Rape Me amp settings — Ibanez Tone Blaster X
The Nirvana guitar tone for “Rape Me”, dialed in for a Ibanez Tone Blaster X with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, In Utero (1993) — iconic loud chorus distortion
Univox Hi-Flier / Fender Jaguar with humbucker -> Tech 21 SansAmp Classic / Boss DS-2 -> 1970s Fender Quad Reverb
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 8 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Mid | 7 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 5 |
01Tech 21 SansAmp Classic / Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; with this pedal, switch Tone Blaster to Clean channel and set amp gain to 2
The Tone Blaster X overdrive channel provides the high-gain aggression needed for the In Utero chorus since you lack the original SansAmp/DS-2 pedal. Single coils on the Player Strat run brighter and thinner than Kurt's humbuckers, so mids are pushed to 7, bass to 6, and the guitar tone knob is rolled back to 8 to tame high-end harshness. Keep reverb at zero for Steve Albini's signature dry, upfront drum-and-guitar mix.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Ibanez Tone Blaster X. 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.