GuitarDistortedSolo
Heart-Shaped Box Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Nirvana
Nirvana · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1969 Fender Competition Mustang
Pickups
Stock single-coil pickups (Fender Mustang, 1969 Competition)
Amp
Fender Twin Reverb II (Rivera era, early 1980s)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1993. Gear confirmed for In Utero sessions. The solo section features heavy modulation effects. No evidence of live/touring gear or alternate guitars for this specific solo. Amp confirmed by studio photos and recent research.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain7
Reverb2.5
Treble7
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Flanger pedal (model unknown) · flanger
Guitar → Flanger pedal (model unknown) → Fender Twin Reverb II (spring reverb on)
Tone Matcher
Match This Tone to Your Gear
Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.
7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.
Tone Character
- swirling and warbly modulation
- grainy, saturated crunch
- mid-forward, nasal solo presence
- loose and raw attack
- pronounced modulation sweep
- medium sustain with movement
- piercing upper-mids
- thick, swirling solo texture
- slightly compressed dynamics