A Thousand Suns album cover - Linkin Park
Guitar tone settings

How to Dial In "Blackout" by Linkin Park - Guitar Tone Settings

The rig

Gear for "Blackout"

Suggested rig · the original isn't documented.

The settings

Knob Positions, Pickup, and Tuning

Amp settings

Where to set the knobs for this tone. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale.

Gain4
Bass5
Mid6
Treble6.5
Presence6
Volume5

On your amp, these numbers won't sound the same.

Get the settings for my amp
Guitar setup

How the artist had their guitar configured for this take.

TuningDrop B(B F♯ B E G♯ C♯)
Pickup selector
NeckNk+MdMiddleBr+MdBridge
Guitar knobs
Tone8
Volume9
Recording notes

From A Thousand Suns (2010). A Thousand Suns is the fourth studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. No source we found ties a guitar or amp to this recording, so a PRS Custom 24 through a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, the rig we use for Linkin Park's other songs from A Thousand Suns, stands in. Set the amp to a light crunch and use the bridge pickup. Published transcriptions put it in drop B (B F♯ B E G♯ C♯).

FAQ

Common Questions About the "Blackout" Tone

  1. What guitar did Linkin Park use on "Blackout"?

    The guitar on "Blackout" (released 2010) isn't documented; the PRS Custom 24 above gets the sound. Pickup selector: bridge pickup on the guitar. The track is in Drop B (B F♯ B E G♯ C♯), so retune before you dial anything in.

  2. What amp settings does "Blackout" need?

    Settings for this sound: Gain 4, Bass 5, Mid 6, Treble 6.5, Presence 6, Volume 5. Each value is on the standard 0–10 amp scale; match them on your amp first, then nudge to taste. ToneMirror can translate these positions for whatever amp you actually own.

  3. Can I play "Blackout" without the original gear?

    Yes. ToneMirror takes the settings above and adapts it to your guitar, amp, and pedals - so you can chase the "Blackout" tone on a Katana, a Helix, a tube combo, or anything else. The translation accounts for EQ curve, gain structure, and pickup type so the result actually sounds like the record, not just the same knob numbers on different gear.

Related tones

Tone references for "Blackout" by Linkin Park are provided for educational use. ToneMirror is not affiliated with the artists or labels referenced.

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