Cold Sweat amp settings — Fender Champion 40

The Thin Lizzy guitar tone for “Cold Sweat”, dialed in for a Fender Champion 40 with a Ibanez GIO GRG170DX. Studio version, Thunder and Lightning (1983)

Original rig

1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom (bridge humbucker) + modified 50W Marshall JCM800 2204 (Jose Arredondo mod) / Mesa Boogie Coliseum heads into Marshall 4x12 cabinets

High-octane British heavy metal crunch with aggressive upper-mid bite, tight low end, and searing harmonics

Amp settings — Fender Champion 40

CHANNELChannel 2 (Voice: British / 80s Marshall)BOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	7
Bass	6
Treble	7
Reverb	2
Master	5

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

Used as a clean boost to tighten the low end and push the amp into searing John Sykes saturation

Drive 0 · Tone 6 · Level 9

02Boss DD-8 Digital Delay

Set to Standard mode (approx 350ms subtle slap/lead space for the iconic tapping solo)

E.Level 3 · F.Back 3 · D.Time 4 · Mode 1

Why these settings

The Champion 40 lacks physical Middle and Presence knobs, so selecting the 80s British voice delivers the core Marshall midrange grind while nulling those controls on the faceplate. Because John Sykes played a hot-rodded Jose-modded JCM800, we run the owned TS9 as a classic dirty-amp boost with Drive at 0 and Level high to tighten the Ibanez humbucker bass response and push preamp bite. Onboard reverb is dialed low at 2 to emulate the dry, aggressive studio room tracking.

PRO TIPDig in with a heavy pick right next to the bridge pickup and use aggressive edge-picking; John Sykes relies on aggressive pick attack and micro-pinch harmonics on the open A and low E strings to get that signature razor-sharp squeal.

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These settings are for a Fender Champion 40. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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