# Nutshell guitar solo

> Jerry Cantrell's guitar solo on Nutshell by Alice In Chains (1994) starts at about 2:00. From the album Jar of Flies. Ranked #167 of all time across 80 lists.

Canonical URL: <https://greatestsolos.com/song/alice-in-chains-nutshell/>

Alice In Chains, 1994, from *Jar of Flies*. Solo by *Jerry Cantrell*.

Nutshell is one of Jerry Cantrell's most restrained moments, and the solo is all the more affecting for it. He plays only a handful of phrases, slow and mournful, bending notes with a slight ache and letting them fade before moving on. There are no fast runs; instead the solo mirrors the weary, confessional tone of Layne Staley's vocal. Whether on the Jar of Flies original or the stripped-down Unplugged performance, the song shows how much Cantrell could say with very little. It has become a touchstone for players who value melody and mood over speed. Listen for the way each phrase ends on a held note, as though the guitar were sighing before the next line.

Nutshell by Alice In Chains is ranked #167 in our consensus of 80 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Jerry Cantrell and the song was released in 1994. It appears on 3 lists, placing as high as #4 (TopGuitar.pl).

## In our lists

- [The Most-Taught Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/most-taught/) — #31
- [The Modern Canon: Best Since 1990](https://greatestsolos.com/list/since-1990/) — #42
- [The Most Beautiful Guitar Solos of All Time](https://greatestsolos.com/list/most-beautiful-guitar-solos/) — #25
- [The 25 Greatest Grunge Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/grunge/) — #5
- [Greatest Live Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/live/) — #7
- [Ballad Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/ballads/) — #25
- [The Best Jerry Cantrell Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/jerry-cantrell-guitar-solos/) — #4
- [The Best Alice In Chains Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/alice-in-chains-guitar-solos/) — #2
- [Top 20 Guitar Solos of 1994](https://greatestsolos.com/list/best-guitar-solos-1994/) — #2
- [The Greatest Acoustic Guitar Solos](https://greatestsolos.com/list/acoustic-guitar-solos/) — #1

## Sources

- [TopGuitar.pl: 25 najbardziej emocjonalnych solówek wszech czasów](https://topguitar.pl/topspecial/25-najbardziej-emocjonalnych-solowek-wszech-czasow/) — #4
- [Far Out Magazine: The 10 greatest guitar solos of the 1990s](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/10-greatest-guitar-solos-of-the-1990s/) — #9
- [Guitar World: The 50 greatest guitar solos of all time](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-50-greatest-guitar-solos-of-all-time) — #48
- [Digital Dream Door: 250 Greatest Rock Guitar Solos](https://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_guitarsolo.html) — #120

### Who played the guitar solo on Nutshell?

Jerry Cantrell played the solo on Alice In Chains's Nutshell (1994).

### What guitar was used on the Nutshell solo?

A martin acoustic, according to widely reported accounts.

### Where does Nutshell rank among the greatest guitar solos?

#167 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 80 published lists; it appears on 3 of them.

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