Drain you amp settings — Fender Champion 25

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Drain you”, dialed in for a Fender Champion 25 with a Fender Jaguar. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — main rhythm tone using Fender Bassman with Rat pedal

Original rig

Fender Mustang/Jaguar → ProCo Rat or Boss DS-1 → Fender Bassman (rhythm sections), Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp (some overdubs). Multiple overdubs layered: 1 clean track, 5 distorted tracks across Mesa and Bassman.

Thick, saturated grunge crunch with midrange bark and loose low-end — punky aggression with pop sensibility

Amp settings — Fender Champion 25

CHANNELVoice: select the pointed/angular icon (crunch/drive voice) via the Voice buttonBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	5
Treble	6
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10

Why these settings

The Champion 25 is a small solid-state combo with no mid or presence knob — only gain, bass, treble, and reverb exist on the faceplate. The original Bassman tone was mid-forward with Rat saturation; without a mid control or distortion pedal, you're limited to the amp's drive voice pushed hard. Gain 7 is near the Champion's useful saturation ceiling — going higher adds fizz without real chunk. Bass stays moderate (5) to avoid flub through the 8-inch speaker; treble 6 retains bite without ice-pick. Reverb 0 because the studio track is bone dry. To truly nail this tone, a RAT-style or DS-1 pedal is essential — the amp alone approximates but cannot deliver Cobain's wall of fuzz.

PRO TIPRoll the Jaguar's tone knob to 7 and use the rhythm circuit (neck-side controls) for a darker, woolier texture closer to Cobain's Mustang — the lead circuit is too bright and thin for this grunge saturation.

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These settings are for a Fender Champion 25. 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.