In bloom amp settings — Vox VT40X

The Nirvana guitar tone for “In bloom”, dialed in for a Vox VT40X with a Fender Jaguar. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — chorus tone (heavier, fuzzier Bassman-driven sound)

Original rig

Fender Bassman (chorus), Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp (verse), 1969 Fender Competition Mustang, Boss DS-1

Thick, saturated fuzz-crunch with scooped mids and aggressive upper-mid bite

Amp settings — Vox VT40X

CHANNELUK ROCK (closest to cranked British crunch with DS-1 character)BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	3
Bass	6
Mid	4
Treble	5
Reverb	0
Master	7

Don’t have a Vox VT40X? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss DS-1 Distortion

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. This is the primary gain source; amp gain stays low to avoid mud. The DS-1 is non-negotiable for authentic Nevermind tone.

Tone 3 · Level 7 · Dist 10

Why these settings

Your VT40X's UK ROCK model approximates the British-voiced saturation Butch Vig blended with the Bassman's thickness. Amp gain is set to 3 because the DS-1 is the gain source — stacking would create undefined mush. Mid at 4 (slightly scooped) replicates the Bassman's looser low-mid voicing versus the Mesa's tighter verse tone. Your Jaguar's brighter single-coils mean treble stays at 5 rather than higher.

PRO TIPTune to E♭ Standard. The chorus power chords ring wide open — lift your palm completely off the strings and let them sustain into controlled feedback. The verse uses tight palm-muting on downbeats only. Without a DS-1, crank the VT40X gain to 7 and accept a cleaner, less fuzzy approximation.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Vox VT40X. 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.