Tone library / Nirvana / Smells like teen Spirit

Smells like teen Spirit amp settings — M-VAVE Cube Baby

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Smells like teen Spirit”, dialed in for a M-VAVE Cube Baby with a Strinberg Rockwave Rw50 Bk. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — iconic main riff / heavy chorus tone

Original rig

Fender Stratocaster (Seymour Duncan JB bridge humbucker) / 1969 Mustang, Boss DS-1 Distortion, Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp (clean channel) into Crown Power Base 2, Marshall 1960B 4x12 cab

Aggressive, abrasive high-gain grunge crunch with biting upper-mids and scooped low-mids

Amp settings — M-VAVE Cube Baby

CHANNELModel 8 (US High Gain / Mesa style) or Model 6 (Marshall Plexi style) clean-to-crunch with Greenback 4x12 IRBRIGHToffBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	5
Mid	4
Treble	7
Reverb	1
Master	7

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Cube Baby Delay Block (Bypassed for main riff)

Bypass on main riff and chorus

Time 0 · Feedback 0 · Mix 0

02Cube Baby Mod Block (Chorus)

Mix at 0 for distorted chorus; engage Mix to 6 for the clean verse tone

Speed 3 · Depth 6 · Mix 0

Why these settings

Because the M-Vave Cube Baby relies on internal digital amp preamps rather than an external Boss DS-1 pedal, use amp model 8 (high gain) or 6 to generate Cobain's abrasive distortion directly from the unit. The Strinberg Rw50 humbucker matches Kurt's bridge humbucker output well, so keep the treble pushed at 7 and scoop the mid slightly to 4 to capture the raw, raspy Nevermind bite. Clean verse: drop guitar volume to 6 and roll the Mod/Chorus Mix knob up to 6.

PRO TIPPick forcefully with a heavy down-and-up strumming motion right over the bridge pickup, letting the open lower strings ring slightly through the muting to get Cobain's distinct percussive scrape.

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These settings are for a M-VAVE Cube Baby. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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