Heart shapped box amp settings — Crate Bx-50
The Nirvana guitar tone for “Heart shapped box”, dialed in for a Crate Bx-50 with a Scorpion Ps28. Studio version, In Utero (1993), Steve Albini recording
Fender Jaguar (DiMarzio humbuckers) → Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion → Mesa Boogie Studio .22 preamp → Crown power amp
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 3 |
| Bass | 7 |
| Mid | 4 |
| Treble | 5 |
| Presence | 4 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 6 |
01Sans Amp (as DS-2 substitute)
Engage for chorus/heavy sections only. Scoop mids and push drive hard to approximate DS-2 Turbo mode. This is your primary gain source.
02Small Clone
Cobain used chorus sparingly on this track. Keep depth switch OFF (shallow). Use on clean verses for subtle width if desired, or bypass entirely for authenticity.
The Crate BX-50 is a bass combo amp with limited guitar voicing—it will sound dark and woolly, which actually suits the murky In Utero aesthetic. Keep amp gain LOW (3) because the Sans Amp is your distortion source; stacking gain stages will create mud. Roll tone knob to 6 on guitar to tame the harsh high-mids the Sans Amp can produce through a bass speaker.
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These settings are for a Crate Bx-50. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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