Fender Mustang LT40S settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Fender Mustang LT40S
Nirvana · adapted 4 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Fender Mustang LT40S, select the BLUES LEAD preset, then set Gain 6.5, Volume 5, Master 5, Bass 6, Treble 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 Affinity Series Jaguar · updated 2026-11-01
- Preset / mode
- BLUES LEAD
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Fender Mustang LT40S knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Volume
- 5
- Master
- 5
- Bass
- 6
- Treble
- 6
- Reverb
- 0.5
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (Spring) · 0.5
Playing tips
- Use tight palm muting for chugging sections to achieve a punchy sound.
- Focus on a percussive attack when picking to enhance the aggressive tone.
- Keep your picking dynamics varied to maintain a slightly compressed feel.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Fender Mustang LT40S 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 LT40S for Heart-Shaped Box?
Start from the BLUES LEAD preset, then set Gain 6.5, Volume 5, Master 5, Bass 6, Treble 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 Affinity Series Jaguar. 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 LT40S
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Walk · Pantera
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- 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.