Vox AC30 settings
Heart-Shaped Box settings for Vox AC30
Nirvana · adapted 2 times on ToneAdapt
To get the Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box" riff tone on a Vox AC30, set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6. Use the bridge pickup with your guitar's tone on 7-8 and volume on 8-9.
Riff settings
Adapted for a Epiphone Les Paul · updated 2026-09-09
- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
- Guitar knobs
- Tone 7-8 · Volume 8-9
Vox AC30 knobs
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 5
- Mid
- 6
- Treble
- 6
Built-in effects
- Reverb off
Playing tips
- Use tight palm muting for chugging sections to achieve a punchy attack.
- Focus on dynamic picking to maintain clarity in the riff.
- Experiment with slight variations in picking intensity for different sections.
The original rig
What Nirvana used on the recording, for reference. ToneAdapt translates this to the controls your Vox AC30 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 AC30 settings for Heart-Shaped Box?
Set Gain 6.5, Bass 5, Mid 6, 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 Epiphone Les Paul. 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 AC30
- Sweet Child O' Mine · Guns N' Roses
- Hotel California · Eagles
- Whole Lotta Love · Led Zeppelin
- Master of Puppets · Metallica
- Welcome to the Jungle · Guns N' Roses
- Back in Black · AC/DC
- Stairway to Heaven · Led Zeppelin
- Highway to Hell · AC/DC
- Walk · Pantera
- Enter Sandman · Metallica
- 1979 · The Smashing Pumpkins
- 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.