Fender Frontman 20G settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Fender Frontman 20G
Nirvana · adapted 19 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Fender Frontman 20G, set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 5, Drive select 1, Drive volume 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Squier HSS Stratocaster · updated 2026-10-20
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7 · Volume 8-9
Fender Frontman 20G knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 5
- Drive select
- 1
- Drive volume
- 6
- Normal volume
- 5
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use tight palm muting for chugging sections.
- Focus on a percussive attack to enhance the riff's punch.
- Experiment with dynamic picking to maintain clarity in the notes.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Frontman 20G 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 Fender Frontman 20G settings for Heart-Shaped Box?
Set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 5, Drive select 1, Drive volume 6.
Which pickup should I use for Heart-Shaped Box?
Bridge pickup, with the guitar's tone at 7 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 Squier HSS Stratocaster. 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 15G · 18
- Heart-Shaped Box on Orange Crush 12 · 17
Popular songs on the Fender Frontman 20G
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Creep · Radiohead
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- 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.