Roland Cube 30 settings
Smells Like Teen Spirit settings for Roland Cube 30
Nirvana · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit" riff tone on a Roland Cube 30, select the BRIT COMBO preset, then set Gain 7, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Lead gain 7, Lead volume 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 10 and volume on 10.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Ibanez GIO GRX40 · updated 2026-10-18
- Preset / mode
- BRIT COMBO
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 10 · Volume 10
Roland Cube 30 knobs
- Gain
- 7
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Lead gain
- 7
- Lead volume
- 6
- Delay reverb
- 0
- Efx selector
- 0
- Select switch
- 1
- Jc clean volume
- 5
- Lead type switch
- 5
Playing tips
- Use palm muting for a tight, percussive sound.
- Attack the strings aggressively to enhance the grunge character.
- Focus on power chords for a raw and saturated tone.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Roland Cube 30 actually has.
- Guitar
- Early-'90s Japanese Fender Stratocaster (rosewood neck, Seymour Duncan JB bridge humbucker)
- Amp
- Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp (Rhythm channel) into Crown Power Base 2 power amp, Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12T-75 speakers
- Gain
- 7
- Bass
- 4.5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Presence
- 3
- Reverb
- 0
Different guitar or pedals? Get Smells Like Teen Spirit 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 Roland Cube 30 for Smells Like Teen Spirit?
Start from the BRIT COMBO preset, then set Gain 7, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Lead gain 7, Lead volume 6.
Which pickup should I use for Smells Like Teen Spirit?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 10 and volume at 10.
What gear did Nirvana use on Smells Like Teen Spirit?
Guitar: Early-'90s Japanese Fender Stratocaster (rosewood neck, Seymour Duncan JB bridge humbucker). Amp: Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp (Rhythm channel) into Crown Power Base 2 power amp, Marshall 1960B 4x12 cabinet with Celestion G12T-75 speakers.
Will these settings work with my guitar?
These settings were adapted for a Ibanez GIO GRX40. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Smells Like Teen Spirit on other amps
- Smells Like Teen Spirit on Fender Mustang LT25 · 447
- Smells Like Teen Spirit on Fender Frontman 10G · 208
- Smells Like Teen Spirit on Boss Katana · 186
- Smells Like Teen Spirit on Fender Frontman 15G · 80
- Smells Like Teen Spirit on Fender Champion II 25 · 66
- Smells Like Teen Spirit on Line 6 Helix Floor / LT / Rack · 61
- Smells Like Teen Spirit on Fender Champion 20 · 60
- Smells Like Teen Spirit on Fender Frontman 20G · 53
Popular songs on the Roland Cube 30
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Smoke on the Water · Deep Purple
- Sultans of Swing · Dire Straits
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
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.