Second Wave Black Metal Guitar Tone - Amp Settings, Gear, and Songs
2 iconic Second Wave Black Metal tones with the exact settings behind them - gain, EQ, pickup, tuning, and pedal chain per song, plus the median amp settings across the whole style. Built to be dialled in on whatever gear you own.
Translate any Second Wave Black Metal tone to the rig you already own
Median knob positions across the 2 catalog tones in this genre, on the amps they were recorded with. A starting point for the sound - then pick a song below for the exact recipe.
- Gain
- 8
- Bass
- 4.8
- Mid
- 5.8
- Treble
- 7.3
- Presence
- 6.5
- Volume
- 6.8
Gear That Defines the Second Wave Black Metal Sound
Artists With the Most Second Wave Black Metal Tones
Second Wave Black Metal Tones You Can Dial In
Common Questions About Second Wave Black Metal Tone
What amp settings do I need for Second Wave Black Metal?
Across the 2 Second Wave Black Metal tones in our catalog the median is gain 8 (range 7–9), with bass 4.8, mid 5.8, treble 7.3 - on a 0–10 scale. That's the window, not a recipe: pick any song below for the exact knob positions it was recorded with, then let ToneMirror re-voice them for your amp.
What gear gives you the Second Wave Black Metal sound?
In our catalog the Second Wave Black Metal tones lean most on the Marshall JCM800 2203, the Les Paul (modern equivalent: Gibson Les Paul Standard '60s), the Boss DS-1. You don't need any of it - the match engine translates each recipe onto the gear you already own, compensating for a different EQ curve, gain structure, and pickup type.
Which artists best represent Second Wave Black Metal?
Darkthrone have the most Second Wave Black Metal tones catalogued here. Each artist page breaks down their full rig and how their tone changed across records.
Can I get these tones without buying vintage gear?
Yes - that's the point of ToneMirror. Every setting on this page was dialled in on the original artist's rig, and the match engine re-voices it for whatever guitar, amp, and pedals you actually have, including modellers like the Helix, Katana, and Kemper.