Fender Mustang GTX 50 settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Fender Mustang GTX 50
Nirvana · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Fender Mustang GTX 50, select the Blues Junior preset, then set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Presence 6, 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 Squier Stratocaster HSS · updated 2026-07-19
- Preset / mode
- Blues Junior
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Fender Mustang GTX 50 knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 6
- Reverb
- 0.5
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 3
Playing tips
- Use tight palm muting for chugging parts to achieve a punchy attack.
- Focus on dynamic picking to enhance the percussive quality of the riff.
- Experiment with picking intensity to maintain clarity without excessive saturation.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Mustang GTX 50 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 preset should I use on the Fender Mustang GTX 50 for Heart-Shaped Box?
Start from the Blues Junior preset, then set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6, Presence 6, 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 Squier Stratocaster HSS. 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 Mustang GTX 50
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Walk · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Pride and Joy · Stevie Ray Vaughan
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.