Nirvana
Lithium guitar tone settings.
Nevermind · 1991 · Alternative
Explore Lithium by Nirvana: guitar parts, an example rig, amp settings and playing tips. Adapt the reference to your own supported gear with Amper.
Artwork unavailableQuiet verse
Dry, low-gain chord outline.
In your hands
Let the bass note lead each chord and keep the strum relaxed.
Evidence and sources
Producer Butch Vig identifies Small Clone chorus on Come As You Are and the quieter Teen Spirit passages, and discusses the rented amplifier used on Lithium. These recollections support effect and production context, not numerical presets. 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
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.
- 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. Producer Butch Vig identifies Small Clone chorus on Come As You Are and the quieter Teen Spirit passages, and discusses the rented amplifier used on Lithium. These recollections support effect and production context, not numerical presets. 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.
Heavy chorus — reference settings and playing tips
Heavy chorus
Thick distortion with a clear quiet-to-loud contrast.
In your hands
Keep the strumming strong without increasing amplifier output sharply.
Evidence and sources
Producer Butch Vig identifies Small Clone chorus on Come As You Are and the quieter Teen Spirit passages, and discusses the rented amplifier used on Lithium. These recollections support effect and production context, not numerical presets. 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
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.
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. Producer Butch Vig identifies Small Clone chorus on Come As You Are and the quieter Teen Spirit passages, and discusses the rented amplifier used on Lithium. These recollections support effect and production context, not numerical presets. 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.