Verse Chorus Verse amp settings — Fender Champion 20
The Nirvana guitar tone for “Verse Chorus Verse”, dialed in for a Fender Champion 20 with a Fender Jazzmaster. Studio outtake / In Utero sessions (1993, Pachyderm Studios)
1965 Fender Jaguar (Dimarzio Super Distortion humbucker in bridge) -> Boss DS-2 / Tech 21 SansAmp Classic -> 1982 Fender Twin Reverb (Ultra-Linear)
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 7 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 5 |
01Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; with pedal, switch amp to clean 'Tweed' voice and set amp gain to 2
The Fender Champion 20 only has Bass and Treble controls (no physical Middle or Presence knobs, so they are omitted). Since you own no pedals, select the onboard British or 90s Metal voice on the Voice dial and push gain to 7 to replicate Kurt's aggressive SansAmp/DS-2 clipping directly from the amp. Your Jazzmaster single-coil bridge pickup is brighter and thinner than Kurt's DiMarzio bridge humbucker, so roll the guitar tone back to 8 and keep amp treble at 5 to prevent harsh fizz.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Fender Champion 20. 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.