Rape Me amp settings — Fender Twin Reverb
The Nirvana guitar tone for “Rape Me”, dialed in for a Fender Twin Reverb with a Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s. Studio version, In Utero (1993) — iconic loud chorus distortion
Univox Hi-Flier Phase 2 / Fender Jaguar -> Tech 21 SansAmp Classic / Boss DS-2 -> 1970s Fender Quad Reverb
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 6 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 4 |
01Tech 21 SansAmp Classic
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned
The Fender Twin Reverb has immense clean headroom and will not reach Kurt's jagged In Utero clipping on its own, so amp volume/gain is pushed to 6 with bright switch off to squeeze out as much edge as possible. Treble is dialed down to 5 and mids pushed to 7 to compensate for the Twin's natural mid-scoop and the beefier output of your Les Paul humbuckers versus Kurt's single-coil/P90-style pickups. To truly nail this tone, add a Tech 21 SansAmp Classic or Boss DS-2 in front, then pull the Twin back to a clean baseline at volume 3. Clean verse: roll guitar volume down to 6 and switch to neck pickup.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Fender Twin Reverb. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
Get ToneAdapt on Google PlaySong, 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.