Nirvana
Come As You Are guitar tone settings.
Nevermind · 1991 · Alternative
Explore the watery riff and heavier section of Nirvana’s Come As You Are. Start with a clear, low-gain sound, then shape the chorus movement using the controls on your own pedal or amp. The reference settings are free to browse.
Tone guide and troubleshooting ↓
Artwork unavailableChorus-treated riff
Low-gain riff with pronounced chorus movement.
In your hands
Keep the repeating riff even; avoid excessive pick attack.
Evidence and sources
Vig specifically attributes the track's watery sound to Cobain's Small Clone chorus. A selected CH-1 approximates the effect category, not that pedal's exact response. Amper's pickup, effect choices and normalized 0–10 targets are suggested recreations unless specifically attributed above. Numeric settings are not documented artist settings. Listening validation is pending.
An authored example rig, not your matched settings or a documented artist preset.
guitar · Fender
Player II Jazzmaster
Pickup selectorWhy this setting?
Suggested pickup position for this part; a tonal choice, not a claim about the original session.
VolumeWhy this setting?
Suggested volume position for this part. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized 0-10 knob travel; not printed panel numbers
ToneWhy this setting?
Suggested tone position for this part. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized 0-10 knob travel; not printed panel numbers
pedal · Electro-Harmonix
Small Clone
RateWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Frequency of pitch modulation.
DepthWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Two physical switch positions; not a continuous depth knob.
Effect footswitchWhy this setting?
Engage this selected pedal for this section; match the bypassed loudness.
amp · Fender
Champion 40
CH SelectWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Volume 1Why this setting?
Start with output at minimum, then raise toward this low starting position to suit your room; knob position is not loudness.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Clean channel output.
TrebleWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Treble EQ.
BassWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Bass EQ.
FX LevelWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Selected effect amount.
FX SelectWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Choose the indicated voice and effect labels on the panel. FX Level controls the combined effect mix; this plan chooses one available effect or documented combination.
Know the limits
- Editorial recreation; these settings have not been listening-tested on your setup.
- Champion 40 lacks separate middle controls; the target EQ cannot be matched independently.
- Pickup output, speakers, room, and studio layering remain differences; the numeric mapping is not an acoustic calibration.
- Small Clone provides two depth positions; it cannot reproduce every continuous depth or mix target independently.
- Champion effect timing and mix are approximate starting points; its single FX selector cannot provide every requested effect simultaneously.
These are Amper recreation settings, not the artist’s exact knob positions. The example rig translates this named part’s stored gain, EQ, pickup and effect targets into verified hardware controls. Vig specifically attributes the track's watery sound to Cobain's Small Clone chorus. A selected CH-1 approximates the effect category, not that pedal's exact response. Amper's pickup, effect choices and normalized 0–10 targets are suggested recreations unless specifically attributed above. Numeric settings are not documented artist settings. Listening validation is pending.
Distorted section — reference settings and playing tips
Distorted section
Add sustained drive while retaining the chorus texture.
In your hands
Keep the chord changes clear; match the pedal's engaged output to bypass.
Evidence and sources
Vig specifically attributes the track's watery sound to Cobain's Small Clone chorus. A selected CH-1 approximates the effect category, not that pedal's exact response. Amper's pickup, effect choices and normalized 0–10 targets are suggested recreations unless specifically attributed above. Numeric settings are not documented artist settings. Listening validation is pending.
An authored example rig, not your matched settings or a documented artist preset.
guitar · Fender
Player II Jazzmaster
Pickup selectorWhy this setting?
Suggested pickup position for this part; a tonal choice, not a claim about the original session.
VolumeWhy this setting?
Suggested volume position for this part. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized 0-10 knob travel; not printed panel numbers
ToneWhy this setting?
Suggested tone position for this part. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized 0-10 knob travel; not printed panel numbers
pedal · Electro-Harmonix
Small Clone
RateWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Frequency of pitch modulation.
DepthWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Two physical switch positions; not a continuous depth knob.
Effect footswitchWhy this setting?
Engage this selected pedal for this section; match the bypassed loudness.
amp · Marshall
DSL40CR
Ultra GainWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Ultra channel preamp drive.
Ultra VolumeWhy this setting?
Start with output at minimum, then raise toward this low starting position to suit your room; knob position is not loudness.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Ultra channel output.
OD1/OD2 buttonWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Also selects Ultra channel unless an external two-way footswitch is connected.
TrebleWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. High EQ.
MiddleWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Mid EQ.
BassWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Low EQ.
Tone ShiftWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
PresenceWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Power-stage high-frequency response.
ResonanceWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Power-stage low-frequency response.
Ultra ReverbWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Ultra channel reverb.
Master SelectWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
Master 1Why this setting?
Start with output at minimum, then raise toward this low starting position to suit your room; knob position is not loudness.
Normalized knob travel 0-10. Output when Master 1 selected.
LoopWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
OutputWhy this setting?
Editorial starting point, not a measured reproduction. Compare at equal listening volume and adjust by ear.
With no external channel footswitch connected, select the indicated Classic or Ultra mode using its front-panel button. After selecting the mode, select Master 1 and switch Loop off; recalled states may differ. Start both output levels low.
Know the limits
- Editorial recreation; these settings have not been listening-tested on your setup.
- Pickup output, speakers, room, and studio layering remain differences; the numeric mapping is not an acoustic calibration.
- Small Clone provides two depth positions; it cannot reproduce every continuous depth or mix target independently.
These are Amper recreation settings, not the artist’s exact knob positions. The example rig translates this named part’s stored gain, EQ, pickup and effect targets into verified hardware controls. Vig specifically attributes the track's watery sound to Cobain's Small Clone chorus. A selected CH-1 approximates the effect category, not that pedal's exact response. Amper's pickup, effect choices and normalized 0–10 targets are suggested recreations unless specifically attributed above. Numeric settings are not documented artist settings. Listening validation is pending.
AMPER PRACTICE GUIDE · UPDATED
Come As You Are: chorus pedal and amp tone guide
Starting points to try on your gear. These suggestions have not been validated by listening tests on every setup.
Set up the riff before the effect
Play the riff with chorus bypassed first. Keep the attack even and the notes distinct, using a clean or low-gain channel. Once the dry sound works, engage chorus and listen to an entire repeated phrase. Judge the motion across the phrase instead of adjusting a control after every note.
Find the chorus movement
If your chorus has separate rate and depth controls, adjust one at a time: rate changes how fast the movement cycles, while depth changes its extent. Increase the effect until the motion is easy to hear, then back off if the riff becomes unclear. The example CH-1 is a recreation tool; its controls and response are not identical to a Small Clone.
Move into the heavier section
Add drive while keeping enough definition to follow the chord changes. Compare the engaged and bypassed volume, and use an output or level control if available. If the effect gets overwhelmed, reduce gain before increasing every chorus control. A built-in chorus can serve as a starting point even if it offers fewer adjustments.
Troubleshooting your tone
Can I play this without a chorus pedal?
Yes. Use the low-gain reference and focus on even picking. An amp’s built-in chorus may supply some movement if available; EQ alone will not create the cycling modulation.
Why does my chorus sound seasick rather than watery?
Try a slower rate or less depth, where available, then compare the same phrase. Check the guitar’s tuning with the effect bypassed so the modulation does not confuse the comparison.
What the source establishes
In Sound On Sound, Butch Vig attributes the distinctive Come As You Are effect to the Small Clone and describes double-tracking the guitars. One guitar through a different chorus will not reproduce every aspect of that recorded texture.
Butch Vig on Nevermind — Sound On Sound interview ↗