Line 6 Spider III settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Line 6 Spider III
Nirvana · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Line 6 Spider III, select the Crunch preset, then set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 4, Treble 6, Reverb 0.5, Boost 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Fender Player Stratocaster HSS · updated 2026-10-02
- Preset / mode
- Crunch
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Line 6 Spider III knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 4
- Treble
- 6
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Boost
- 0
- FX Knob 1
- 0
- FX Knob 2
- 0
- Noise Gate
- 1
- Tap Delay Time
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 3
Playing tips
- Use tight palm muting for chugging parts to maintain clarity and punch.
- Focus on a percussive attack to emphasize the rhythmic aspects of the riff.
- Keep your picking dynamic to allow for the gritty edge to shine through.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Line 6 Spider III 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 Line 6 Spider III for Heart-Shaped Box?
Start from the Crunch preset, then set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 4, Treble 6, Reverb 0.5, Boost 0.
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 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 Line 6 Spider III
- Walk · Pantera
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Man in the Box · Alice in Chains
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- War Pigs · Black Sabbath
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
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.