deathcrush amp settings — Vox VT40X
The mayhem guitar tone for “deathcrush”, dialed in for a Vox VT40X with a Squier Affinity Telecaster. Studio EP title track, Deathcrush (1987) — main riff
Gibson Les Paul Custom / Westone Corsair into Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal into Marshall JMP 2203 / solid-state combo
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 9 |
| Bass | 4 |
| Mid | 8 |
| Treble | 9 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 6 |
01Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal
RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; the quintessential chainsaw dirt pedal used by Euronymous
The Vox VT40X lacks a dedicated HM-2 chainsaw circuit onboard, so use the BRIT 800 or US HIGAIN model pushed by the onboard distortion effect block to maximize grinding preamp saturation. A Telecaster bridge single-coil is naturally brighter than Euronymous's humbuckers, so mids are pushed to 8 and bass held at 4 to simulate the sharp, fizzy high-frequency cut without excessive ice-pick harshness. To get the authentic 1987 buzzsaw tone later, acquire an HM-2 or clone, max all four knobs, and run it into the amp's clean channel.
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These settings are for a Vox VT40X. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
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