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Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) guitar tone and amp settings

Smells Like Teen Spirit guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Crunch amp type, low gain (Gain 4.5), bright top (Treble 6.5), balanced lows (Bass 4), bridge pickup.

Tuning: E standard

Settings for your amp

Pick a reference amp

The song has distinct sounds: Clean, then heavier with the ds-1 pedal intro, Clean verse, Distorted, with small clone chorus pre-chorus, Bridge, Distorted, with small clone chorus solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.

Smells Like Teen Spirit settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every song

These settings play the bridge.

AmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

VariationOff
Amp TypeCrunch
Gain4.5
Volume6Balances the amp section against the master level.
Bass4
Middle5
Treble6.5
Booster ColorOrange
Booster5Adds the hard-edged distortion for the main riff.
Mod0
FX0
Delay0
Reverb0
Set to your roomMaster
Set to your roomPower Control

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output for a strong, consistent attack.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Variation
Off
Amp Type
Crunch
Gain
4.5
Volume
6
Bass
4
Middle
5
Treble
6.5
Booster Color
Orange
Booster
5
Mod
0
FX
0
Delay
0
Reverb
0
Master
Set to your room
Power Control
Set to your room

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

Smells Like Teen Spirit settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40

Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every song

These settings play the bridge.

AmpPositive Grid Spark 40

Amp TypeClean
Gain3
Bass4.5
Mid5.5
Treble6.5
Set to your roomMaster
Mod0
Delay0
Reverb0.5
Set to your roomOutput
App Amp ModelSilver 120in the app, optional
App DriveOver Drivein the app, optional
App Comp/WahOffin the app, optional
App Mod/EQCloner Chorusin the app, optional
App DelayOffin the app, optional
App ReverbRoom Studio Ain the app, optional

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output for a strong signal into the drive effect
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Type
Clean
Gain
3
Bass
4.5
Mid
5.5
Treble
6.5
Master
Set to your room
Mod
0
Delay
0
Reverb
0.5
Output
Set to your room
App Amp Model
Silver 120
App Drive
Over Drive
App Comp/Wah
Off
App Mod/EQ
Cloner Chorus
App Delay
Off
App Reverb
Room Studio A

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
7

Smells Like Teen Spirit settings on a Fender Mustang LT25

Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every song

These settings play the bridge.

AmpFender Mustang LT25

Amp ModelSUPER CLEANin the menu
Gain3.5
Volume7Set for preset balance; adjust to the room.
Treble6.5
Bass5.5
Middle4.5in the menu
Set to your roomMaster
StompROCK DIRTin the menu
ModNonein the menu
DelayNonein the menu
ReverbNonein the menu

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output keeps the bridge humbucker punchy.
Tone8
The same settings in text

Amp

Amp Model
SUPER CLEAN
Gain
3.5
Volume
7
Treble
6.5
Bass
5.5
Middle
4.5
Master
Set to your room
Stomp
ROCK DIRT
Mod
None
Delay
None
Reverb
None

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
8

Smells Like Teen Spirit settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

These settings play the distorted, with small clone chorus pre-chorus, bridge, distorted, with small clone chorus solo.

Amp

Gain6.5
Bass5
Mid6.5
Treble7

GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup SelectorBridge
Volume10Full output helps drive the amp for the distorted riff.
Tone7
The same settings in text

Amp

Gain
6.5
Bass
5
Mid
6.5
Treble
7

Electric guitar with two humbuckers

Pickup Selector
Bridge
Volume
10
Tone
7

Add a Boss DS-1 and Small Clone chorus for the original section changes.

Song parts

BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3

  1. Clean, then heavier with the ds-1 pedal intro:

    Amp Type Clean, Gain 3, Booster 0

    .

    Start clean, then switch on distortion for the heavier half.

  2. Clean verse:

    Amp Type Clean, Gain 3, Booster 0, Mod Color Green, Mod 4.5

    .

    Keep the chorus on for the watery clean sound.

  3. Distorted, with small clone chorus pre-chorus:

    Mod Color Green, Mod 4.5

    .

    Add chorus while keeping the distortion engaged.

  4. Distorted, with small clone chorus solo:

    Mod Color Green, Mod 4.5

    .

    Keep distortion and chorus engaged through the solo.

Song parts

Positive Grid Spark 40

  1. Clean, then heavier with the ds-1 pedal intro:

    App Drive Off

    .

    Start clean, then engage Over Drive for the heavier half.

  2. Clean verse:

    Mod 3, App Drive Off

    .

    Keep the drive off and bring in the watery chorus.

  3. Distorted, with small clone chorus pre-chorus:

    Mod 3

    .

    Keep Over Drive on and add the chorus.

  4. Distorted, with small clone chorus solo:

    Mod 3

    .

    Keep Over Drive on and add the chorus.

Song parts

Fender Mustang LT25

  1. Clean, then heavier with the ds-1 pedal intro:

    Stomp None

    .

    Start clean, then engage the drive for the heavier half.

  2. Clean verse:

    Stomp None, Mod CHORUS

    .

    Keep the drive off and chorus on.

  3. Distorted, with small clone chorus pre-chorus:

    Mod CHORUS

    .

    Add drive while keeping the chorus engaged.

  4. Distorted, with small clone chorus solo:

    Mod CHORUS

    .

    Keep drive and chorus on through the solo.

Song parts

Any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble

  1. Clean, then heavier with the ds-1 pedal intro:

    Gain 2.5

    .

    Start clean; switch to main settings for the heavier half.

  2. Clean verse:

    Gain 2.5

    .

    Keep the amp clean; chorus would add the watery shimmer.

The control panel of a vintage guitar amplifier, close up

Why it sounds like that

Guitar strings over the frets, close up

The intro is clean for its first half, then heavier with the DS-1 pedal. The verses are clean, with a Small Clone chorus giving them a watery quality. The pre-choruses and solo add the Boss DS-1 distortion on top of that chorus. The dirt comes from the pedal: the Mesa rhythm channel stays clean. The distorted rhythm guitars were overdubbed, layered and panned for a wider sound, and the mix boosted their upper midrange and cut the lower midrange. Cobain moved between clean, chorused and distorted tones across the arrangement.

  • Keep the Small Clone on and the amp clean for the verses.
  • Use the Boss DS-1 on top of the Small Clone chorus for the pre-choruses and solo.

What amp did Kurt Cobain use on Smells Like Teen Spirit?

A guitarist’s pedalboard, a dozen pedals cabled together

Kurt Cobain

Amp
Mesa/Boogie Studio preamp (rhythm channel)[1]
Effects
Boss DS-1 Distortion[1], Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus[1]

Kurt Cobain · Clean verse

Effects
Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus[3]

Kurt Cobain · Clean, then heavier with the ds-1 pedal intro

Effects
Boss DS-1 Distortion[4]
  • Guitar World's gear list names an early-'90s Japanese Fender Stratocaster with a Seymour Duncan JB at the bridge, and judges from live videos that Cobain used it on the song. (on this song)[1]
  • Accounts differ: Bonedo reports a '69 Fender Competition Mustang, at least in the video, or a '65 Jaguar with DiMarzio pickups, which disagrees with Guitar World's Stratocaster. (on this song)[2][1]
  • Guitar World's gear list has a Mesa/Boogie Studio preamp (rhythm channel), a Crown Power Base 2 power amp and a Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12T-75 speakers. (on this song)[1]
  • Butch Vig said Kurt had a Mesa/Boogie when they recorded Nevermind. (on the album Nevermind)[3]
  • Butch Vig said Kurt had a Big Muff on Nevermind. (on the album Nevermind)[3]
  • Guitar World reports Cobain used a Boss DS-1 Distortion pedal as his dirty channel on the song, playing the Mesa rhythm channel clean. (on this song)[1]
  • Guitar World reports the Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus was Cobain's only effect on the song. (on this song)[1]
  • Clean verse: Guitar World reports Cobain played the verses clean, with the Small Clone chorus on. (on this song)[1]
  • Distorted, with small clone chorus pre-chorus: Guitar World reports Cobain combined the Small Clone chorus with the Boss distortion on the pre-choruses and solo. (on this song)[1]
  • Guitar World's gear list gives the strings and tuning as standard. (on this song)[1]
  • Guitar World reports Cobain used a palette of clean, chorused and distorted guitar tones in the song. (on this song)[1]
  • Guitar World reports the distorted rhythm guitar tracks were overdubbed, layered and panned for a wider sonic imprint. (on this song)[1]
  • Guitar World reports mixing engineer Andy Wallace sculpted the EQ on the guitar tracks with an upper midrange boost and a lower midrange cut. (on this song)[1]
  • Distorted, with small clone chorus pre-chorus: Bonedo reports a Small Clone chorus makes the watery guitar sound on the pre-chorus build-up of the song. (on this song)[2]
  • Clean verse: Butch Vig said Kurt had a Small Clone, which is sort of the watery effect on Smells Like Teen Spirit in the verses. (on this song)[3]
  • Clean, then heavier with the ds-1 pedal intro: GearNews says the intro is clean in its first half and considerably heavier in its second half, thanks to a Boss DS-1 Distortion pedal. (on this song)[4]

Questions

What amp did Kurt Cobain use on Smells Like Teen Spirit?

The sources on this page document Kurt Cobain's gear on Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana: amp, Mesa/Boogie Studio preamp (rhythm channel) [1]; effects, Boss DS-1 Distortion [1], Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus [1]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.

What are the Smells Like Teen Spirit settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?

For the Smells Like Teen Spirit guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 4.5, Volume 6, Bass 4, Middle 5, Treble 6.5, Booster Color Orange, Booster 5, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Power Control to your room. These settings play the bridge. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Smells Like Teen Spirit settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?

For the Smells Like Teen Spirit guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Clean, Gain 3, Bass 4.5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.5, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0.5, App Amp Model Silver 120, App Drive Over Drive, App Mod/EQ Cloner Chorus, App Reverb Room Studio A; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master and Output to your room. These settings play the bridge. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What are the Smells Like Teen Spirit settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?

For the Smells Like Teen Spirit guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model SUPER CLEAN, Gain 3.5, Volume 7, Treble 6.5, Bass 5.5, Middle 4.5, Stomp ROCK DIRT, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb None; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master to your room. These settings play the bridge. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.

What tuning is Smells Like Teen Spirit in?

Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana is played in E standard, according to the cited source [1]. Tune to it before you set the amp, or the riff will not sit right against the record.

Can I get the Smells Like Teen Spirit tone on my own amp?

Yes. The settings above cover 3 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for Smells Like Teen Spirit, using only the controls your gear has.

Get it for your exact rig

KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for this song.

Download KnobMaster on the App Store