Boss Katana settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Boss Katana
Nirvana · adapted 62 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Boss Katana, set Gain 6.5, Bass 6, Mid 7, Treble 6, Reverb 0.5, Fx 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
updated 2026-11-12
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Boss Katana knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Fx
- 0
- Bst
- 0
- Power control
- 2
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (Spring) · 0.5
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a low level to replicate the spring reverb from the original tone.
- Focus on tight palm muting for chugging riffs to maintain clarity and aggression.
- Experiment with dynamic picking to achieve the gritty edge of breakup tone characteristic of Cobain's style.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Boss Katana actually has.
- Guitar
- Fender Jaguar (early 1960s, modified with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup and black Seymour Duncan Hot Rails neck pickup)
- Amp
- Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s)
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 2
Different guitar or pedals? Get Heart-Shaped Box adapted to your exact rig
These settings were generated for the gear named above. ToneAdapt adapts Nirvana's tone to your own guitar, pickups, amp and pedals in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Boss Katana settings for Heart-Shaped Box?
Set Gain 6.5, Bass 6, Mid 7, Treble 6, Reverb 0.5, Fx 0.
Which pickup should I use for Heart-Shaped Box?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7-8 and volume at 8-9.
What gear did Nirvana use on Heart-Shaped Box?
Guitar: Fender Jaguar (early 1960s, modified with DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickup and black Seymour Duncan Hot Rails neck pickup). Amp: Fender Twin Reverb (Silverface, late 1970s).
Will these settings work with my guitar?
Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.
Heart-Shaped Box on other amps
- Heart-Shaped Box on Fender Mustang LT25 · 165
- Heart-Shaped Box on Fender Frontman 10G · 67
- Heart-Shaped Box on Fender Champion 20 · 30
- Heart-Shaped Box on Line 6 Helix Floor / LT / Rack · 20
- Heart-Shaped Box on Fender Frontman 20G · 19
- Heart-Shaped Box on Fender Frontman 15G · 18
- Heart-Shaped Box on Orange Crush 12 · 17
More Nirvana on the Boss Katana
All Nirvana tones →Popular songs on the Boss Katana
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
Settings are generated by ToneAdapt's tone adaptation for the gear named on this page and are a starting point — every amp, guitar and room is a little different.