Tone library / Nirvana / Drain you

Drain you amp settings — Stinger Stp50gor

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Drain you”, dialed in for a Stinger Stp50gor with a Soundstation Rider std. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) - Main distorted rhythm track

Original rig

Fender '65 Jaguar (bridge humbucker), Boss DS-1 / ProCo Rat, Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp / Fender Bassman into 4x12 cabs

Massive, thick, wall-of-sound grunge rhythm with gritty upper-mid bite
Amp settings — Stinger Stp50gor
CHANNELOverdrive / Lead channelBRIGHToff
GAIN 8 BASS 7 MID 6 TREBLE 7 REVERB 1 MASTER 5
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain8
Bass7
Mid6
Treble7
Reverb1
Master5
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Boss DS-1 Distortion

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned

Tone 6 · Level 7 · Dist 8
Why these settings

Because you do not own an external distortion pedal, the Stinger solid-state amp's overdrive channel carries the entire saturation load with gain pushed to 8. Keep the mids around 6 to maintain the punchy body of Kurt's Mesa preamp tracks while lifting treble to 7 to replicate the aggressive bite of a DS-1 into a bridge pickup. If you add a DS-1 later, switch the amp to the clean channel with gain down to 2 and let the pedal generate the dirt. Clean verse: roll guitar volume back to 4 or switch to the clean channel.

PRO TIPKurt achieved the massive width on Nevermind by quad-tracking aggressive full-chord downstrokes with heavy pick attack right near the bridge.

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These settings are for a Stinger Stp50gor. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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