TonesMatch
Come As You Are — Nirvana1 / 2
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Come As You Are Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Nirvana

Nirvana · 1990s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Fender Kurt Cobain Signature Jaguar (1991 studio recording, but likely a Fender Mustang or Jaguar with single-coil pickups for the riff section; some sources mention a 1969 Fender Competition Mustang or a Fender Jaguar, but the most consistent evidence for the Nevermind studio session is a Fender Jaguar with DiMarzio PAF and Super Distortion pickups, though the riff is likely played on the neck pickup, which is a single-coil)
Pickups
Single-coil neck pickup (Fender Jaguar or Mustang, exact model debated, but single-coil for riff section)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp into Crown Power Amp (studio recording, Nevermind era)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup

Studio recording, 1991, Nevermind album. Guitar tuned down to D standard (DGCFAD). Effects chain includes Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus pedal. No evidence of amp reverb or delay. Pickup selector set to neck position for riff. No fuzz/distortion pedal used for the riff section; clean/modulated tone.

Amp Settings

Mids
5.5
Bass
6
Gain
4
Reverb
0
Treble
6.5
Presence
5.5

Effects Chain

  • Electro-Harmonix Small Clone · chorus

Guitar → Electro-Harmonix Small Clone → Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp → Crown Power Amp

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Tone Character

  • watery and swirling
  • dark and brooding
  • clean and modulated
  • warm neck pickup sound
  • slightly compressed
  • lush chorus texture
  • articulate single-note clarity
  • no distortion or fuzz
  • open, ringing notes
  • subtle attack, not aggressive

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings for the studio recording found; settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 clean tone for 1990s alternative rock.
  • ⚠️Guitar model debated: both Mustang and Jaguar cited for Nevermind sessions; neck pickup single-coil is consistent for riff.
  • ⚠️No evidence of amp reverb or delay; chorus effect is from pedal, not amp.
  • ⚠️No evidence of distortion/fuzz pedal used for riff section; clean tone confirmed by multiple sources.
  • ⚠️Pickup selector position inferred from tone and typical Cobain practice for this song.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Kurt Cobain used a clean-ish, chorus-laden tone for the 'Come As You Are' riff, likely with a Jazzmaster or Jaguar into a clean or edge-of-breakup amp (often a Fender or solid-state amp) with moderate bass and mids, restrained treble, neutral presence, and no reverb (the ambience is from studio effects and chorus pedal).

Sources