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Riff Tone

One Step Closer

LINKIN PARK

Guitarmetal2000s

Original Gear

GuitarPRS CE24 (1999, mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard)
AmpMesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier (Rackmount, Revision G, c. 1999-2000)
PickupsPRS HFS Treble (bridge humbucker), Vintage Bass (neck humbucker)

Amp Settings

gain8.5
bass6
mid4.5
treble6.5
reverb0
presence6

Effects & Signal Chain

overdriveBoss Boss OD-2 OverDrive/Distortion

Notes

Studio recording, Hybrid Theory album (2000). Brad Delson used a PRS CE24 with stock humbuckers into a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier for the main riff. Some sources mention Orange or Marshall amps, but the Dual Rectifier is most consistently cited for the album's heavy rhythm tones. No evidence of live/touring gear or alternate guitars for the studio riff section.

Tone Character(10)
tight and percussivescooped midsaggressive palm mutinghigh-gain saturationchunky low endarticulate pick attackcompressed and focusedmodern nu-metal soundminimal ambiencedry, in-your-face rhythm

Difficulty

The riff is rhythmically straightforward but requires tight palm muting, precise timing, and aggressive picking to achieve the percussive, articulate sound. The drop Db tuning and syncopated accents add moderate challenge.

Sources

Linkin Park Tone (specifically One Step Closer) : r/LinkinPark - RedditBest Fuzz Pedals for Guitar - Equipboard

This tone has been researched 20 times by the community

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One Step Closer settings for your amp

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use on these amps.

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