Boss Katana 50 MkII settings
Lithium settings for Boss Katana 50 MkII
Nirvana · adapted 7 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Lithium" riff tone on a Boss Katana 50 MkII, set Gain 7, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Reverb 1, Fx 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a HSS Stratocaster · updated 2026-10-08
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana 50 MkII knobs
- Gain
- 7
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Reverb
- 1
- Fx
- 0
- Bst
- 0
- Variation
- 1
- Power control
- 2
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 2
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to 1 for a subtle spacious feel.
- Dial in the gain to around 6 for a saturated fuzz tone.
- Keep the power control at 2 for full headroom and punch.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana 50 MkII actually has.
- Guitar
- Fender Japanese Stratocaster (likely 1989-1991, black, with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in bridge)
- Amp
- Fender Bassman (studio recording, Nevermind sessions)
- Gain
- 7
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 1
Different guitar or pedals? Get Lithium adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Nirvana's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Boss Katana 50 MkII settings for Lithium?
Set Gain 7, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Reverb 1, Fx 0.
Which pickup should I use for Lithium?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Nirvana use on Lithium?
Guitar: Fender Japanese Stratocaster (likely 1989-1991, black, with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in bridge). Amp: Fender Bassman (studio recording, Nevermind sessions).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a HSS Stratocaster. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Lithium on other amps
More Nirvana on the Boss Katana 50 MkII
All Nirvana tones →Popular songs on the Boss Katana 50 MkII
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.