Heavy Metal2005City of Evil

Beast and the Harlot Amp Settings

by Avenged Sevenfold

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Original Recording Settings

Well-SourcedResearched tone data for "Beast and the Harlot" by Avenged Sevenfold

Original Gear

Guitar: Schecter C-1 FR (Pearl White, mahogany body, Floyd Rose tremolo, ebony fretboard)
Pickups: Seymour Duncan SH-8 Invader (bridge and neck) (bridge)
Amplifier: Bogner Uberschall (120W, EL34) blended with custom Bogner 'Caveman' prototype (~140W, single channel)
Channel: High gain (Uberschall); single channel already crunchy at 9 o'clock gain (Caveman)
Tuning: drop_d
Pickup Selector: bridge
Strings: 0.010-0.052 (Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom)

Only 3 Caveman prototypes exist. Described as 'Bogner's version of a Dumble amp.' Blended approach was the core technique for City of Evil guitar tones per Fred Archambault. Bogner UberKab 4x12 and/or Mesa Boogie 4x12 with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers. Shure SM57 microphone.

Amp Settings

No settings available

No photos or interviews provide specific knob positions for City of Evil sessions. Community consensus: lots of mids and nearly no bass on the Uberschall, which naturally produces massive low-end that must be cut.

Effects Chain

→

Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer

compressor

→

Visual Sound H2O Liquid Chorus and Echo

delay/chorus

→

1.Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer — Fred Archambault revealed this is 'a good chunk of Syn's lead tone.' Gates called it 'kinda like my secret weapon' (Guitar World). Used for dynamics control and subtle boost into the amp for lead saturation.

2.Visual Sound H2O Liquid Chorus and Echo — Used for echo; confirmed by guitar tech Za.

Playing Technique

Fast alternate picking, sweep-picked arpeggios, pinch harmonics, dual harmony leads in thirds/sixths with Zacky Vengeance, extensive Floyd Rose tremolo bar use. Gates stated the solo pushed his limits.

Sources+

Synner Forum — 'Gear used on early A7X albums: The vault of Fred Archambault' (2021)
Synner Forum — 'Custom Bogner Amp used on CoE, Self Titled, and more AMA' (2020)
Guitar World — 'Dear Guitar Hero' interview (2009)
Premier Guitar — Rig Rundown (2013)
Equipboard — Synyster Gates profile