Orange Crush 12 settings
Lithium settings for Orange Crush 12
Nirvana · adapted 14 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Lithium" riff tone on a Orange Crush 12, set Gain 7, Volume 8, Bass 6, Mid 6.5, Treble 6.5, Overdrive 7. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Ibanez Gio · updated 2026-11-13
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Orange Crush 12 knobs
- Gain
- 7
- Volume
- 8
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Overdrive
- 7
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use a strong down-picking technique for a punchy attack.
- Keep the palm muting light for a more thumping sound.
- Focus on maintaining a steady rhythm to capture the riff's groove.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Orange Crush 12 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 Orange Crush 12 settings for Lithium?
Set Gain 7, Volume 8, Bass 6, Mid 6.5, Treble 6.5, Overdrive 7.
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 Ibanez Gio. 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 Orange Crush 12
All Nirvana tones →Popular songs on the Orange Crush 12
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- War Pigs · Black Sabbath
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Do I Wanna Know? · Arctic Monkeys
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
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.