What guitar does Nene Royal play?

A rare vintage 1978 Ibanez Musician Series electric guitar, played through a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp on America's Got Talent.

What amp does Nene Royal use?

A Fender Deluxe Reverb, still made today as the '65 reissue.

How do you get Nene Royal's Zombie tone?

A humbucker guitar with sustain, a Deluxe Reverb style amp kept mostly clean, and an overdrive or distortion pedal in front, plus brief two-hand tapping.

Nene Royal's Guitar & Gear: How She Gets That AGT "Zombie" Tone

Nene Royal (Rattikarn "Praew" Umloy) taught herself guitar at six by watching videos online, then spent years busking in Phuket before her Cranberries "Zombie" cover on America's Got Talent crossed 200 million views in nine days. Below is the gear that made that sound, and how you can chase a similar tone yourself.

📅Her AGT run: what's next

She earned four "yes" votes and advanced. Want a heads-up before each performance airs? Join the list below.

Aug 11Judges' Callbacks performance airs
Aug 18Live Quarter-finals begin (if she advances), 4 weeks, Los Angeles
Sep 22Live finale

🎸The Gear

The Guitar: 1978 Ibanez Musician

A rare, near-50-year-old Ibanez Musician Series electric. Neck-through build, warm sustain, and enough output to switch from clean arpeggios to that heavy "Zombie" bite.

The exact vintage model is a collector's piece and hard to find. The closest tone you can buy new today comes from a modern Ibanez neck-through (AZ / Prestige lines) or a warm humbucker-loaded guitar with strong sustain.

Vintage · rare · collector

The Amp: Fender Deluxe Reverb

A classic that stays clean and glassy at low volume and breaks up beautifully when pushed. It's still made today as the '65 reissue, which is why so much of her clean-to-crunch range is reachable for normal players.

Available new

The Sound: distortion + two-hand tapping

Her signature moves: heavier distortion than the original, lead-guitar flourishes, and brief two-hand tapping runs. Most of that "extra" bite comes from an overdrive/distortion pedal in front of the amp, not just the amp alone.

🛠️Get a similar tone: starter setup

You don't need a vintage collector's guitar to get close. A humbucker guitar with good sustain, a Deluxe-Reverb-style amp, and an overdrive pedal in front will get you most of the way.

Two deep dives:

▶️Watch her performances

Straight from her official channels:

Nene Royal: official YouTube channel → youtube.com/@neneroyalmusic Nene Royal: official Instagram → @neneroyalmusic Nene Royal: official website → neneroyal.com

Independent fan information page. This is an unofficial page that shares publicly reported information about Nene Royal's guitar gear. It is not affiliated with, authorized, or endorsed by Nene Royal, her family or management, NBC, or America's Got Talent. All names are used for identification only. Gear links, when added, may be affiliate links.