Tone library / Nirvana / Heart-Shaped box

Heart-Shaped box amp settings — Fender Twin Reverb

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Heart-Shaped box”, dialed in for a Fender Twin Reverb with a Fender Jaguar. Studio version, In Utero (1993) — main heavy chorus riff

Original rig

Fender Mustang / Univox Hi-Flier + Tech 21 SansAmp Classic / Boss DS-2 into Fender Quad Reverb / Marshall Studio 15

Aggressive, mid-forward grunge distortion with raw bite and tight bottom end

Amp settings — Fender Twin Reverb

CHANNELVibratoBRIGHToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	5
Mid	8
Treble	5
Reverb	0
Master	4

Don’t have a Fender Twin Reverb? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Tech 21 SansAmp Classic (or Boss DS-2)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned

Level 7 · High 6 · Drive 8

Why these settings

The Fender Twin Reverb has massive clean headroom and naturally scooped mids, so push the amp volume to 7 and mids to 8 to force as much preamp push and mid bark as the analog circuit allows without pedals. Keep the bright switch off and treble at 5 to prevent the Jaguar's bridge single-coil from sounding thin or piercing. With the recommended SansAmp or DS-2 added later, drop amp volume back to 3-4 for a clean pedal platform. Clean verse: pick softly over the neck pickup with guitar volume rolled back to 7.

PRO TIPTune your low E string down to D (Drop D) and strike the open power chords aggressively near the bridge to get that signature In Utero percussive rasp.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Fender Twin Reverb. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.