Vox AC15 settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Vox AC15
Nirvana · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Vox AC15, set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 0.5, Tone cut 5. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
updated 2026-08-15
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Vox AC15 knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Treble
- 6
- Presence
- 5
- Reverb
- 0.5
- Tone cut
- 5
- Tremolo depth
- 0
- Tremolo speed
- 0
Built-in effects
- Reverb on (spring) · 3
Playing tips
- Use your amp's built-in reverb set to a low level for a subtle ambiance.
- Focus on tight palm-muted chugs to capture the aggressive attack of the riff.
- Experiment with picking dynamics to achieve a gritty edge of breakup tone.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Vox AC15 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 Vox AC15 settings for Heart-Shaped Box?
Set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 0.5, Tone cut 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?
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 Vox AC15
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Iron Man · Black Sabbath
- Take Me Out · Franz Ferdinand
- Creep · Radiohead
- Smoke on the Water · Deep Purple
- Mr. Brightside · The Killers
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.