Breed amp settings — Mesa Boogie Mark V
The Nirvana guitar tone for “Breed”, dialed in for a Mesa Boogie Mark V with a Fender Mustang. Studio recording, Nevermind (1991) - Main Riff / Rhythm
Fender Mustang / Strat with bridge humbucker -> ProCo Rat / Boss DS-1 -> Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp + Crown Power Base 2 into Marshall 4x12 cab (blended with direct console track)
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 3 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 5 |
Per double-gain rules, the Mark V is kept on the Clean Fat channel with low gain (3) to serve as a high-headroom platform for the DS-1. Mesa tone stacks add heavy bass when pushed, so bass is restrained at 5 while mids are boosted to 7 to replicate Kurt's mid-forward Studio Preamp voicing. Tone on the DS-1 is pulled back to around 4 (11 o'clock) to prevent harsh top-end fizz through the Mustang bridge pickup.
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These settings are for a Mesa Boogie Mark V. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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