GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence
One More Light Riff Guitar Tone Settings — LINKIN PARK
LINKIN PARK · 2010s+ · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Custom Shop Cardboard Chaos Stratocaster
Pickups
Fender Custom Shop single-coil Stratocaster pickups
Amp
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier 100W 3-channel Solo Head (Multi-Watt)
Pickup Position
Position 4 (neck + middle)
Studio recording, 2016-2017. Guitar confirmed for overdubs on 'One More Light' album. Amp confirmed as primary studio amp for Brad Delson in this era. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for the studio riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass6
Gain4
Reverb3
Treble6.5
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail · reverb
- Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer · compression
Guitar → Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer → Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier 100W Head → Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 4x12 Cabinet
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Tone Character
- bright and articulate
- clean with slight breakup
- open and airy
- smooth top end
- clear note separation
- subtle compression
- gentle dynamic response
- not saturated
- studio-polished
- moderate warmth
Notes & Caveats
- No direct source lists exact amp knob settings for 'One More Light' riff; settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier clean/edge-of-breakup tones for modern rock, and the audible character of the recording.
- Fender Custom Shop Cardboard Chaos Stratocaster is confirmed for overdubs on the album, but not 100% confirmed for the main riff; however, it's the only guitar tied to 'One More Light' studio sessions.
- Pedal/effect usage for the riff is not explicitly documented for this song; effects inferred from studio gear lists and audio.
- No evidence of heavy gain/distortion pedals or high-gain amp channel for the riff section.
- No evidence of alternate amp models or live rig for the studio recording.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The riff section of 'One More Light' uses a clean-to-edge-of-breakup tone with moderate warmth and clarity, typical of Brad Delson's approach for emotive ballads. Amp settings favor forward mids and balanced bass/treble for presence in the mix, with subtle reverb for space, matching Linkin Park's polished, modern rock production style.