Guitar tone · metal

Mayhem guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 13 Mayhem songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson Les Paul Standard (sunburst, late 1970s/early 1980s, as seen in studio photos) into Marshall JMP 1987 Mk II Super Lead 50w Head (1976-77, with master volume mod) into Marshall 1960BX 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12M Blackback speakers).

Guitars Mayhem used

Gibson Les Paul Standard (sunburst, late 1970s/early 1980s, as seen in studio photos)2 songs
Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 1980s, black, as used by Euronymous)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely late 70s/early 80s, black finish, as used by Euronymous)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s-80s, black finish, as used by Euronymous on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Standard (sunburst, late 1970s/early 1980s, likely Norlin era)1 song
Aria Pro II Cardinal Series (likely CSB-380 or CSB-450, as used by Necrobutcher in early 90s Mayhem)1 song
Unknown (not specified in sources for this recording)1 song
Fender Precision Bass (likely, as per era and genre; no explicit source confirms exact model, but Necrobutcher is strongly associated with P-Bass in this period)1 song

Amps Mayhem used

Marshall JMP 1987 Mk II Super Lead 50w Head (1976-77, with master volume mod) into Marshall 1960BX 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12M Blackback speakers)2 songs
Marshall JCM800 2203 (100W head, typical for Mayhem live in late 1980s/early 1990s)1 song
Marshall JCM800 2203 head (live, early 1990s, as seen in period photos and confirmed by multiple sources)1 song
Marshall JCM800 2203 head (100W, as used by Euronymous in studio for De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas)1 song
Marshall JMP 1987 Mk II Super Lead 50w Head (1976-77, with master volume mod) into Marshall 4x12 cab (Celestion G12M Blackback speakers)1 song
Peavey Mark IV Bass Head (likely, based on era and Norwegian black metal scene; no direct source for this session, but Peavey is visible in Mayhem live photos and Equipboard lists Peavey Patriot and Bandit 112 for Mayhem, though Bandit is a guitar amp)1 song
Unknown (not specified in sources for this recording)1 song
Ampeg SVT (classic tube head, inferred from black metal era/genre and live gear listings; no explicit studio confirmation)1 song

17 Mayhem tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Freezing Moon · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (sunburst, late 1970s/early 1980s, as seen in studio photos)	Marshall JMP 1987 Mk II Super Lead 50w Head (1976-77, with master volume mod) into Marshall 1960BX 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12M Blackback speakers)	8.5
Deathcrush · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (sunburst, late 1970s/early 1980s, likely Norlin era)	Marshall JMP 1987 Mk II Super Lead 50w Head (1976-77, with master volume mod) into Marshall 4x12 cab (Celestion G12M Blackback speakers)	8.5
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas · distorted	Distorted · distorted	Aria Pro II Cardinal Series (likely CSB-380 or CSB-450, as used by Necrobutcher in early 90s Mayhem)	Peavey Mark IV Bass Head (likely, based on era and Norwegian black metal scene; no direct source for this session, but Peavey is visible in Mayhem live photos and Equipboard lists Peavey Patriot and Bandit 112 for Mayhem, though Bandit is a guitar amp)	7
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard	Marshall JCM800	8
Deathcrush (Live in Zeitz, 1990) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (likely 1970s or early 1980s, black finish, as used by Euronymous in 1990 live shows)	Marshall JCM800 2203 head with 4x12 cabinet (most documented for Euronymous live in 1990)	8.5
Freezing Moon · distorted	Distorted · distorted	Fender Precision Bass (likely, as per era and genre; no explicit source confirms exact model, but Necrobutcher is strongly associated with P-Bass in this period)	Ampeg SVT (classic tube head, inferred from black metal era/genre and live gear listings; no explicit studio confirmation)	8
Freezing Moon · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (sunburst, late 1970s/early 1980s, as seen in studio photos)	Marshall JMP 1987 Mk II Super Lead 50w Head (1976-77, with master volume mod) into Marshall 1960BX 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12M Blackback speakers)	8.5
Funeral Fog · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s-80s, as used by Euronymous on DMDS)	Marshall JCM800 2203 head with Marshall 4x12 cabinet (studio recording, 1991)	8.5
Life Eternal · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 1980s, likely Norseman or Blasphemer's black Les Paul Custom)	Marshall JCM800 2203 (100W head, 1980s model, likely into Marshall 4x12 cab with Celestion speakers)	8.5
My Death · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s-80s, black finish, as used by Euronymous on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas)	Marshall JCM800 2203 head (100W, as used by Euronymous in studio for De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas)	8
Necrolust (Live in Zeitz) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 1980s, black, as used by Euronymous)	Marshall JCM800 2203 (100W head, typical for Mayhem live in late 1980s/early 1990s)	8.5
Pagan Fears · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Custom (1970s, black, as used by Euronymous on 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas')	Marshall JCM800 2203 (100W head, as used by Euronymous in studio for 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas')	8.5
Pagan Fears (Live in Zeitz, 1990) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (sunburst, late 1970s/early 1980s, as used by Euronymous)	Marshall JMP 1987 Mk II Super Lead 50w Head (1976-77) with Master Volume Mod	8.5
The Freezing Moon (Live in Leipzig, 1990) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s, black finish, as used by Euronymous live in 1990)	Marshall JCM800 2203 (100W head, as used by Euronymous live in 1990)	8.5
The Freezing Moon (Live in Leipzig) · riff	Riff · distorted	Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely late 70s/early 80s, black finish, as used by Euronymous)	Marshall JCM800 2203 head (live, early 1990s, as seen in period photos and confirmed by multiple sources)	8.5
Weep for Nothing · riff	Riff · distorted	Unknown (not specified in sources for this recording)	Unknown (not specified in sources for this recording)	8.5
Weep for Nothing · solo	Solo · distorted	ESP LTD TE-1000 (likely, based on Teloch's known studio use for this era, but not confirmed for this track)	Peavey 6505+ (likely, based on Mayhem's modern studio rig and genre, but not confirmed for this track)	8

Mayhem songs on popular amps

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use for these songs on their own amps.

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did Mayhem use?

Across 13 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Marshall JMP 1987 Mk II Super Lead 50w Head (1976-77, with master volume mod) into Marshall 1960BX 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12M Blackback speakers) (2 songs), Marshall JCM800 2203 (100W head, typical for Mayhem live in late 1980s/early 1990s) (1 song), Marshall JCM800 2203 head (live, early 1990s, as seen in period photos and confirmed by multiple sources) (1 song), Marshall JCM800 2203 head (100W, as used by Euronymous in studio for De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas) (1 song).

What guitar did Mayhem use?

Most often: Gibson Les Paul Standard (sunburst, late 1970s/early 1980s, as seen in studio photos) (2 songs), Gibson Les Paul Custom (early 1980s, black, as used by Euronymous) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely late 70s/early 80s, black finish, as used by Euronymous) (1 song), Gibson Les Paul Standard (likely 1970s-80s, black finish, as used by Euronymous on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas) (1 song).

How do I get Mayhem's tone on my amp?

Open any Mayhem song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.