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Smells Like Teen Spirit on a Boss Katana

Nirvana

Written for the Katana 50 MkII and the Katana 50 Gen 3, which share these knobs. The Katana 100 adds a Presence knob, and its value is given under the panel.

Smells Like Teen Spirit Boss Katana settings: a starting point

On a Boss Katana, select the Crunch amp type and start at Gain 4, Bass 6, Middle 4, Treble 6 and Reverb about 2, with the bridge pickup. That is the setting for the loud choruses; the one for the quiet verses is below.

Crunch amp typeSmells Like Teen Spirit on the Katana
  • Gain 4
  • Bass 6
  • Middle 4
  • Treble 6
  • Reverb about 2

Gain sits two steps under the song's generic 6 because the Distortion in front does part of the work.

The Katana 50 has no Presence knob. On a Katana 100, set Presence to 5.

Positions on a 0 to 10 scale, with 5 at twelve o'clock. These are Tonelify's starting points for the Katana, written from the documented rig and BOSS's manual. They are not BOSS's numbers and not the settings on the record.

Picked by gain range

Which Boss Katana amp type for Smells Like Teen Spirit?

Crunch. On the record the loud parts are a Boss DS-1 into the amp, and Butch Vig used Mesa/Boogie, Fender Bassman and Vox AC30 amps across Nevermind. BOSS names no real amp behind the Katana's types, so build the chain instead: Crunch as the amp, with the Booster's Distortion in front doing what the pedal did.

Pick the amp type first: it changes the gain structure more than any knob does, so the same Gain position gives far more distortion on Lead or Brown than on Crunch. Gain sets the amount of distortion, Volume the level of that sound and Master the overall volume. Neither Katana 50 has a Presence knob, so on a 50 the top end is the Treble's job.

Boss Katana effects for Smells Like Teen Spirit

Booster
DistortionThe distortion pedal on the loud choruses. BOSS's manual does not say which pedal it is modelled on.Orange in bank A on a MkII as shipped. Knob past the middle.
Reverb
Plate ReverbA little room, as in the starting point.Green on a MkII as shipped. Knob about 2.

The Katana runs five effects at once, one each on Booster, Mod, FX, Delay and Reverb. Each button cycles green, red and orange, and each colour holds its own effect. The colours below are the ones BOSS's MkII manual lists from the factory. On a Gen 3 the factory effects differ from channel to channel, so check what a colour holds before you rely on it; BOSS Tone Studio, over USB, can change any of them.

Second sound

Smells Like Teen Spirit on the Katana: the quiet verses

The verses are quiet, with the guitar through a Small Clone chorus pedal, and the choruses are big and loud, with the chords double-tracked. For the quiet verses, select Clean and start at Gain 2, Bass 6, Middle 4, Treble 6 and Reverb about 3.

Clean amp typeSmells Like Teen Spirit, the quiet verses
  • Gain 2
  • Bass 6
  • Middle 4
  • Treble 6
  • Reverb about 3
Booster
OffThe verses are the cleaner sound, with no distortion pedal.Leave it out.
Mod
ChorusThe Small Clone chorus on the quiet verses.Green in bank A on a MkII as shipped.

Store the verse sound on CH1 and the chorus sound on CH2, and the song's quiet and loud halves are one button apart.

Does it sound off on your Katana?

Pick what you hear. You get the knobs to turn on the Katana from the settings above, and how far.

What the Katana cannot do for Smells Like Teen Spirit

The chorus chords on the record are double-tracked, so one guitar sounds smaller than the record however it is set. The raw edge is the point of this tone: clean it up too far and it moves away from the record.

How to store it on the Katana

Hold CH1 or CH2 for one second. It stores every knob and button except Master, so use Volume to balance stored sounds and Master for the room.

What Nirvana used on Smells Like Teen Spirit

Kurt Cobain's Fender Mustang or Jaguar, with an Electro-Harmonix Small Clone on the quiet parts and a Boss DS-1 on the loud ones, through the Mesa/Boogie, Fender Bassman and Vox AC30 amps Butch Vig used across Nevermind, with the chorus chords double-tracked.

Rig sources: Wikipedia: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Guitar.com: the gear Kurt Cobain used on Nevermind

Boss Katana facts checked against BOSS's own documents on : BOSS: KATANA Mk II Owner's Manual (PDF), BOSS: KATANA Gen 3 Reference Manual (PDF)

Nirvana's rig and the generic five-knob settings for the Smells Like Teen Spirit tone →

A different guitar, or pedals in front?

This page sets the Katana on its own. Name your guitar and your pedals and Tonelify rewrites the settings for that whole rig, pickup position included. Your first match is free with an account, and needs no card.

Match Smells Like Teen Spirit to my rig

Smells Like Teen Spirit on the Katana: questions

What Boss Katana settings do you need for Smells Like Teen Spirit?

Select the Crunch amp type and start at Gain 4, Bass 6, Middle 4, Treble 6 and Reverb about 2. On a Katana 100, set Presence to 5. These are Tonelify's starting points for the Katana, written from the documented rig and BOSS's manual. They are not BOSS's numbers and not the settings on the record.

Which Boss Katana amp type is closest to the amp on Smells Like Teen Spirit?

Crunch. On the record the loud parts are a Boss DS-1 into the amp, and Butch Vig used Mesa/Boogie, Fender Bassman and Vox AC30 amps across Nevermind. BOSS names no real amp behind the Katana's types, so build the chain instead: Crunch as the amp, with the Booster's Distortion in front doing what the pedal did.

Which Boss Katana effects does Smells Like Teen Spirit use?

Booster: Distortion. The distortion pedal on the loud choruses. BOSS's manual does not say which pedal it is modelled on. Reverb: Plate Reverb. A little room, as in the starting point.

Does Smells Like Teen Spirit need two sounds on a Boss Katana?

Yes. The verses are quiet, with the guitar through a Small Clone chorus pedal, and the choruses are big and loud, with the chords double-tracked. For the quiet verses, select Clean and start at Gain 2, Bass 6, Middle 4, Treble 6 and Reverb about 3. Store the verse sound on CH1 and the chorus sound on CH2, and the song's quiet and loud halves are one button apart.

What can the Katana not do for Smells Like Teen Spirit?

The chorus chords on the record are double-tracked, so one guitar sounds smaller than the record however it is set. The raw edge is the point of this tone: clean it up too far and it moves away from the record.

Does it matter for Smells Like Teen Spirit that the Katana 50 has no Presence knob?

Not much. Neither the Katana 50 MkII nor the Katana 50 Gen 3 has a Presence knob, so the Treble at 6 sets the top end on its own. On a Katana 100, which has the knob, set Presence to 5.

Is there a Smells Like Teen Spirit patch for the Boss Katana?

Tonelify does not offer a patch file. The settings on this page are dialled in by hand, which takes a couple of minutes and needs no computer. Hold a channel button for one second to store them.

What if you have a different guitar or pedals in front of the Katana?

These settings assume the unit on its own. Tonelify's matcher rewrites them for the guitar, pedals and amp you name, pickup position included. Your first match is free with an account and needs no card.

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