Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana — Amp Settings & Guitar Tone

Reference tone dialed on a Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster into a Fender Mustang LT25. Settings below are cited from real sources; open the page in a browser for the interactive version, or get this tone dialed for your exact gear.

To recreate the iconic grunge tone of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' we'll use the Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster '60s with its bright, strat-style body and the Fender Mustang LT25 for its modeling capabilities. The Mustang LT25 will handle the high-gain distortion and chorus effects needed for the song. We'll start with the 'THRASH OVERKILL' preset for its high-gain character and tweak the settings to match the recording's raw, aggressive sound.

Signal chain settings

Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster '60s — main rhythm tone

Control	Setting	Why
Pickup Selector	Bridge Pickup	Use the bridge pickup for a powerful, aggressive tone.
Master Volume	8	Set high to drive the amp and capture the aggressive picking response.
Tone 1	Leave at default	Not used for the bridge pickup in this song.
Tone 2	7	Roll back slightly to tame the brightness of the single-coil bridge pickup.

Fender Mustang LT25 — main amplification and effects

Control	Setting	Why
Preset	[14] THRASH OVERKILL	Chosen for its high-gain character, matching the Mesa/Boogie tone heard on the record.
Gain	7	Set to achieve the saturated tube crunch typical of the recording.
Volume	8	Boosted to ensure the tone cuts through with aggressive dynamics.
Treble	6	Dialed back slightly to avoid excessive brightness from the single-coil pickup.
Bass	8.5	Enhanced to provide the prominent bass needed for the scooped mid character.
Master	6	Output level — set to the volume you're playing at; this sets loudness, not tone.
Effects	Chorus	Engage the built-in chorus for subtle modulation in clean sections to match the recording's sound. Using the amp's Menu Button and Preset Select, open the effects list to reach it. Start around Rate 3/10, Depth 6-7/10, Level 5/10 — slower and deeper reads watery; faster and shallower reads subtle shimmer. Press Save Button to keep it in this preset.
Cabinet build	Not used	Not needed for this tone — leave it off.
Amp Models	Not used	Not needed for this tone — leave it off.

Section guide — how the tone changes through the song

Intro/Verse

Grungy, heavily distorted tone with a raw, aggressive sound using the Boss DS-1 pedal on the recording.

the pedal: Gain → 7.5

What Nirvana actually used

Recorded at Sound City Studios in May 1991, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' features Kurt Cobain's 1969 Fender Competition Mustang, modified with a Seymour Duncan humbucker. The track's signature sound was achieved using an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone for the clean verses and a Boss DS-1 Distortion pedal for the choruses, amplified through a Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp connected to a Crown Power Amp and Marshall 1960B 4x12 Cabinet. Producer Butch Vig employed both close and room miking techniques to capture the dynamic range of the performance.

1969 Fender Competition Mustang — main rhythm. Left-handed model with a Seymour Duncan humbucker in the bridge position
Electro-Harmonix Small Clone — clean verse effect. Used to achieve the watery, chorused clean sound in the verses
Boss DS-1 Distortion — main distortion. Engaged during the chorus sections for a thick, raw distortion
Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp — amplification. Connected to a Crown Power Amp and Marshall 1960B 4x12 Cabinet
Shure SM57 Microphone — close miking. Used to capture the amp's sound
Neumann U 87 Microphone — room miking. Captured ambient room sound for depth

Tuning: Standard

Sources