Tone library / Mayhem / Freezing moon

Freezing moon amp settings — Fender Champion 50XL

The Mayhem guitar tone for “Freezing moon”, dialed in for a Fender Champion 50XL with a Schecter Omen 6. Studio version, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994) — Euronymous's recorded guitar tracks

Original rig

Marshall JCM800 / 50W Super Lead, Gibson Les Paul Custom (stock humbuckers), Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal + Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive stacked

Thin, brittle, icy tremolo picking with scooped mids, chainsaw-like saturation, minimal warmth
Amp settings — Fender Champion 50XL
CHANNELOverdrive (Voice 3 — highest gain voicing)
GAIN 10 BASS 2 MID 3 TREBLE 9 PRESENCE 0 REVERB 0 MASTER 7
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain10
Bass2
Mid3
Treble9
Presence0
Reverb0
Master7
Don’t have a Fender Champion 50XL? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →
Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal (or clone: Behringer HM300, TC Electronic Eyemaster)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. This pedal IS the black metal tone. All knobs maxed is the classic 'Swedish chainsaw' setting. Without this pedal, the Fender alone cannot achieve the characteristic HM-2 saturation.

Level 10 · Dist 10 · Low 10 · High 10
Why these settings

The Fender Champion 50XL is a solid-state amp with a naturally scooped, bright American voicing — this actually helps approximate the thin, icy black metal tone vs a mid-forward amp. I dropped bass to 2 (original Marshall settings used bass at 3, but Fender's bass is already loose) and pushed treble to 9 to get that brittle high end. Without the HM-2, you're missing 60% of the tone — the Champion's overdrive is too smooth and polite for true Norwegian black metal saturation.

PRO TIPPick directly over the bridge pickup pole pieces, not between pickups — this adds the brittle, harsh attack essential to black metal. Use all downstrokes for tremolo picking sections to keep the tone aggressive and percussive rather than fluid.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Fender Champion 50XL. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

Get ToneAdapt on Google Play
More tones for the Fender Champion 50XL
MIRROR TUNEZUTOMAYOEverlongFoo fightersNothing Is foreverCalibanSweet Child O' MineGuns N' RosesThe WagonDinosaur Jr.Smeel teen spiritNirvana
Find your amp
Browse
Fender Champion 50XL settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP Freezing moon on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Mayhem tonesALL SONGS Schecter Omen 6 tonesSAME GUITAR Tone libraryEVERYTHING

Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.

Get ToneAdapt — first match free