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Come As You Are (Live & Loud) Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Nirvana
Nirvana · 1990s · rock
live
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Mustang (early 70s, Competition Blue, left-handed, stock single coils)
Pickups
Fender single-coil pickups (stock Mustang, neck position)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp → Crown Power Amp → Marshall 1960AV 4x12 Cabinet
Pickup Position
Neck pickup
Live performance, December 13, 1993, Seattle (Live & Loud). Guitar and amp confirmed by multiple sources and concert footage. Effects pedals confirmed by pedalboard photos and gear rundowns for this specific show.
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain6.5
Reverb1
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Electro-Harmonix Small Clone · chorus
- Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion · distortion
Fender Mustang (neck pickup) → Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion → Electro-Harmonix Small Clone → Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp → Crown Power Amp → Marshall 1960AV 4x12 Cabinet
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Tone Character
- watery and swirling modulation
- warm and rounded neck pickup sound
- slightly gritty edge-of-breakup clean
- lush chorus shimmer
- clear single-coil articulation
- dynamic and responsive to picking
- modest amp breakup
- full-bodied low-mids
- not overly bright or scooped
- distinct modulation texture
Notes & Caveats
- No direct numeric amp settings for Live & Loud found; settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp and genre/era conventions.
- Pedal order inferred from pedalboard photos and common Nirvana live setups; exact knob settings for chorus and distortion pedals not available.
- Amp reverb is likely low or off; most ambience is from the room or FOH.
- Pickup choice (neck) confirmed by video and tone, but not explicitly stated in sources.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Kurt Cobain used a moderate gain setting for 'Come As You Are' live, with a warm but slightly scooped EQ (bass and mids balanced, treble not harsh), and no reverb (Live & Loud was dry). The tone is crunchy but not high-gain, matching his typical 90s grunge setup with a DS-1/DS-2 into a clean-ish amp.