Drain you amp settings — Spider11 Line6

The Kurtkobain guitar tone for “Drain you”, dialed in for a Spider11 Line6 with a iaxe 624. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — the iconic distorted rhythm tone with multiple overdubs

Original rig

Fender Mustang (competition blue, stock single coils) → Boss DS-1 Distortion → Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp + Fender Bassman (layered tracks) into Marshall 4x12 cabs

Aggressive mid-heavy grunge crunch with scooped fizz and compressed sustain — raw and in-your-face

Amp settings — Spider11 Line6

CHANNELInsane

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	6
Bass	5
Mid	6
Treble	6
Reverb	0
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The original used a Boss DS-1 into a clean Mesa preamp — the Spider's Insane channel approximates that saturated-yet-tight distortion character. Line 6 Spider gain runs hot, so 6 matches the original's 8 on the DS-1. Kept mids at 6 (not scooped) because Cobain's tone cuts through with midrange bark despite the grunge label. No presence knob on Spider II.

PRO TIPTune to E♭ Standard (half-step down) before dialing in — the looser string tension is essential to that sludgy Nirvana attack and the song's riffs will feel wrong in standard tuning.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Spider11 Line6. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.