Faint
Tight, driving high-gain riffing woven around a live string section.
What is the Faint guitar tone?
The Faint guitar tone is tight, driving high-gain riffing woven around a live string section, heard on Linkin Park's 2000s alt metal recording. It is a distorted riff tone, and Linkin Park reportedly tracked it with Brad Delson's PRS guitars, which he says define Hybrid Theory and Meteora, through the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers and modified Marshall 1959SLP reissue heads he used live and in the studio on the band's first two albums, with Mike Shinoda credited on rhythm guitar and a string section arranged by David Campbell; which guitar, amp and tuning were used on this song is not documented. Detuned parts need the bass control pulled back further than feels right, or the low strings turn to mud as soon as the gain rises.
You do not need that exact gear to land in the same place. What carries this sound is the gain structure, the EQ curve, the pickup choice and the order of the effects, and all four can be rebuilt on equipment that costs a fraction of the original. The numbers change from amp to amp, because a high-gain head and a small practice amp reach the same voicing from different knob positions. That translation is what Tonelify works out for the rig you actually own.
Faint amp settings: a starting point
On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 7, Bass 4, Middle 5, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 2, with the bridge pickup.
- Gain 7
- Bass 4
- Middle 5
- Treble 6
- Presence 5
- Reverb 2
- Signal chain
- Noise gate → Amp distortion → Chorus on clean passages
- The control that matters most
- Bass and tightness. The riff runs at speed next to a string section, so a tight low end matters more than more gain: pull the bass back, keep the gain where palm mutes stay distinct, and check your tuning against the record, since no source documents the one used on this song.
These positions are free and they are a starting point. A Katana, a Spark and a valve head reach this voicing from different knob positions, so Tonelify rewrites every value above for the amp and guitar you own. Your first match is free with an account, and needs no card.
Adapt these to my amp- Pickup
- Bridge pickup
These are positions on a generic five-knob amp with gain, bass, middle, treble and presence, each running 0 to 10. They are a starting point, not the settings used on the record, and they will not transfer unchanged to an amp with a different gain structure or EQ voicing. If you tell Tonelify which amp you own, it rewrites every value above for the controls that amp actually has.
What gear did Linkin Park use on Faint?
Brad Delson's PRS guitars, which he says define Hybrid Theory and Meteora, through the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers and modified Marshall 1959SLP reissue heads he used live and in the studio on the band's first two albums, with Mike Shinoda credited on rhythm guitar and a string section arranged by David Campbell; which guitar, amp and tuning were used on this song is not documented.
Sources: Wikipedia: Brad Delson, Guitar World: Brad Delson on Linkin Park's From Zero, Wikipedia: Faint (song)
Tonelify reads that chain and translates it to the amp and guitar you already own, returning gain, bass, mids, treble and presence values along with a pickup position.
How do you get the Faint tone on your own amp?
Tell us your guitar, amp, and pedals
AI researches the original tone of Faint
Get exact knob settings adapted to your rig
Faint tone questions
What amp settings do you need for Faint?
On a generic five-knob amp, start at Gain 7, Bass 4, Middle 5, Treble 6, Presence 5, Reverb 2, with the bridge pickup. These are positions on a generic five-knob amp with gain, bass, middle, treble and presence, each running 0 to 10. They are a starting point, not the settings used on the record, and they will not transfer unchanged to an amp with a different gain structure or EQ voicing. Tonelify rewrites the same values for the specific amp and guitar you own, because a high-gain head and a small solid-state combo reach the same tight, driving high-gain riffing woven around a live string section from different positions.
What is the most important control for the Faint tone?
Bass and tightness. The riff runs at speed next to a string section, so a tight low end matters more than more gain: pull the bass back, keep the gain where palm mutes stay distinct, and check your tuning against the record, since no source documents the one used on this song.
Can you get the Faint tone without the original gear?
Yes. The original was tracked with Brad Delson's PRS guitars, which he says define Hybrid Theory and Meteora, through the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers and modified Marshall 1959SLP reissue heads he used live and in the studio on the band's first two albums, with Mike Shinoda credited on rhythm guitar and a string section arranged by David Campbell; which guitar, amp and tuning were used on this song is not documented, but the parts that define the sound are the gain structure, the EQ curve, the pickup position and the effects order. Those translate to other equipment, which is what the adaptation step does.
Is Faint a rhythm or a lead tone?
It is a riff part with a distorted character, from Linkin Park's 2000s alt metal catalogue.
Does Tonelify cost anything to try?
Your first match for your own gear is free with an account, and needs no card. After that both plans start with a 7-day free trial: Stage is $6.99 a month for 20 matches, Headliner is $10.99 a month for unlimited matching within a fair use limit of 150 new matches a day, and yearly billing works out cheaper on both. Reading this page and the rest of the library costs nothing and needs no account.
