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Marshall MG15 Gold settings

Heart-Shaped Box settings for Marshall MG15 Gold

Nirvana · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt

To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Marshall MG15 Gold, set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.

Riff settings

Adapted for a Yamaha Pacifica 012 · updated 2026-09-30

Pickup
Bridge pickup
Guitar knobs
Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9

Marshall MG15 Gold knobs

Gain
6.5
Bass
5
Mid
7
Treble
6

Built-in effects

  • Reverb off

Playing tips

  • Use tight palm muting for chugging sections.
  • Focus on dynamic picking to maintain clarity in the riff.
  • Experiment with slight variations in picking attack for added texture.

The original rig

What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall MG15 Gold 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
Full Heart-Shaped Box tone breakdown, effects and sources →

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 MG15 Gold settings for Heart-Shaped Box?

Set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6.

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 Yamaha Pacifica 012. Different pickups change how much gain and treble you need. ToneAdapt adapts the tone to your exact guitar, pickups, amp and pedals.

Popular songs on the Marshall MG15 Gold

All 32 songs for the Marshall MG15 Gold →

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.