Nightmare guitar tone

The rig Avenged Sevenfold used

Researched from interviews, production write-ups and gear histories — not guessed.

Signal chain

The order the original sound was built in. The exact settings get dialled for your own amp or modeller when you generate the tone.

1. Schecter Synyster Gates Custom

   1

   source

   guitar
2. Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

   2

   intro lead filter sweeps

   wah
3. Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer

   3

   pick attack leveling and sustain

   comp
4. MXR MC401 Boost/Line Driver

   4

   solo input boost

   boost
5. Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor

   5

   high-gain noise reduction

   gate
6. Bogner Uberschall 120W Head

   6

   core rhythm and main riff amplifier

   amp
7. Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head

   7

   high-gain guitar solo amplifier

   amp
8. Bogner Uberkab 4x12 Cabinet

   8

   speaker cabinet simulation

   cab
9. Shure SM57 Dynamic Microphone

   9

   close cabinet microphone

   mic
10. TC Electronic 2290 Dynamic Digital Delay

    10

    solo lead space and repeats

    delay
11. Studio Plate Reverb

    11

    ambient studio space

    reverb

Why we think this is right

Tracking for 'Nightmare' ran November 2009 to April 2010 with producer Mike Elizondo; Andy Wallace mixed. Guitar World's Nightmare-era feature ('Afterlife', quoting Zacky Vengeance): the primary amplifier sound on the record was a blend of a Bogner Uberschall, a Diezel and two Marshalls (a JVM and a JCM800), with the Uberschall 'at the heart of the Avenged Sevenfold tone'. The single-preset chain therefore carries the Bogner Uberschall into a 4x12 with Celestion Vintage 30s. No source names the solo amp; the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier on the solo is an unconfirmed reconstruction. Gates's documented front-end is his signature Schecter Custom with Seymour Duncan Invader humbuckers, a Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer, an MXR MC401 boost and a noise gate; the intro wah and the TC 2290 delay are unconfirmed (tab-only and unsourced respectively). Delay time is derived from 130 BPM. Studio plate reverb at mixdown.

Sources

• tonesmatch.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQE_7yehuwU2itDVx1NT-xsnSeZssG8XQ7tDediJMHZ3tXHDTdlwKeu7P36FlwjGOZ9AijLkXSR1KkpXO00lyhBCUg_mBvDfUWiEXC9RlfCwuaQ5YOQIvM54p7AX3jk8RbUjS1GZrqRd_vfmU-YH7zAEO8vM8bpBSVL_lc5OCs0dewsu
• equipboard.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHVyuWKEjH8B5IvK-C1E6_0ap99TJSf53L3--ieIbMCE5OIholoZJsXqybUmXviQyQGSsQGKnk_HztejRBjAjr-SyvKwuOTxFdGceCyi0nDlaU1YC8INhqedELSENBv4g==
• songsterr.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFOHPvyjFglVd8bI8B6oF5IR98eHhNjeg6r2O-BEibF5gZ3Vdzucipo9uMJZJprVIZXaSyzJWZrANmqYLweg_Rg-CQxOdo8alAwhgFzg2dlYW8AbAiFR2_BTVvvJx6IsGCNeQXM6RwX3e17JQqRgdPOG9akfFStmIJHRaM7
• guitargangsters.net - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQEfN6nspbXFri27TqKoChpFAGKvvQ6WXc3ZynX1c7NegRp_1O03J3loQxkXbk9BapiCbdBAzFF9_3KUVll4KjwI9F-icKrJPdQq4hGdN2Ctq0uNymWTSv93vsk0imqhFyATC3yrO3aKGob24oWa
• tonesmatch.com - https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQF2dFHRlCgyGS9w_BeeSWDwA7PYrrkxfAKTh10BxySERzOua_V7G_5kIK5XcmU6D_Xx_WvFN6f8MQU4sbwwirW2kIvF7C1Ly9InP2Kauo3TW0kOk3k7WHTW_YZHItcCDiOSLZYVh-w4jJHx789VdcZq4kAunU-bwhLV_XxahuGg3NDAwA==
• Guitar World (December 2010) - 'Afterlife' Interview with Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance on Nightmare Session Gear
• Premier Guitar (November 2013) - Avenged Sevenfold Rig Rundown & Artist Rig Feature
• Guitar Center Sessions - Synyster Gates Gear and Rig Rundown Interview
• Hal Leonard Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare Guitar Recorded Versions Tablature Edition
• Songsterr Verified Tablature - Nightmare (Synyster Gates Lead Guitar Track, Rev. August 2026)

More example tones

• OneMetallica
• BatteryMetallica
• Sad But TrueMetallica
• Summer of '69Bryan Adams
• Sweet Child O' MineGuns N' Roses
• You Shook Me All Night LongAC/DC