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Come As You Are Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Nirvana

Nirvana · 1990s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar

Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar (1991 studio recording, but possibly Fender Mustang or 1960s Fender Jaguar; sources conflict, but Jaguar is most cited for Nevermind sessions)

Pickups

DiMarzio PAF (neck), DiMarzio Super Distortion (bridge) humbuckers (Jaguar); if Mustang, stock single coils

Amp

Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp into Crown Power Amp (studio recording, Nevermind era)

Pickup Position

Neck pickup (for warmer, darker tone; most likely on Jaguar or Mustang)

Studio recording for 'Come As You Are' (1991, Nevermind). Guitar World and Equipboard confirm Small Clone chorus pedal and DS-1 distortion pedal. Amp is Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 preamp into power amp. Guitar likely Jaguar with humbuckers, but some sources mention Mustang with single coils. Chorus effect is critical for the watery riff sound.

Amp Settings

Mids

Bass

Gain

Reverb

Treble

Presence

Effects Chain

Electro-Harmonix Small Clone · chorus
Boss DS-1 Distortion · distortion

Guitar → Boss DS-1 Distortion → Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus → Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 Preamp → Power Amp

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Tone Character

watery and modulated
dark and brooding
slightly gritty edge-of-breakup
lush chorus shimmer
single-note clarity
not fully clean, subtle breakup
warm and rounded
distinct modulation swirl
no harsh treble
open, unmuted picking

Notes & Caveats

⚠️No official amp knob settings found; values estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Studio .22 settings for 1990s grunge and forum suggestions.
⚠️Guitar model for studio recording is debated; Jaguar with humbuckers is most likely, but some sources mention Mustang with single coils.
⚠️Pickup position not explicitly confirmed in sources; neck pickup inferred from tone and genre conventions.
⚠️No pedal knob settings found for Small Clone or DS-1; settings not included.
⚠️No evidence of delay, reverb, or other modulation effects besides chorus on the riff.
⚠️Amp reverb is likely low or off; most of the ambience is from studio mixing, not amp.
⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Kurt Cobain used a clean-ish, chorus-laden tone for 'Come As You Are,' likely with his Jazzmaster through a clean or lightly driven amp (often a Fender or Mesa/Marshall set clean), with moderate bass and mids, slightly rolled-off treble, and no reverb (the ambience is from the chorus pedal and room sound).