Bat Country

The recording

Recorded between January and April 2005 at The Hobby Shop in Los Angeles and Ocean Way Studios in Hollywood, “Bat Country” features drop‑D tuning and a tight rhythm foundation. Gates’ lead lines were tracked through a Bogner Uberschall 120 W tube head with a Boss CS‑3 compressor, while his clean interludes use a Gibson ES‑335 dotted pickup. Zacky Vengeance’s rhythm guitars were captured using a Schecter guitar and a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, with the parts blended for a thick, mid‑ranged attack. The guitars were mic'd with SM57 center‑cone microphones, giving the tracks a direct, aggressive presence in the mix.

Tuning Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-E)·Strings Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom .010-.052

Reported gear

Schecter C-1 FR (Gloss Pearl White)

Guitar

Synyster Gates used his signature Schecter C‑1 FR in a gloss pearl white finish for the lead and rhythm parts on “Bat Country”, selecting the bridge position of its Seymour Duncan Invader for high‑gain tones.

Boss CS-3 Compressor

Compressor

A Boss CS‑3 compressor was placed in front of the amp to even out dynamics and add sustain to Gates’ soaring leads.

Bogner Uberschall 120W

Amp

The core high‑gain tone was driven through a Bogner Uberschall 120‑watt tube head, an early revision personally built by Reinhold Bogner, delivering thick mids and aggressive saturation.

Schecter Guitar (model unspecified)

Guitar

Zacky Vengeance recorded the rhythm parts with a Schecter guitar, though the exact model was not disclosed in the official tone rundown.

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Amp

A secondary Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier was blended for additional low‑end punch on rhythm sections, complementing the Bogner’s mid‑range focus.

Gibson ES-335 Dot

Guitar

For the clean intro and interlude, Gates switched to a Gibson ES‑335 Dot, using its neck pickup for warm, articulate tones.

Alternatives

Schecter C-1 (standard)

Budget alternative · for the Schecter C-1 FR (Gloss Pearl White)

$1,300 to $1,600

Schecter Hellraiser C-1

Modern equivalent · for the Schecter Guitar (model unspecified)

$1,200 to $1,500

Boss CS-3 Compressor

Still made · for the Boss CS-3 Compressor

$80 to $100

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (used)

Still made · for the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

$2,200 to $2,800

Bogner Uberschall (reissue)

Reissue · for the Bogner Uberschall 120W

$3,500 to $4,500

Epiphone ES-335

Budget alternative · for the Gibson ES-335 Dot

$900 to $1,200

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Set your guitar to drop D and select the bridge pickup for the high‑gain sections.
2. 2.Apply light compression to sustain lead phrases and smooth dynamics.
3. 3.Palm‑mute rhythm parts tightly and use downstrokes for a tight, aggressive feel.
4. 4.Use wide vibrato and legato on soaring lead lines to emulate Gates’ phrasing.
5. 5.Alternate‑pick fast runs and incorporate sweep‑picking for the arpeggiated passages.