Smells Like Teen Spirit amp settings — Marshall Code 50
The Nirvana guitar tone for “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, dialed in for a Marshall Code 50 with a Jackson JS22 Dinky. Studio version, Nevermind (1991) — main distorted riff/chorus
Fender Stratocaster (bridge Seymour Duncan JB) -> Boss DS-1 -> EHX Small Clone -> Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp (Rhythm clean) -> Crown Power Base 2 -> Marshall 1960B 4x12 cab
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 2 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Mid | 5 |
| Treble | 7 |
| Presence | 6 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 5 |
02EHX Small Clone
RECOMMENDED — not owned; needed for the signature watery chorus effect on the verse
The original gain is generated by a heavy distortion pedal slammed into a clean Mesa preamp, so we use the SD-1 as the primary gain source and keep the Code 50 on the American Clean model with preamp gain down at 2 to avoid muddy double-gain. Your Jackson high-output bridge humbucker matches the output profile of Kurt's Seymour Duncan JB well, requiring only a slight bump in the treble to match the biting top-end of the DS-1. Clean verse: bypass the SD-1.
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These settings are for a Marshall Code 50. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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