M-Vave MK-300 settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for M-Vave MK-300
Nirvana · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a M-Vave MK-300, use the UWE-Twins amp model on the crunch channel, then set Drive 6, Master 7, Bass 6, Mid 7, Treble 6, Presence 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Gibson Les Paul · updated 2026-09-25
- Amp model
- UWE-Twins
- Channel
- Crunch
- Cab
- Open back 2x12
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Amp block
- Drive
- 6
- Master
- 7
- Bass
- 6
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
Effects chain
- 1distortionRatVolume 7 · Filter 5 · Distortion 6
- 2reverbSpring ReverbMix 4 · Decay 3
- 3noise gateNoise GateRelease 5 · Threshold 4
- 4compressionCompressLevel 6 · Ratio 3 · Attack 4 · Release 5 · Threshold 5
Playing tips
- Use aggressive palm muting for tight chugs.
- Focus on dynamic picking to maintain clarity in the riff.
- Experiment with picking closer to the bridge for a sharper attack.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your M-Vave MK-300 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 amp model should I use on the M-Vave MK-300 for Heart-Shaped Box?
Use the UWE-Twins (crunch channel) with Drive 6, Master 7, Bass 6, Mid 7, Treble 6, Presence 5, followed by Rat, Spring Reverb, Noise Gate, Compress.
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 Gibson Les Paul. 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 M-Vave MK-300
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Walk · Pantera
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Do I Wanna Know? · Arctic Monkeys
- Creep · Radiohead
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Take Me Out · Franz Ferdinand
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.