smells like teen spirit amp settings — Laney LV200
The Nirvana guitar tone for “smells like teen spirit”, dialed in for a Laney LV200 with a Yamaha Pacifica 112jl. Studio version, Nevermind (1991)
Mesa/Boogie Studio .22+ preamp (clean channel), Crown Power Base 2 power amp, Marshall 1960B 4x12 cab, Fender Stratocaster with Seymour Duncan JB humbucker, Boss DS-1 Distortion, EHX Small Clone chorus
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 2 |
| Bass | 5 |
| Mid | 8 |
| Treble | 6 |
| Presence | 5 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 6 |
01Boss DS-1 Distortion
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. This pedal is essential for the Teen Spirit tone; Cobain ran his amp clean and used the DS-1 as his dirt source. A DS-1 clone or Behringer OD300 gets you there for under $30.
02Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Used on clean verses only. A Behringer UC200 or Joyo Classic Chorus approximates it cheaply. Bypass this pedal when the DS-1 kicks in for choruses.
The Laney LV200 is British-voiced with forward mids, closer to Marshall than Mesa. I dropped treble from 8 to 6 to avoid ice-pick harshness and pushed mids to 8 to match Cobain's 750Hz–2.2kHz bite. Your Pacifica's ceramic humbucker is hotter than a stock Strat but cooler than Cobain's JB, so gain stays low—the DS-1 must provide all the dirt. Without the DS-1, you cannot accurately replicate this tone; using amp gain alone will sound compressed and modern, not raw and gritty.
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These settings are for a Laney LV200. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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