Donner Arena 2000 settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Donner Arena 2000
Nirvana · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Donner Arena 2000, use the FD Twin amp model on the clean channel, then set Drive 6, Master 7, Bass 6, Mid 7, Treble 6, Presence 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Yamaha Pacifica 012 · updated 2026-11-07
- Amp model
- FD Twin
- Channel
- Clean
- Cab
- Open back cabinet
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Amp block
- Drive
- 6
- Master
- 7
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
Effects chain
- 1distortionRatVolume 7 · Filter 5 · Distortion 6
- 2reverbSpringMix 4 · Decay 3
- 3noise gateIntelligent GateRelease 5 · Threshold 4
Playing tips
- Focus on tight palm muting for chugging riffs.
- Use a percussive attack to emphasize the notes.
- Experiment with dynamic picking to maintain clarity in the riff.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Donner Arena 2000 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 amp model should I use on the Donner Arena 2000 for Heart-Shaped Box?
Use the FD Twin (clean channel) with Drive 6, Master 7, Bass 6, Mid 7, Treble 6, Presence 5, followed by Rat, Spring, Intelligent Gate.
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?
These settings were adapted for a Yamaha Pacifica 012. 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 Boss Katana · 62
- 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
Popular songs on the Donner Arena 2000
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Killing in the Name · Rage Against the Machine
- Mr. Brightside · The Killers
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.