Rape Me amp settings — Fender Champion 50XL

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Rape Me”, dialed in for a Fender Champion 50XL with a Fender Mustang Bass PJ. Studio version, In Utero (1993)

Original rig

Gibson Ripper Bass -> Ampeg SVT Head / Hiwatt Preamp -> Ampeg 8x10 Cabinet + Direct Injection (tracked by Steve Albini)

Punchy, dry, round low-end with aggressive upper-mid pick bite and slight edge-of-breakup grit

Amp settings — Fender Champion 50XL

CHANNELVoice: Clean 1 (Fender Blackface Clean)BOOSToff

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

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Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE8 VOLUME10

Why these settings

Krist's tone on In Utero is completely clean and direct through an Ampeg/Hiwatt rig, so your dirt and modulation pedals must remain bypassed. The Champion 50XL has no mid or presence knobs on its faceplate, so mid cut and upper-mid pick articulation are achieved by setting Voice to Clean 1, pushing Treble to 7, and anchoring Bass at 6. The short-scale PJ Mustang's P-pickup provides the necessary punch and fundamental warmth without the bridge pickup's thinness.

PRO TIPPlay with a heavy, rigid pick (.88mm to 1.0mm nylon or tortex) striking forcefully right between the split-coil pickup and the neck joint to capture Krist's signature percussive snap and hollow low-end growl.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Fender Champion 50XL. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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More tones for the Fender Champion 50XL

MIRROR TUNEZUTOMAYO EverlongFoo fighters Nothing Is foreverCaliban Sweet Child O' MineGuns N' Roses The WagonDinosaur Jr.Smeel teen spiritNirvana

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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.