The Man Who Sold The World (Nirvana) guitar tone and amp settings
The Man Who Sold The World guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Clean amp type, low gain (Gain 2.5), even mids (Middle 5.5), smooth top (Treble 5.5), neck pickup.
Settings for your amp
The Man Who Sold The World settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every songAmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Variation
- Off
- Amp Type
- Clean
- Gain
- 2.5
- Volume
- 5
- Bass
- 5
- Middle
- 5.5
- Treble
- 5.5
- Booster Color
- Orange
- Booster
- 5.5
- Mod Color
- Green
- Mod
- 5
- FX
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 0
- Master
- Set to your room
- Power Control
- Set to your room
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Neck
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
The Man Who Sold The World settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40
Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every songAmpPositive Grid Spark 40
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Type
- Clean
- Gain
- 2.5
- Bass
- 4.5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 5.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Mod
- 3.5
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 1.5
- Output
- Set to your room
- App Amp Model
- Black Duo
- App Drive
- Black Op
- 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
An acoustic-electric guitar would better match the Martin D-18E’s attack.
The Man Who Sold The World settings on a Fender Mustang LT25
Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every songAmpFender Mustang LT25
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Model
- TWIN CLEAN
- Gain
- 2.5
- Volume
- 6
- Treble
- 5
- Bass
- 5
- Middle
- 5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Stomp
- ROCK DIRT
- Mod
- CHORUS
- Delay
- None
- Reverb
- None
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Neck + Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
An acoustic-electric guitar with a soundhole pickup would better match the recording.
The Man Who Sold The World settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble
Amp
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Gain
- 3.5
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 5.5
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 8
- Tone
- 7
Add a Boss DS-2 and EHX Small Clone for the documented effects.
Why it sounds like that
Kurt Cobain played a 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic with a Bartolini 3AV pickup added to its soundhole. He ran it through a Fender Twin Reverb, which he used as a monitor for himself, and he wanted his effects on the acoustic. On this song, a DS-2 distortion pedal and an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus were both used, so the acoustic sound is distorted and chorused. Those effects can be heard on the track.
What amp did Kurt Cobain use on The Man Who Sold The World?
- Guitar.com says Kurt Cobain used a 1959 Martin D-18E for the duration of the MTV Unplugged show. (on the album MTV Unplugged in New York)[1]
- Guitar.com says Cobain added a Bartolini 3AV pickup to the guitar's soundhole. (on the album MTV Unplugged in New York)[1]
- Guitar.com says Cobain ran his acoustic through a Fender Twin Reverb, which he used as a monitor for himself. (on the album MTV Unplugged in New York)[1]
- Guitar.com says Cobain used a DS-2 distortion pedal and an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus, and both pedals were used on The Man Who Sold the World. (on this song)[1]
- Alex Coletti said the effects Cobain wanted can be heard on The Man Who Sold the World. (on this song)[2]
Questions
What amp did Kurt Cobain use on The Man Who Sold The World?
The sources on this page document Kurt Cobain's gear on The Man Who Sold The World by Nirvana: guitar, Martin D-18E [1]; pickup, Bartolini 3AV [1]; amp, Fender Twin Reverb [1]; effects, DS-2 distortion pedal [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 The Man Who Sold The World settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?
For the The Man Who Sold The World guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Clean, Gain 2.5, Volume 5, Bass 5, Middle 5.5, Treble 5.5, Booster Color Orange, Booster 5.5, Mod Color Green, Mod 5, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb 0; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Neck, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master and Power Control to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the The Man Who Sold The World settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?
For the The Man Who Sold The World guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Clean, Gain 2.5, Bass 4.5, Mid 6, Treble 5.5, Mod 3.5, Delay 0, Reverb 1.5, App Amp Model Black Duo, App Drive Black Op, 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. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the The Man Who Sold The World settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?
For the The Man Who Sold The World guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model TWIN CLEAN, Gain 2.5, Volume 6, Treble 5, Bass 5, Middle 5, Stomp ROCK DIRT, Mod CHORUS, Delay None, Reverb None; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Neck + Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master to your room. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the The Man Who Sold The World 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 The Man Who Sold The World, 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.
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