All Apologies amp settings — Doner Donner DBA-1 15W Bass Guitar Amplifier
The Nirvana guitar tone for “All Apologies”, dialed in for a Doner Donner DBA-1 15W Bass Guitar Amplifier with a Fender S/n lc 081002179. Studio version, In Utero (1993, Pachyderm Studios)
Fender Jaguar (neck humbucker) → Fender Quad Reverb (clean, one working power tube, one blown speaker). No pedals. Drop D tuning.
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 0 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Treble | 9 |
| Master | 6 |
Bass amps lack guitar-range presence (2–6kHz) and naturally scoop mids around 800Hz. To prevent wooly mush, I maxed treble to 9 (vs original's 6 on a guitar amp) and cut bass to 4 (vs 5) to reduce boominess from your guitar's thinner strings. The DBA-1 has no mid or presence control — you lose the Jaguar's glassy top-end sparkle, but the rolled-back tone knob on your guitar (set to 7) compensates by softening the treble harshness. This is as close as a bass amp gets without pedals.
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These settings are for a Doner Donner DBA-1 15W Bass Guitar Amplifier. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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