GuitarCleanRiff
Lithium Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Nirvana
Nirvana · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster Left Handed (white, rosewood fretboard, likely with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in bridge)
Pickups
Stock Fender single-coil (neck/middle), Seymour Duncan Hot Rails (bridge) — clean riff likely on neck or middle single-coil
Amp
Fender Bassman (blackface, studio recording, Nevermind sessions 1991)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup (single-coil) or possibly middle pickup
Studio recording, Nevermind (1991). Clean riff section tracked with Fender Stratocaster (likely neck or middle pickup) into a Fender Bassman amp. No pedals or effects confirmed for the clean section; Big Muff fuzz was used for the chorus/distorted parts only. No chorus, delay, or reverb pedals confirmed for the clean riff. No amp reverb used (producer Butch Vig notes a U87 mic was used to capture a dry, thumpy sound).
Amp Settings
Mids6
Bass6
Gain0
Reverb0
Treble6.5
Presence5
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.
7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- dry and thumpy
- clear and unadorned
- slightly compressed attack
- warm but not bright
- percussive and dynamic
- no reverb or ambience
- single-coil clarity
- touch-sensitive
- no modulation or time-based effects
- studio-mic'd for low-end focus