Tone library / Nirvana / Radio freindly unit shifter

Radio freindly unit shifter amp settings — Orange Crush 20

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Radio freindly unit shifter”, dialed in for a Orange Crush 20 with a Jackson JS22 Dinky. Studio version, In Utero (1993) — Steve Albini recording

Original rig

Fender Twin/Mesa Boogie Studio preamp, Fender Jaguar (humbucker in bridge), Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion, Electro-Harmonix PolyChorus/Small Clone, Tech 21 SansAmp

Aggressive, scooped high-gain with heavy swirling flanger modulation and chaotic texture

Amp settings — Orange Crush 20

CHANNELDirty Channel

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	6
Mid	4
Treble	6
Presence	0
Reverb	0
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Overdrive (as boost)

Use as a mid-push boost to tighten the Orange's low-end and add grit—mimics the DS-2's role in pushing the amp

Drive 3 · Tone 6 · Level 7

02Flanger/Chorus (EHX Small Clone or any chorus with rate control)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. This tone REQUIRES modulation; the PolyChorus flanger is 50% of the song's identity. A Boss BF-3, EHX Small Clone, or Donner Jet Convolution gets you there for under $50

Rate 6 · Depth 8

Why these settings

The Orange Crush 20 is naturally warm and compressed in the low-mids, which works well for Cobain's thick wall of sound. I've kept mids at 4 (slightly scooped) to match the In Utero aesthetic, but the Orange won't scoop as aggressively as Kurt's Fender/Mesa setup—this is correct for your amp. Your Jackson's humbuckers are hotter than Kurt's Jaguar, so gain at 8 delivers equivalent saturation without mud.

PRO TIPKurt's picking attack was violent and inconsistent on purpose—dig in hard near the bridge with downstrokes during the main riff, then let the flanger's sweep do the textural work. Without a flanger, this tone is only 50% there; the modulation isn't optional on this track.

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These settings are for a Orange Crush 20. 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.