Marshall MG15FX settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Marshall MG15FX
Nirvana · adapted 3 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Marshall MG15FX, set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Tap 0, Fx level 0. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
updated 2026-10-27
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Marshall MG15FX knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 7
- Treble
- 6
- Tap
- 0
- Fx level
- 0
- Fx select
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (Spring) · 3
Playing tips
- Use tight palm muting for chugging riffs to maintain punchiness.
- Attack the strings aggressively to achieve a gritty edge.
- Keep your picking hand close to the bridge for a percussive attack.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Marshall MG15FX 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 MG15FX settings for Heart-Shaped Box?
Set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 7, Treble 6, Tap 0, Fx level 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?
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
More Nirvana on the Marshall MG15FX
All Nirvana tones →Popular songs on the Marshall MG15FX
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- Walk · Pantera
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- R U Mine? · Arctic Monkeys
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Crazy Train · Ozzy Osbourne
- 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.