Drain You amp settings — Boston GA-10
The Nirvana guitar tone for “Drain You”, dialed in for a Boston GA-10 with a SX Stratocaster. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — distorted main riff and chorus
Fender Jaguar (DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge humbucker) / 'Vandalism' Strat -> Boss DS-1 Distortion -> Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp / Fender Bassman / Twin Reverb blend
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 7 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 5 |
The Boston GA-10 is a basic practice amp with only Gain, Bass, and Treble controls (no Mid or Presence knobs), so Mid and Presence are set to null. The Drive switch and gain must be pushed to 7 to deliver the aggressive grunge distortion without pedals, keeping bass at 6 to avoid flubbing out the small 6-inch speaker while shaving treble slightly to tame the SX Strat's bright single-coil bridge pickup. With an actual Boss DS-1, switch the GA-10 to the clean channel, keep gain around 2, and let the pedal handle the clipping. Clean verse: roll guitar volume back to 5-6 and pick lightly.
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These settings are for a Boston GA-10. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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