Tone library / Nirvana / Come as you are

Come as you are amp settings — Cort CM15R

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Come as you are”, dialed in for a Cort CM15R with a Cort X200. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — iconic watery clean intro riff

Original rig

1965 Fender Jaguar / 1969 Fender Mustang (neck pickup) -> Electro-Harmonix Small Clone -> Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp (Clean) / Vox AC30

Warm, watery modulated clean with slight low-end depth and lush detuned chorus
Amp settings — Cort CM15R
CHANNELClean
BASS 6 MID 5 TREBLE 5 REVERB 2 MASTER 5
KnobSetting (0–10)
Bass6
Mid5
Treble5
Reverb2
Master5
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Guitar
PICKUPneck TONE8 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; essential for the signature watery Nevermind modulation

Rate 6 · Depth Switch 10
Why these settings

The Cort CM15R is set to its clean channel with a balanced 3-band EQ and a touch of built-in spring reverb to mimic the studio room depth. Because the Cort X200 has higher-output humbuckers than Kurt's vintage single-coils, the tone knob is rolled back slightly to 8 to soften the top-end snap. Chorus chorus chorus chorus Chorus chorus chorus Chorus chorus chorus Chorus. Chorus chorus chorus. Heavy chorus: engage the recommended Small Clone in front of the amp. Distorted chorus chorus: switch to the CM15R Drive channel with gain at 7.

PRO TIPKurt tuned down one whole step to D Standard (D-G-C-F-A-D) for this track and picked the low D string softly near the neck pickup for that dark, relaxed bounce.

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These settings are for a Cort CM15R. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Cort CM15R settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP Come as you are on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Nirvana tonesALL SONGS Nirvana on the Cort CM15RSAME ARTIST, SAME AMP Cort X200 tonesSAME GUITAR Tone libraryEVERYTHING

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