Tone library / Nirvana / In Bloom

In Bloom amp settings — Ibanez IBZ10GV2

The Nirvana guitar tone for “In Bloom”, dialed in for a Ibanez IBZ10GV2 with a Cort KX100. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — main distorted rhythm tone

Original rig

Mesa Boogie .22 preamp + Crown power amp, Fender Bassman (chorus doubling), Fender Mustang (bridge pickup), Boss DS-1, EHX Small Clone chorus

Thick, crunchy grunge distortion with scooped low-mids and raspy saturation — not fully saturated, more raw crunch than modern high-gain
Amp settings — Ibanez IBZ10GV2
GAIN 3 BASS 6 MID 4 TREBLE 5 PRESENCE 0 REVERB 0 MASTER 6
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain3
Bass6
Mid4
Treble5
Presence0
Reverb0
Master6
Don’t have a Ibanez IBZ10GV2? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →
Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME9
Signal chain

01M vave TANK-G (Distortion mode)

Use the distortion or high-gain mode on the TANK-G — this is your primary gain source. The DS-1 original had Dist maxed with Tone around 4/10 (11 o'clock). Set Level to match or slightly boost your clean volume.

Gain/Drive 7 · Tone 4 · Level 6
Why these settings

The IBZ10GV2 is a basic solid-state practice amp with limited headroom and a harsh high-end when pushed. I dropped amp gain to 3 because your TANK-G distortion pedal is doing the heavy lifting — stacking two gain stages on this amp creates mud. Bass raised to 6 (vs original 5) because small solid-state speakers lose low-end; mid dropped to 4 to get closer to the Mesa's scooped grunge character. Treble at 5 prevents the fizzy top-end these amps produce with dirt pedals.

PRO TIPTune to E♭ Standard before dialing in — the half-step down is essential to the loose, thick string tension that defines this tone. Palm-mute tightly on the verse downbeats, then release completely for the open power chords on the chorus to get that quiet-loud dynamic.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Ibanez IBZ10GV2. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

Get ToneAdapt on Google Play
More tones for the Ibanez IBZ10GV2
More than meStigmataPollutionLimp BizkitSmell like cherryIdkFloods (outro)catatonicBrain stewGreen day
Find your amp
Browse
Ibanez IBZ10GV2 settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP In Bloom on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Nirvana tonesALL SONGS Cort KX100 tonesSAME GUITAR Tone libraryEVERYTHING

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.

Get ToneAdapt — first match free