Marshall JCM800 settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Marshall JCM800
Nirvana · adapted 9 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Marshall JCM800, set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Presence 5, Master volume 7. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a RockJam Stratocaster · updated 2026-11-05
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Marshall JCM800 knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Master volume
- 7
- Input sensitivity
- 1
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Focus on tight palm muting for chugging riffs.
- Use a percussive attack to emphasize the notes.
- Keep dynamics in mind; play with varying intensity for expression.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall JCM800 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 Marshall JCM800 settings for Heart-Shaped Box?
Set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Presence 5, Master volume 7.
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 RockJam Stratocaster. 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 Marshall JCM800
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Walk · Pantera
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Raining Blood · Slayer
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.