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' took place in early 2010 with producer Mike Elizondo at Sunset Sound Recorders and Phantom Studios. Synyster Gates tracked core rhythm parts primarily with a Bogner Uberschall 120W head into a 4x12 cabinet with Celestion Vintage 30s (blended with a Diezel VH4 in the studio mix), while the virtuosic guitar solo was tracked using a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head on Channel 3 Modern High Gain. Gates' front-end pedal chain featured his signature Schecter Custom loaded with Seymour Duncan Invader humbuckers, a Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer, MXR MC401 Boost, Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, and a Dunlop Cry Baby wah for the intro, augmented post-cab with digital delay and studio plate reverb.

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)

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• You Shook Me All Night LongAC/DC