Linkin Park
The Linkin Park Signature Sound: Amps, Guitars & Secrets!

The Linkin Park Signature Sound: Amps, Guitars & Secrets!

For an entire generation (if not two), the songs by the Californian band Linkin Park are the soundtrack of their youth – the perfect sonic mirror image of the existential doubts, fears, and emotive sensitivity that characterize this formative phase of life. It is the ideal age to fall in love with an album that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Anyone who was 15 when Hybrid Theory, Meteora, or even The Hunting Party came out will never forget that time.

son signature linkin park

James Minchin III (rights holder), CeriRoberts (Warner Records representative)

Even those who were at U Arena in Nanterre on 3 November 2024, when the reborn Linkin Park made a triumphant comeback, will never forget that day! Our ears are still ringing from that powerful sound.

To celebrate this successful comeback, we look back at the highlights of the band’s history – especially the guitarists’ gear. 🎸

 

Hybrid Theory and the love for PRS

Mike Shinoda, the band’s creative mastermind, switches effortlessly between keyboard, guitar, and vocals. He usually keeps pretty quiet about his gear preferences. Brad Delson, the iconic guitarist who always wears headphones, is different: his love of Paul Reed Smith’s guitars is no secret.

“The Custom 24 is my main guitar live and probably the one we’ve had in the rack the longest. It gives us that consistent tone we’re looking for and it’s a really nice looking guitar.”

PRS Custom 24 CH

PRS Custom 24 CH

Delson has sworn by PRS guitars since the first album Hybrid Theory (2000). Back then, he used a CE24 for the recordings before switching to the Custom 24, which he is still known for today.

PRS CE 24 Fire Red Burst

PRS CE 24 Fire Red Burst

The main difference: While the Custom 24 has a set neck, the CE24 has a bolt-on neck. However, both models share the double cut mahogany body with flamed maple top.

Chiragddude, en.wikipedia

Delson usually tunes his guitars to Drop D or Drop C#. For the low notes in “With You,” he used a 7-string Ibanez RG. But the PRS Custom 24 remains his favorite for a rich, powerful sound. The grey or red Custom models emblazoned with the soldier from the Hybrid Theory cover are particularly noteworthy.

Ibanez RG7421EX-BKF

Ibanez RG7421EX-BKF

 

Infinite gain: Amps for the signature sound

When it comes to amps, Delson is a fan of the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. In the music video for “Numb”, two of these amps can be seen behind him. They are unmistakable with their metal-reinforced fronts. Since its introduction in 1992, the Dual Rectifier has been a mainstay of the metal sound of the 90s and 2000s. It is cherished for its compressed sound and seemingly limitless gain – perfect for Delson’s distinctive power chords full of saturation.

Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Head

Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Head

A 100-watt amp is oversized for many, especially when you consider the price of American-made amps. But the sound of the Dual Rectifier is now also available in most amp simulators, some of which come in pedal form, e.g., the UAFX Knuckles or Walrus ACS1.

 

Walrus Audio MAKO ACS1 MK II

Walrus Audio MAKO ACS1 MK II

 

Universal Audio UAFX Knuckles

Universal Audio UAFX Knuckles

On Meteora, Delson experimented for the first time with combining different amps: in addition to the Mesa, he added a Marshall Super Lead (the legendary Plexi) to blend their sonic characteristics.

 

The Boss Pedalboard

Brad Delson at Soundwave 2013

Brad Delson at Soundwave 2013 – rights: Chealse Vo

Delson prefers robust and reliable pedals, especially from Boss. He uses the Noise Gate NS-2 (the famous “Noise Suppressor”) to eliminate unwanted background noise from the Dual Rectifier. In addition to two CS-3 compressor pedals with different settings, he sometimes applies distinctive effects such as the CE-5 Chorus, BF-3 Flanger, and Ibanez LF-7. While the latter is out of production, it can be replaced by modern alternatives such as the Source Audio Artifakt. Everything you need to reproduce lo-fi sounds created in the studio.

👉 Find all our BOSS pedals here 👈

During the Hybrid Theory Tour, Delson connected his pedalboard directly to his amps. From Meteora onwards, he kept his effects in a rack behind the stage, controlled by a Voodoo Lab Ground Control Switcher.

Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro

Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro

 

Minutes to Midnight: Stylistic transformation and new instruments

After the colossal Meteora World Tour, the group decided to develop their style further. That’s why they changed producers from Don Gilmore – who had been responsible for the first two albums – to Rick Rubin. Rick is the man who helped groups like Slayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and System Of A Down develop their own style. Together with Rubin, they moved their sound more toward rock and away from metal, a transformation that also manifests itself in their choice of instruments.

Rick Rubin - rights: jasontheexploder

Rick Rubin – rights: jasontheexploder

For the recordings of Minutes To Midnight, Brad Delson used many different guitars, such as a Les Paul, a Jaguar, a Telecaster, and especially a vintage Stratocaster, which left a lasting impression on him. To reproduce its sound on stage, he played a Stratocaster Rory Gallagher from the Fender Custom Shop.

 

PRS SE McCarty 594 Singlecut BG

PRS SE McCarty 594 Singlecut BG

This instrument is a replica of the famous ’61 Strat used by the brilliant Irish blues musician. Shinoda, on the other hand, remained loyal to PRS. However, he also expanded his arsenal and switched from the Custom 24 to the single-cut model inspired by the Les Paul.

Fender Rory Gallagher Relic Strat

Fender Rory Gallagher Relic Strat

 

The Hunting Party and One More Light: Further development

Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda in Montréal - 2014 ©Kristina Servent

Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda in Montréal – 2014 ©Kristina Servent

From then on, the band kept expanding their sound palette with new instruments and continued on the path they had started with Rubin, exploring new possibilities. After two more, less inspired albums, they decided to produce The Hunting Party themselves in 2014. For these recordings, they tried to venture off their usual paths. Delson therefore used very different instruments such as a Fender Mustang Competition from 1972 or a 1970 ES-335, which, like many Gibsons from this period, has a walnut finish.

Fender 63 Strat Relic DAR MBDB

Fender 63 Strat Relic DAR MBDB

 

Epiphone Jim James ES-335 70s WF

Epiphone Jim James ES-335 70s WF

Fender Vintera II 70s Mustang CPB

Fender Vintera II 70s Mustang CPB

In the meantime, he also had an excellent Coral Red Type 62 Stratocaster made. The builder? Custom Shop craftsman Jason Smith. This guitar is a close relative of the Gallagher. On the amp side, he mixed an Orange TH100, a Bogner Twin Jet, and an Engl Fireball 100. A cocktail that he reproduces on stage with the Fractal Axe FX II.

 

Orange TH30H

Orange TH30H

 

Engl Fireball 100 E635

Engl Fireball 100 E635

Live, we saw Mike Shinoda on a red SG, then on a black Gibson SG Standard during the “One More Light” album tour. Singer Chester Bennington played a D’Angelico DC Deluxe, a semi-hollow with a double cut and center block, for “Battle Symphony.” This album was to be his last, and fans know the tragic aftermath only too well.

Dangelico Deluxe DC Satin Brown Burst

Dangelico Deluxe DC Satin Brown Burst

 

Gibson SG Standard EB

Gibson SG Standard EB

 

Gibson SG Standard HC

Gibson SG Standard HC

 

From Zero: Back in Black

From Zero – Linkin Park Live at the O2 Arena, September 2024 – rights: Denis Radaelli

But Linkin Park didn’t die with Bennington! To everyone’s surprise, the group released the excellent From Zero in 2024 after a seven-year hiatus. Emily Armstrong, the singer of Dead Sara, took over the microphone. And the guitar sounds are fatter than ever. In the video for the fantastic single “Two Faced,” we see Shinoda with a black SG, and Delson brought out his famous red PRS Custom 24, adorned with the soldier from the Hybrid Theory cover. This brings the band full circle to their beginnings.

And anyone planning to see Linkin Park at one of their concerts in Germany in June or July can expect nothing less.


What is your favorite Linkin Park album?

Is it Hybrid Theory or Meteora? These seem to be fan favorites, but maybe you have different tastes? Let us know with a comment!

* Photo sources: Wikipedia

Author’s gravatar
Lawrence started playing the electric guitar because of his passion for rock music. Back in the day he played in a metal band, but now plays more for himself.

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