Tone library / Nirvana / Heart shaped box

Heart shaped box amp settings — Mustang GT 100 GT 100

The Nirvana guitar tone for “Heart shaped box”, dialed in for a Mustang GT 100 GT 100 with a Squier Mustang Burgundy Mustang. Studio version, In Utero (1993) — recorded at Pachyderm Studios with Steve Albini

Original rig

Fender Quad Reverb amp (half-broken, one power tube), Tech 21 SansAmp (main distortion), Boss DS-2 (occasional), Electro-Harmonix Polychorus (chorus/solo), Univox Hi-Flier and Veleno aluminum guitar

Verses: dark, watery clean with deep chorus. Chorus/heavy sections: aggressive mid-forward crunch with scooped low-mids, raw and compressed. Solo: wild modulated flange-chorus with feedback.

Amp settings — Mustang GT 100 GT 100

CHANNEL'65 Twin Reverb model (cleanest Fender voicing for verses) OR 'British 80s model for heavy sections if using amp gain without DS-1'BRIGHToffBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	4
Mid	6
Treble	5
Presence	4
Reverb	0
Master	7

Don’t have a Mustang GT 100 GT 100? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE6 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss DS-1

Engage for chorus/heavy sections and solo. Kurt ran distortion maxed with tone below halfway for a thick, non-fizzy grind. Keep OFF for clean verses.

Tone 4 · Level 10 · Dist 10

02Chorus (Mustang GT built-in effect)

Use the GT's Chorus effect block. Kurt's Polychorus settings for HSB chorus: Feedback 4, Rate 4, Width 10, Tune 2. For the SOLO, change to Rate 10, Width 2—creates that seasick warble.

Speed/Rate 4 · Depth/Width 10 · Level/Mix 7

Why these settings

Your Squier Mustang is period-correct to Kurt's sound—same scale length and single-coil bite. The Mustang GT's '65 Twin model gives the clean Fender platform Kurt used; keep amp gain at 2 so the DS-1 is your sole dirt source (prevents mud from double-gain). I dropped treble to 5 and raised mid to 6 vs Kurt's noted settings because the GT's Twin model runs bright and the DS-1 adds harsh highs—this compensates. Roll your guitar's tone knob to 6 for that dark, woolly verse texture.

PRO TIPFor the verse clean tone, dig in lightly with your pick near the neck and let the chorus effect do the work. When the chorus kicks in, attack hard at the bridge with downstrokes—Kurt's dynamics came from pick attack, not volume knob rides. On the solo, the original has a subtle ring modulator mixed low; you can approximate it by running the chorus at maximum rate with feedback if your GT has a flanger mode.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Mustang GT 100 GT 100. 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.