Blew amp settings — Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Blew”, dialed in for a Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3 with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, Bleach (1989) — recorded December 1988 at Reciprocal Recording

Original rig

1968 Fender Twin Reverb + Boss DS-1 Distortion + Fender Mustang/Univox Hi-Flier tuned to Drop C

Dry, crunchy, sludgy low-end doom with grinding midrange

Amp settings — Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3

CHANNELOD1 (ISF at 8 / British side)BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Reverb	0
Master	7

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss DS-1 Distortion

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned

Tone 4 · Level 8 · Dist 9

Why these settings

The Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3 has no standard 3-band EQ, so all tone shaping is handled via the ISF knob set around 8 (British) on the OD1 voice to emulate the thick DS-1 clipping into Endino's Twin. Your Strat's single-coil bridge pickup is brighter and thinner than Kurt's humbuckers, so roll the guitar tone knob down to 7 to shave off top-end spike and add low-mid weight. If you acquire a Boss DS-1 later, switch the amp to Clean Warm with gain at 2 and let the pedal drive the entire tone.

PRO TIPBlew was tuned a whole step down and then drop-tuned to Drop C (C-G-C-F-A-D) by accident in the studio, giving the slack strings heavy low-end rattle—tune down to Drop C and dig in hard with a thick pick near the bridge.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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