Fender Hot Rod Deluxe settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
Nirvana · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 0.5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Fender Player Jazzmaster · updated 2026-11-12
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Bright Switch
- 1
Built-in effects
- Reverb on · 0.5
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a low level to recreate the spacious feel of the original tone.
- Focus on tight palm-muted chugs to capture the aggressive attack of the riff.
- Maintain a dynamic picking approach to ensure the notes come through clearly.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 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 Hot Rod Deluxe settings for Heart-Shaped Box?
Set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 0.5.
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 Fender Player Jazzmaster. 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 Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Pride and Joy · Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
- Back In Black · AC/DC
- Man in the Box · Alice in Chains
- Walk · Pantera
- Killing in the Name · Rage Against the Machine
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.