Starting-point EQ for grunge tone, averaged from 16 famous grunge recordings. Dial these in, then fine-tune by ear — or let the tool below adapt them to the exact amp and guitar you own.
Fake It — Seether · Remedy — Seether · Spoonman — Soundgarden · Outshined — Soundgarden · Rusty Cage — Soundgarden · Them Bones — Alice in Chains · Machinehead — Bush · Heart-Shaped Box — Nirvana
Averaged across 16 famous grunge recordings: gain 6, bass 6, mid 5.5, treble 6, presence 5 (out of 10). Grunge is about CONTRAST and FUZZ — a Big Muff (or a cranked, mid-scooped high-gain amp) for the wall-of-noise chorus, and big quiet-loud dynamics from near-clean verses. Scoop the mids a little (not to zero), keep it raw, and try drop/alternate tunings for weight (Soundgarden, Alice in Chains).
Start with gain 6, bass 6, mid 5.5, treble 6, presence 5 (all out of 10), then fine-tune by ear. Lower the gain for cleaner passages, and push the mids up if the guitar disappears in a band mix.
The amps most used across these grunge tones are Mesa Dual Rectifier. You don’t need the exact amp, though — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials any grunge tone for the amp and guitar you already own, free in the browser.
Set the starting EQ above, then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for your specific amp, guitar and pedals so it sits like the record — no new gear needed.