Tone library / Nirvana / I Hate Myself and Want to Die (2013 Mix)

I Hate Myself and Want to Die (2013 Mix) amp settings — Fender Blues Junior IV

The Nirvana guitar tone for “I Hate Myself and Want to Die (2013 Mix)”, dialed in for a Fender Blues Junior IV with a Fender Mustang. Studio version, In Utero sessions (1993), 2013 Steve Albini remix

Original rig

1970s Fender Quad Reverb (broken, one power tube), Univox Hi-Flier or Fender Mustang, Tech 21 SansAmp for distortion

Raspy, broken-amp crunch with aggressive upper-mids and fuzzy saturation

Amp settings — Fender Blues Junior IV

BRIGHToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	10
Bass	4
Mid	7
Treble	6
Reverb	0
Master	6

Don’t have a Fender Blues Junior IV? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Tech 21 SansAmp GT2 or Character Series

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. This pedal WAS the distortion source on In Utero. A Boss DS-1 or ProCo RAT is a workable substitute. Without a dirt pedal, you cannot replicate this tone.

Drive 7 · Low 4 · High 6 · Level 7

Why these settings

The Blues Junior is a clean-platform Fender like the Quad Reverb, so the voicing is close, but it lacks the broken-tube rasp. Cranking gain to 10 and master to 6 gets you into mild breakup territory, but the original's aggressive fuzz came entirely from the SansAmp — without a distortion pedal, you will only get clean-to-edge-of-breakup, not the recorded crunch. Mid pushed to 7 compensates for Fender's natural scoop and recreates the nasal bark of the original.

PRO TIPCobain's broken Quad Reverb had a sputtery, dying quality — if you do get a SansAmp or RAT, run it into the amp with the amp's gain at 3-4 (not 10) to keep clarity. For now, try rolling your guitar volume to 7-8 and digging in hard with downstrokes to get some dynamic grit from the Blues Junior's natural breakup.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Fender Blues Junior IV. 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.