Tone library / Nirvana / Come as you are

Come as you are amp settings — Marshall mg30gfx

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Come as you are”, dialed in for a Marshall mg30gfx with a Ibanez gio grgr131ex bkf. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — iconic watery clean intro riff

Original rig

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

Warm, watery modulated clean with slight low-end depth and lush detuned chorus

Amp settings — Marshall mg30gfx

CHANNELCleanBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	3
Bass	6
Mid	5
Treble	5
Reverb	2
Master	5

Don’t have a Marshall mg30gfx? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Marshall MG30GFX Onboard Chorus

Select the Chorus section on the onboard FX dial to capture the iconic watery Small Clone modulation

FX (Chorus segment) 6

02Electro-Harmonix Small Clone

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; the exact analog chorus pedal Kurt used for the studio recording

Rate 6 · Depth Switch 10

Why these settings

The Marshall MG30GFX is set to its Clean channel with moderate gain for maximum headroom and clarity. The onboard FX knob engages chorus to emulate Cobain's Small Clone modulation directly from the amp. Your Ibanez humbuckers are warmer and hotter than Kurt's vintage single coils, so tone is rolled back slightly to 8 on the neck pickup to keep the attack smooth without getting too sharp. For the heavy chorus/distorted sections, switch the amp to the OD-1 channel with gain at 7.

PRO TIPPick the intro riff with a medium downstroke attack close to the neck pickup rather than the bridge to enhance the hollow, rounded fundamental before the chorus modulation sweeps across the notes.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Marshall mg30gfx. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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