’ because they were so seldom made and used”: What Kurt Cobain’s record-breaking 1969 ‘Competition’ Mustang tells us about Fender’s guitar building in the ’60s ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/kurt-cobain-1969-smells-like-teen-spirit-mustang pEqKKTEJYZ6bGXkhErLKeR Fri, 13 Mar 2026 11:10:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Jim Carrey stormed the stage mid-song to air guitar his right leg like a maniac”: From David Bowie going rogue to George Harrison x Paul Simon, EVH and SRV – the 50 greatest guitar moments in SNL history ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/top-50-snl-guitar-moments 74hqPhFYSyE35ewqdBsEUD Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:53:19 +0000 Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:13:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I wanted to learn a Nirvana song. The teacher was like, ‘Kurt Cobain is one of the worst guitarists in the world’”: Sub Pop-backed alt-rockers SPRINTS on guitar trolls, setting amps on fire – and the tonal benefits of olive oil ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/sprints-all-that-is-over L4eJjFuKLXrnzP5JV4d2AP Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:50:11 +0000 Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:09:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s fun to have shreddiness, but even my dad would say the best solos are the ones you can sing”: Wolfgang Van Halen reveals the Mammoth guitar solo that was inspired by Smells Like Teen Spirit ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/the-wolfgang-van-halen-solo-inspired-by-smells-like-teen-spirit xRuVasHZt4ByF3KEMx3wj9 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 11:46:34 +0000 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:30:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Ever dreamed of owning a piece of Nirvana’s legacy?” A Kurt Cobain guitar pick previously sold for more than $14k – now his MTV Unplugged plectrum is being raffled off for much, much less ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/guitar-picks/royal-college-of-music-kurt-cobain-mtv-unplugged-pick-raffle fxD3FtE3qpUAjCbDbz9cNG Tue, 10 Jun 2025 10:41:04 +0000 Thu, 19 Jun 2025 09:13:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I was really fortunate that I got to work with Kurt. He had a real ear for a hook – playing bass with him was super-easy”: Krist Novoselic achieved harmony through Kurt Cobain’s chaos –and was the making of this Nirvana classic ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/krist-novoselic-nirvana-lithium wW3exUrjZKtXEhxB8thSCQ Wed, 14 May 2025 19:58:19 +0000 Wed, 21 May 2025 10:13:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A stand-out performance by a group that changed the course of rock history in the 1990s”: The world’s most expensive guitar, Kurt Cobain’s MTV Unplugged Martin acoustic, is set to go on display in the UK ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/acoustic-guitars/royal-college-of-music-kurt-cobain-mtv-unplugged-exhibition-2025 WD8QNQWmKJAc4HNStZVxvY Mon, 31 Mar 2025 11:46:46 +0000 Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:23:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Kurt launched into that track and totally went off. In the middle of the song, he smashed his guitar to bits”: The making of the album that virtually invented a new genre, sold 30 million copies, and changed rock forever ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/the-story-of-nirvanas-nevermind WMS5MfjsxjXmfu7te2zBGZ Thu, 20 Feb 2025 14:00:00 +0000 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:41:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A special rendition”: Post Malone proves his guitar hero credentials once again as he fronts Nirvana reunion and nails Smells Like Teen Spirit at SNL50 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/concerts-gigs-tours/post-malone-nirvana-snl50-reunion p6a6ataitueo2EG4VbCmQ8 Mon, 17 Feb 2025 11:37:39 +0000 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:23:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “If we can fill the performance with these incredible women singing Nirvana songs, then we’ll have achieved our own revolution”: Nirvana reunite unannounced at FireAid concert, with four guest frontwomen ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/nirvana-reunion-fireaid-concert V4PbnwiKH2PaJHBVSmNasC Fri, 31 Jan 2025 16:23:16 +0000 Tue, 04 Feb 2025 14:53:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The four-chord pattern riff is unoriginal but the dynamic contrasts add to the potency of one of the best guitar riffs of the ’90s”: Nirvana track named the best guitar riff of all time by surprising new study – which leaves out some huge hits ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bands/udiscovermusic-best-guitar-riffs-of-all-time-poll R5CdknXSKstmMDBQHNXXE8 Fri, 03 Jan 2025 12:37:35 +0000 Mon, 06 Jan 2025 16:33:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I don’t believe he had any idea how rare it was before he bought it”: Kurt Cobain's $6m MTV Unplugged Martin was a historic guitar even before its Nirvana association, but a mod inspired by one of his guitar heroes made it one of a kind ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/kurt-cobain-6-million-dollar-martin-mod p5b89AowZgPPLggrAJyXgP Fri, 29 Nov 2024 10:41:00 +0000 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 11:38:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We’re doing my first-ever gig with Nirvana on SNL. What I didn’t know was there was a discussion about my guitar like, ‘No, we can’t let him on stage’”: Pat Smear’s first Nirvana appearance almost didn’t happen – because of his guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/pat-smear-first-nirvana-appearance-almost-did-not-happen-because-of-his-guitar 4j7vX4A9fvLwx9tRsEa8Eg Thu, 21 Nov 2024 15:37:30 +0000 Wed, 18 Dec 2024 10:58:27 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Everybody was trying to make money off us, and we were oblivious. I thought everybody understood what we were doing. We weren’t trying to be Nirvana”: Page Hamilton on Helmet’s 1994 classic Betty – the unsung curveball the critics tried to kill ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/page-hamilton-looks-back-on-1994-helmet-album-betty 2kKJBTQQvDKRrCfUTCoxsB Thu, 22 Aug 2024 10:01:42 +0000 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:10:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The last time I played that song was 30 years ago”: Krist Novoselic revisits three Nirvana classics as he joins FooVana hybrid tribute act ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/krist-novoselic-joins-nirvana-tribute-band BLzTWYJzYpKWJPXusuoSVP Mon, 22 Jul 2024 12:04:31 +0000 Tue, 06 Aug 2024 10:01:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I sourced all the original microphones that were used on the record”: This Nirvana tone chaser has spent years learning how to nail Kurt Cobain's guitar sound – now he’s released his research in the form of The Utero Sessions IR Pack ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/utero-sessions-ir-pack yCKX76E7eHWw65cF67SFwH Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:30:05 +0000 Tue, 16 Jul 2024 09:58:52 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I had just moved to Olympia, and I heard some ruckus in the street, and then on my porch... it was Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl”: Bassist Joe Preston on how he joined the Melvins – with a little help from Nirvana ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bassist-joe-preston-on-joining-the-melvins sT7ztZnAXqRsrCmobGzzcY Tue, 02 Jul 2024 12:43:14 +0000 Tue, 16 Jul 2024 09:43:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I stuck with Gibson basses because they’re so dense”: Krist Novoselic dons a Thunderbird as he debuts his new band in Kurt Cobain's hometown – and pays tribute with a rendition of Nirvana's debut single ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bassist-krist-novoselic-covers-nirvana ry4GgcDKADKWfrRSRrfSaN Wed, 26 Jun 2024 10:57:29 +0000 Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:30:05 +0000 <![CDATA[ How to play Come As You Are on guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/how-to-play-come-as-you-are-on-guitar KCMQJ96WWJAaaXaSG7JmTQ Wed, 12 Jun 2024 12:23:07 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:20:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The first 4 songs are played so often that staff in guitar stores can no longer hear them”: New research reveals the world’s most Googled guitar riffs and chord progressions ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/worlds-most-googled-riffs toVBHyTMcB6Ra2pq9oi4FN Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:29:24 +0000 Wed, 08 May 2024 14:38:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kurt Cobain guitars now account for 3 of the top 10 most expensive guitars sold at auction as the ‘Sky Stang I’ Fender Mustang used in Nirvana’s final performance sells for $1.5 million ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kurt-cobain-fender-mustang-sky-stang-I-sold cKRogz9fbWVTP4H3HkopsM Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:57:30 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:20:45 +0000 <![CDATA[ The electric guitar shredded itself to death in the ‘80s. It had to start over, but the ‘90s grunge revolution didn‘t just change the face of guitar playing – it changed the world ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/a-grunge-guitar-guide-to-the-90s uZ4KGgyPKjh3pqhouiMpcT Wed, 01 Nov 2023 13:36:24 +0000 Fri, 26 Jan 2024 15:16:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’m trying to show the world that a bass player can do many things”: Watch the first trailer for Geddy Lee’s new docuseries, featuring Les Claypool and Robert Trujillo ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/geddy-lee-asks-are-bass-players-human-too BHVnHik5QLULbzsQJ6EDSh Thu, 26 Oct 2023 12:41:56 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The workhorse”: The Fender ‘Sky Stang’ played by Kurt Cobain during Nirvana’s last show – and 53 In Utero tour dates – is going up for auction ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kurt-cobain-last-show-guitar-sky-stang-i-fender-mustang-auction WgFgh7LBd6vb6WkumNDK9F Mon, 09 Oct 2023 16:22:42 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:21:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ “You know, I've never played slide before, but it just started doing things on its own – I didn’t even have to try”: That time Paul McCartney channeled his inner bluesman – with the help of Nirvana, and a wild 4-string cigar box guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/paul-mccartney-nirvana-matty-baratto-cigar-box-guitar wbni4uBJ3HupbhxyXCLduQ Wed, 06 Sep 2023 09:11:59 +0000 Fri, 30 Aug 2024 12:00:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Sick”: In 1985, Kurt Cobain carved one word into this Teisco Del-Ray guitar. Now it has sold at auction for $153,000 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kurt-cobain-sick-teisco-sold-auction-153000-dollars ku3zG3snk5rEwhAuXXy3vf Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:57:47 +0000 Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:58:53 +0000 <![CDATA[ The surprising secret behind Kurt Cobain’s guitar tone on Nirvana’s In Utero has been discovered, 30 years on from its release ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kurt-cobain-fender-quad-reverb-tone-secret CUd3UZJDB6HrhGDMj5VwoP Wed, 16 Aug 2023 13:48:28 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:21:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Kurt took the guitar and carved the word ‘SICK’ at the bottom of it”: Two years before he started Nirvana, Kurt Cobain inscribed his friend’s Teisco guitar – now it’s headed for auction ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kurt-cobain-teisco-guitar-franciscan-acoustic-auction aL3bLyf8knbBK4BZeeTDNb Thu, 03 Aug 2023 15:18:15 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:21:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He loves you guys. He doesn’t like anybody, but he loves you guys”: Joe Perry on the time he met Kurt Cobain – and Aerosmith’s unlikely influence on Nirvana ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/joe-perry-kurt-cobain-aerosmith-nirvana-influence sMyyvro2QXWH5VnUWMUL66 Fri, 14 Jul 2023 14:32:25 +0000 Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:11:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ The world’s most expensive guitar pick? A Kurt Cobain-signed plectrum, thought to have tracked the Nevermind demos, has sold at auction for over $14,000 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/most-expensive-guitar-pick-kurt-cobain-nevermind-auction zsCHomM3cWRRiX5ESYUmkC Thu, 06 Jul 2023 18:36:55 +0000 Fri, 19 Jul 2024 11:44:05 +0000 <![CDATA[ Is this the most expensive smashed guitar ever sold? Kurt Cobain’s stage-smashed Fender Stratocaster sells at auction for $600,000 – 10 times its initial estimate ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kurt-cobain-most-expensive-stage-smashed-strat-guitar-sold cro4HpH7HRgh4iPmvpyERH Mon, 22 May 2023 10:36:27 +0000 Tue, 23 May 2023 15:31:33 +0000 <![CDATA[ The 5 Nirvana basslines you need to hear ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-5-nirvana-basslines-you-need-to-hear jJsCufYGMTjCQUvfFZ4uR4 Fri, 05 May 2023 12:50:23 +0000 Sat, 06 May 2023 07:16:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ A Kurt Cobain stage-smashed Fender Stratocaster is going up for auction ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kurt-cobain-smashed-strat-mark-lanegan-auction u8yjFmXVDMPegCNU6MuXpF Wed, 03 May 2023 20:57:42 +0000 <![CDATA[ Paul McCartney: “Somebody whispered to me ‘That’s Nirvana. You’re Kurt.’ I couldn’t believe it” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/paul-mccartney-somebody-whispered-to-me-thats-nirvana-youre-kurt-i-couldnt-believe-it N76RiWmBCN79h5irTaUve Fri, 31 Mar 2023 14:34:50 +0000 Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:14:56 +0000 <![CDATA[ Nirvana, Nile Rodgers and Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Grammys ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/nirvana-heart-grammy-lifetime-acheivement-award fHN3H4g4LRsrP3eeraMRuD Mon, 06 Feb 2023 19:31:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ An engineer has programmed a terrifying all-robot band – watch it nail Nirvana, Metallica and Deep Purple classics ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/one-hacker-band sG93g83nxGzNQ7Z6HT5c4c Tue, 10 Jan 2023 12:32:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ Nirvana, Nile Rodgers and Heart’s Nancy and Ann Wilson all honored with 2023 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/nirvana-nile-rodgers-heart-2023-grammys qTZWgWiuKndzmFGDJDyfyk Fri, 06 Jan 2023 12:43:01 +0000 Fri, 06 Jan 2023 15:56:25 +0000 <![CDATA[ Krist Novoselic: “The bass got caught in the TV lights – and then boom!” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/nirvana-krist-novoselic-bass-throw-mtv-awards-1992 RRf3BtCLM2H7G5Ax44MSGT Thu, 08 Dec 2022 17:06:15 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:20:21 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch soldiers from the US and Indian armies perform Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/us-indian-army-nirvana-smells-like-teen-spirit jmwuesDGcH4WE37am5rBwJ Mon, 05 Dec 2022 16:48:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ A YouTuber has built a pedal to clone Kurt Cobain’s home demo tone ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/aaron-rash-kurt-cobain-the-engine-pedal MrFymbWdWUnHaQvTXNVfg4 Fri, 02 Dec 2022 18:06:58 +0000 Tue, 22 Oct 2024 15:32:20 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kurt Cobain’s Boss DS-1 sells for $75,000 – is this the most expensive pedal sold at auction? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kurt-cobain-boss-ds-1-auction wsuRFb5oNsZFBLLWtyvmt7 Wed, 16 Nov 2022 16:15:41 +0000 Fri, 06 Dec 2024 12:02:21 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kurt Cobain’s stage-smashed 1973 Fender Mustang sells for nearly $500,000 at auction ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kurt-cobain-1973-fender-mustang-sells-for-nearly-500000 rMGWFCRnPqu7L6rWydxVgm Mon, 14 Nov 2022 11:44:38 +0000 Fri, 18 Nov 2022 14:57:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kurt Cobain-signed 1973 Fender Mustang – which he smashed onstage in 1989 – goes up for auction ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kurt-cobain-1973-fender-mustang-auction x9ifvr2qD8LWeRw3tCjoe3 Wed, 02 Nov 2022 19:27:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ Billy Corgan claims Butch Vig stole his guitar sound for Nirvana’s Nevermind ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/billy-corgan-butch-vig-stole-guitar-sound-for-nirvana-nevermind ESPTnh78u44tSUye7s8GMY Wed, 02 Nov 2022 16:50:05 +0000 Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:14:47 +0000