Drain You amp settings — Marshall Plexi 1959
The Nirvana guitar tone for “Drain You”, dialed in for a Marshall Plexi 1959 with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) - Main distorted rhythm track
Fender Jaguar/Mustang with bridge humbucker, Boss DS-1 / ProCo Rat, Mesa Boogie Studio .22 Preamp into Fender Bassman
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 3 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Mid | 6 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 7 |
01NUX MG-101 (Distortion Block - DS-1 / Rat Model)
Run in front of the Plexi as the primary gain source (amp set clean/warm)
The Plexi's naturally bright, aggressive upper mids require running into the warmer Normal channel with treble and presence reined in to match the thick Mesa/Bassman low-end blend. The DS-1 distortion block on the NUX MG-101 acts as the primary gain engine, so the Plexi is kept at low gain to prevent double-gain mud. Roll the Strat's tone knob down slightly to compensate for single-coil brightness versus Kurt's bridge humbucker.
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These settings are for a Marshall Plexi 1959. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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