TonesMatch
Drain You (Live at The Paramount, 1991) — Nirvana1 / 2
Original RigYour Adaptation
GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence

Drain You (Live at The Paramount, 1991) Guitar Tone Settings

Nirvana · 1990s · punk

live

Original Recording

Guitar
Fender Mustang (early 70s, competition blue, stock pickups, right-handed, lefty-strung)
Pickups
Stock Fender single-coil (Mustang, bridge position)
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp → Crown Power Base 2 Power Amp → Marshall 1960A 4x12 Cabinet
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Live performance, October 31, 1991, Paramount Theatre, Seattle. Kurt Cobain used a Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp set clean and bright, into a Crown solid-state power amp and Marshall 4x12 cabs. Distortion and chorus effects were from pedals, not the amp. No evidence of amp reverb or other built-in effects.

Amp Settings

Mids
5.5
Bass
5
Gain
7
Reverb
0
Treble
6.5
Presence
5

Effects Chain

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

Fender Mustang → Boss DS-1 Distortion → Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus → Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp → Crown Power Base 2 Power Amp → Marshall 4x12 Cabinet

Tone Matcher

Match This Tone to Your Gear

Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.

Adapt to MY Gear →

7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.

Tone Character

  • raspy, saturated distortion
  • aggressive attack
  • raw, biting edge
  • pronounced upper-midrange
  • tight, percussive rhythm
  • slightly scooped low-mids
  • jangly high end
  • wall-of-sound power chords
  • minimal note definition in chords
  • gritty, compressed sustain

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️Exact amp knob settings for the live Paramount show are not documented; settings are estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp use for Cobain's live rig and genre/era.
  • ⚠️Pedal settings are not available; pedal models and usage are confirmed by multiple sources and audible in the recording.
  • ⚠️Presence control is estimated as neutral (5) due to lack of specific data.
  • ⚠️No evidence of amp reverb or delay; all effects are from pedals.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Kurt Cobain's 'Drain You' live tone at The Paramount is raw, aggressive, and mid-forward, typical of his late-80s/early-90s grunge sound using a cranked preamp (likely a Mesa/Boogie or similar) with moderate bass, boosted mids, and clear but not piercing treble; reverb is absent, reflecting the dry, in-your-face live mix.

Sources