Linkin Park – Faint Guitar Tone Guide (Brad Delson Rig Breakdown)
Released on Linkin Park's seminal 2003 album 'Meteora', 'Faint' features one of the most explosive, dynamic, and instantly recognizable guitar tones in alternative metal history. Crafted by guitarist Brad Delson, producer Don Gilmore, and co-producer Mike Shinoda, this tone blends multi-tracked Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifiers with Marshall crunch and hard noise-gating to slice through a dense mix of strings, hip-hop beats, and Chester Bennington's iconic vocals.
Marcus Vance
High-Gain Tone Engineer & Metal Producer
Quick Amp & EQ Dial-In
Pickup Selector: High-Output Ceramic/Alnico Bridge Humbucker (PRS HFS Bridge, Seymour Duncan JB, or EMG 81)
Noise Gate: Hard Gating (Boss NS-2 / ISP Decimator set to instant mute)
💡 Do not max out the gain! The massive wall of sound is created by quad-tracking tight performances, not single-track gain mush.
Original Gear & Hardware Breakdown
The exact instruments, amplification, and signal-shaping tools behind this tone.
Paul Reed Smith (PRS) Custom 24 / CE 24 / Ibanez RG Series
Solid mahogany body with maple top, PRS HFS (Hot, Fat, Screams) bridge humbucker delivering immediate pick response.
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head (Channel 3 Modern High Gain) + Marshall JCM800
The classic early 2000s multi-amp blend: Mesa provides the thunderous low-end chest thump while the Marshall supplies upper-mid grit.
Mesa Boogie Rectifier Standard 4x12 + Marshall 1960AV (Celestion Vintage 30s)
Oversized closed-back birch cabs loaded with V30 speakers for maximum punch.
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor / Dunlop Crybaby / Boss CE-5 Chorus
Aggressive gating is critical for the abrupt staccato 16th-note pauses during the iconic verse riff.
Signal Chain & Routing Order
Follow this direct step-by-step signal pathway from the guitar jack to the speaker microphone.
PRS Custom 24 (Bridge Humbucker)
Volume 10, Tone 10, Drop D Tuning
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor (X-Method / FX Loop)
Threshold set high to instantly choke unwanted string resonance
Mesa Dual Rectifier (Modern Red Channel)
Gain 6.2, Bass 6.0, Middle 5.5, Treble 6.8, Presence 6.5
Mesa Recto 4x12 (Celestion V30)
Shure SM57 on speaker cap-edge + Sennheiser MD421 blend
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The Anatomy of Faint: Precision, Gating & Wall-of-Sound Production
How Brad Delson and Don Gilmore built Meteora's heaviest riff
When "Faint" kicks in at 0:17 after the iconic string intro and hip-hop drum loop, the impact is overwhelming. The guitars don't just sound loud—they hit with the physical punch of a sledgehammer.
The secret behind this sonic power lies in dynamic contrast. The verses feature sparse, tightly muted staccato chugs locked with Rob Bourdon's snare, which makes the chorus explode with massive wide-stereo multi-tracked chords.
The Dual Rectifier & Marshall Layering Secret
Blending two legendary amplifier architectures
During the Meteora sessions at NRG Recording Studios, producer Don Gilmore and engineer John Ewing blended two distinct amplifier tones for Brad Delson's rhythm tracks:
- Track 1 (Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier): Dialed for low-end body, massive cabinet resonance, and thick lower-mid crunch.
- Track 2 (Marshall JCM800 / Plexi): Dialed bright and biting with heavy 2kHz–5kHz upper-mid punch and fast transient attack.
When combined and panned hard left and hard right, the Mesa supplies the size and the Marshall supplies the clarity. Furthermore, Brad Delson avoided the common mistake of scooping the midrange—keeping his mid control at 5.5 to ensure the guitars sat perfectly alongside the high-register violin orchestration.
Modeler & Multi-FX Presets
Quick-load configurations for popular digital platforms and modeling amps.
| Platform | Amp / Cab Model | Drive & FX | Key Dial-In Values |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boss Katana (Gen 3 / MkII) | Amp: Brown Channel (Variation ON) Cab: Deep 4x12 Cab Resonance | Booster (Clean Boost with Level 65, Drive 0) | Gain 58, Bass 55, Middle 58, Treble 68, Presence 65, Noise Suppressor Threshold 70 |
| Line 6 Helix / HX Stomp | Amp: Cali Rectifire (Modern Channel) Cab: 4x12 Cali V30 with 57 Dynamic & 421 Dynamic | Horizon Gate / Hard Gate Block | Master 4.0, Drive 6.0, Bass 5.8, Mid 5.5, Treble 6.8, Presence 6.2 |
| Neural DSP Quad Cortex | Amp: Mesa Dual Rectifier Rev F / Soldano SLO Cab: Mesa Oversized 4x12 V30 | Precision Gate + Clean Boost | Channel 3 Modern, Vacuum Tube Rectifier mode, High Cut at 11.5kHz |
Pro Tone Tips
- •Staccato chugging is everything: Use both your left hand (fret release) and right hand (palm mute) simultaneously to create razor-sharp stops.
- •Keep the guitar volume on 10 and pick hard near the bridge pickup for maximum harmonic bite.
- •When recording, double-track the rhythm parts (one take 100% Left, one take 100% Right) rather than using stereo widener plugins.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- •Scooping the midrange to zero: If you scoop the mids, your guitar disappears beneath the bass guitar and synth orchestration.
- •Too much delay or reverb on rhythm parts: 'Faint' requires dry, in-your-face aggression without muddy echoes.
- •Loose picking hand: Nu-metal rhythms demand extreme timing precision locked to the snare and kick.
Tone & Gear Q&A
What tuning is Linkin Park's 'Faint' played in?
The studio album version on Meteora is recorded in Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-E). During live performances, Linkin Park typically down-tuned a half-step to Drop C# (C#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D#) to accommodate Chester Bennington's vocal range.
What guitar did Brad Delson use on Meteora?
Brad Delson primarily used Paul Reed Smith (PRS) Custom 24 guitars equipped with PRS HFS bridge pickups, as well as Ibanez RG series guitars.
How do I get the tight staccato chug on 'Faint'?
Use an aggressive noise suppressor like the Boss NS-2 or ISP Decimator placed in both your front-of-amp and FX loop chain, and practice dual-hand palm-muting.
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