Tone library / Nirvana / Smells Like Teen Spirit

Smells Like Teen Spirit amp settings — Harley benton HB-20R

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, dialed in for a Harley benton HB-20R with a Fender Player Stratocaster. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — main distorted riff and chorus

Original rig

Fender Stratocaster (Seymour Duncan JB humbucker) -> Boss DS-1 -> Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp (Rhythm channel) -> Crown Power Base 2 -> Marshall 1960B 4x12 cab

Aggressive, mid-forward grunge distortion with sharp upper-mid bite and tight low end

Amp settings — Harley benton HB-20R

CHANNELOverdrive Channel (Channel Select pushed in)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	8
Bass	6
Mid	7
Treble	5
Reverb	0
Master	5

Don’t have a Harley benton HB-20R? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss DS-1 Distortion

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; running this into the clean channel completes the Nevermind distortion sound

Tone 6 · Level 7 · Dist 8

Why these settings

Because you do not own a DS-1, the HB-20R must rely on its onboard overdrive channel pushed to 8 to deliver the chorus distortion today. Your Strat's single-coil bridge pickup is significantly brighter and thinner than Kurt's Duncan JB humbucker, so treble is tamed to 5 and the guitar tone knob is pulled down to 8 to remove harshness. Clean verse: switch the amp back to the Clean channel with guitar volume around 8.

PRO TIPHit the four muted percussive string scratches between chords with heavy, flat down-up rakes across all six strings while resting your fretting fingers loosely over the fretwires to nail the percussive attack of the signature riff.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Harley benton HB-20R. 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.