Marshall DSL40CR settings
Lithium settings for Marshall DSL40CR
Nirvana · adapted 4 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Lithium" riff tone on a Marshall DSL40CR, set Gain 7, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6, Presence 5, Resonance 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Squier Affinity Stratocaster · updated 2026-10-18
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7 · Volume 8-9
Marshall DSL40CR knobs
- Gain
- 7
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 5.5
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Resonance
- 6
- Reverb
- 1
- Tone shift
- 1
- Output power
- 1
Built-in effects
- Reverb on · 1
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a low level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Engage the tone shift to accentuate the highs and lows for a more pronounced fuzz character.
- Keep the guitar volume at 8-9 for a saturated fuzz tone.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall DSL40CR 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 DSL40CR settings for Lithium?
Set Gain 7, Bass 5, Mid 5.5, Treble 6, Presence 5, Resonance 6.
Which pickup should I use for Lithium?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7 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 Squier Affinity 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
Popular songs on the Marshall DSL40CR
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Walk · Pantera
- Welcome To The Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
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.