Marshall MG100HDFX settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Marshall MG100HDFX
Nirvana · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Marshall MG100HDFX, set Gain 4.5, Contour 0, Od bass 0, Od gain 0, Fx level 0, Fx adjust 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Fender Stratocaster · updated 2026-10-20
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Marshall MG100HDFX knobs
- Gain
- 4.5
- Contour
- 0
- Od bass
- 0
- Od gain
- 0
- Fx level
- 0
- Fx adjust
- 5
- Od middle
- 0
- Od treble
- 0
- Od volume
- 0
- Clean bass
- 5
- Clean gain
- 4.5
- Fx loop mix
- 5
- Clean middle
- 6
- Clean treble
- 5
- Clean volume
- 5
- Reverb level
- 3
- Master volume
- 5
- Od1 od2 switch
- 0
- Clean crunch switch
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (Spring) · 3
Playing tips
- Use a tight palm muting technique for the chugging parts to achieve a punchy sound.
- Focus on dynamic picking to maintain clarity and aggression in the riff.
- Experiment with the amp's reverb to add some space without overwhelming the tone.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall MG100HDFX 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 MG100HDFX settings for Heart-Shaped Box?
Set Gain 4.5, Contour 0, Od bass 0, Od gain 0, Fx level 0, Fx adjust 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 Fender 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 MG100HDFX
- Walk · Pantera
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Raining Blood · Slayer
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Floods · Pantera
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Holy Wars · Megadeth
- Killing in the Name (Live at 2000 Democratic National Convention) · Rage Against the Machine
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Everlong · Foo Fighters
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.