Tone library / Nirvana / Come As You Are

Come As You Are amp settings — Fender Frontman 20G

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Come As You Are”, dialed in for a Fender Frontman 20G with a Jackson JS22 Dinky. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — recorded at Sound City Studios with Butch Vig

Original rig

Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp → Crown Power Base-2 → Marshall 4x12; 1965 Fender Jaguar with DiMarzio humbuckers (neck pickup); EHX Small Clone chorus, Boss DS-1 for distorted sections

Watery, warm clean with deep chorus modulation; neck pickup warmth with subtle breakup

Amp settings — Fender Frontman 20G

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	3
Bass	6
Mid	6
Treble	4
Presence	0
Reverb	0
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Valeton GP-200X — Chorus Block (Small Clone type)

This is THE sound of the song. Select the deepest, most lush chorus model available (analog chorus or 'Clone' type if labeled). Rate low, depth high — creates the detuned underwater wobble. Place BEFORE any drive in your signal chain.

Rate 3 · Depth 8 · Mix 7

02Valeton GP-200X — Distortion Block (DS-1 type)

OFF for main riff and verses. Kick ON for the bridge/solo section. Select the 'DS-1' or 'Japan Dist' model if available. When this is ON, the amp stays clean — pedal provides all gain.

Tone 4 · Level 7 · Dist/Drive 10

Why these settings

Your Frontman 20G is a solid-state Fender with scooped, bright voicing. I dropped treble to 4 (original Mesa was warmer in the mids) and pushed bass/mid to 6 to compensate for the Frontman's natural scoop. Your Jackson's humbuckers are hotter than Cobain's Jaguar, so gain stays at 3 to keep it clean — the chorus needs headroom to shimmer without mud. The GP-200X handles the chorus and DS-1 duties; without that chorus block set deep, you will not get this tone.

PRO TIPTune down to D Standard (D-G-C-F-A-D) — this is non-negotiable for the correct pitch and string tension that defines the riff's slinky feel. The looser strings also interact differently with the chorus, creating more pitch wobble.

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These settings are for a Fender Frontman 20G. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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