Tone library / Nirvana / Come As You Are

Come As You Are amp settings — Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Come As You Are”, dialed in for a Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3 with a Fender American Professional II Stratocaster. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — recorded at Sound City Studios with Butch Vig

Original rig

1965 Fender Jaguar (neck pickup, DiMarzio PAF) → EHX Small Clone (Depth: UP, Rate: 10-11 o'clock) → Mesa/Boogie Studio 22 Preamp (clean) → Crown Power Base-2 → Marshall 4x12

Warm, watery clean with deep detuned chorus wobble, round low-mids, no distortion on main riff

Amp settings — Blackstar ID:Core 20 V3

CHANNELClean voice, ISF at 9 o'clock (American/Fender voicing)BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	5
Mid	6
Treble	5
Presence	4
Reverb	0
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Midex ACP Chorus

The EHX Small Clone's signature is DEEP modulation with SLOW rate. Max your depth control and keep rate low. If your pedal has a depth switch, set it to deep/full.

Rate 3 · Depth 8

Why these settings

Your Strat's single coils are brighter and lower output than Cobain's Jaguar with DiMarzio humbuckers. I've cut treble by 1 from typical settings and boosted mids by 1 to compensate for the Strat's scoop. The ISF set American-side gives the clean Fender-style headroom Kurt got from his Mesa preamp run clean. Gain stays very low—this tone has zero amp dirt.

PRO TIPTune down to D Standard (D-G-C-F-A-D)—this is non-negotiable for the authentic pitch and string tension. The loose strings contribute to that slightly warbly, underwater quality. Pick lightly near the neck pickup for the verse, and roll your tone knob to 5-6 if the Strat still sounds too glassy.

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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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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.