🎸 Metal · 2000s

Papercut by LINKIN PARK (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by LINKIN PARK · riff

The Papercut by LINKIN PARK guitar tone is built on a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, dialed in at gain 8/10, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 7, presence 6 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

GAIN

BASS

4.5

MID

TREBLE

PRESENCE

REVERB

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 8 sits right around the metal average (7.3); mids at 4.5 are right around average (5.2).

Guitar controls

VOLUME

8-10

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Ibanez RG470 · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Studio recording, 2000. Guitar and amp confirmed for Hybrid Theory era and visible in period photos and interviews. No evidence of alternate guitars or amps for the riff section of 'Papercut'.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Mesa/Boogie songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier songs & tones →🎚️ Ibanez RG songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Ibanez RG470 → Noise gate (model unknown) → Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier

Effects

noise_gate, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (digital, level 2)

Tone character

tight and percussive, aggressive palm muting, scooped mids, saturated high-gain distortion, articulate and focused, chunky low end, compressed attack, minimal ambience, modern nu-metal clarity, clear note separation

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, fast tempo, aggressive dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Papercut sound.

Difficulty

3.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires fast, precise alternate picking and tight palm muting to maintain clarity and percussiveness at a high tempo. The syncopated rhythm and need for consistent articulation under high gain add to the challenge.

Worth knowing

No official studio knob settings found; amp and guitar confirmed by period interviews and gear photos.
Settings estimated based on typical Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier use in nu-metal and user attempts to replicate the tone.
No evidence of pedals or effects used in the riff section; all effects inferred from audio and genre conventions.
No explicit mention of pickup selector, but bridge pickup is standard for this tone and genre.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Brad Delson's 'Papercut' tone is a tight, modern high-gain sound typical of early 2000s nu-metal, likely using a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier with moderate bass, slightly scooped mids, and clear but not harsh treble/presence. The production is very dry with no audible reverb, matching the genre's punchy, percussive mix.

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →

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Papercut guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Papercut guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 8, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 7, presence 6, reverb 1. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Papercut tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Ibanez RG470 · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier; noise_gate, reverb.

Can I get the Papercut tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like LINKIN PARK on Papercut — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 8, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 7, presence 6, reverb 1), and noise_gate, reverb. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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More like this

🎸 How to get LINKIN PARK’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Metal guitar tones → · 🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier settings → · 🎛️ best metal amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎯 more scooped mids tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com