Fender Champion 50XL settings
Lithium settings for Fender Champion 50XL
Nirvana · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Lithium" riff tone on a Fender Champion 50XL, select the Fender Clean preset, then set Gain 6, Volume 7, Bass 6, Treble 5, Voice 6, Fx level 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Jackson Dinky · updated 2026-07-22
- Preset / mode
- Fender Clean
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Fender Champion 50XL knobs
- Gain
- 6
- Volume
- 7
- Bass
- 6
- Treble
- 5
- Voice
- 6
- Fx level
- 5
- Ch select
- 1
- Fx select
- 1
- Tap tempo
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 2
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a low level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Ensure your picking is aggressive to match the punchy, saturated riff tone.
- Experiment with palm muting during certain parts of the riff for added thump.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Champion 50XL 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 preset should I use on the Fender Champion 50XL for Lithium?
Start from the Fender Clean preset, then set Gain 6, Volume 7, Bass 6, Treble 5, Voice 6, Fx level 5.
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 Jackson Dinky. 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
Popular songs on the Fender Champion 50XL
- Walk · Pantera
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Rooster · Alice in Chains
- Creep · Radiohead
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
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.