Marshall DSL20 settings
Lithium settings for Marshall DSL20
Nirvana · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Lithium" riff tone on a Marshall DSL20, set Gain 7, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Presence 5, Resonance 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Eastwood Hi-Flier · updated 2026-10-25
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Marshall DSL20 knobs
- Gain
- 7
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Resonance
- 5
- Reverb
- 1
Built-in effects
- Reverb on · 1
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a low level for added depth.
- Maintain a steady picking hand to achieve the punchy, saturated riff tone.
- Experiment with palm muting to enhance the thumpiness of the riff.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall DSL20 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 Marshall DSL20 settings for Lithium?
Set Gain 7, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Presence 5, Resonance 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 Eastwood Hi-Flier. 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 Marshall DSL20
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- War Pigs · Black Sabbath
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Man in the Box · Alice in Chains
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.