Drain you amp settings — M-Vave Blackbox
The Nirvana guitar tone for “Drain you”, dialed in for a M-Vave Blackbox with a Squier Affinity Stratocaster. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) - Main distorted rhythm track
Fender '65 Jaguar / '69 Mustang, ProCo Rat / Boss DS-1, Fender Bassman & Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 2 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Mid | 6 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 7 |
01ProCo Rat / Rodent Distortion block
Set in front of the amp model; active on the main distorted sections
The studio cut features five layered tracks utilizing a Rat into a Bassman and a Mesa Studio Preamp. To replicate this on the M-Vave Blackbox with single-coil Strat pickups, run the clean Tweed/Bassman amp block at low gain and generate the core saturation entirely from the internal Rat distortion model. The bass and mids are boosted slightly to give your single-coil bridge pickup the necessary low-end body of Kurt's humbucker-equipped Jaguar.
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These settings are for a M-Vave Blackbox. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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