Get this tone on your gear
Choose your guitar and amp to get exact knob settings.
The recording
Brad Delson first laid down a scratch guitar track at 70 BPM on the studio bus, then re‑recorded the final rhythm and lead parts at 135 BPM after the drum track was set. The guitars were tracked at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood under producer Don Gilmore and mixed by Andy Wallace, giving the part a tight, aggressive presence in the mix.
Signal chain
Original gear
Ibanez RG7421
Guitar
Brad Delson’s rhythm work on “Faint” is commonly linked to an Ibanez RG7421, a thin‑body, high‑output guitar used during the Meteora sessions.
Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Overdrive
A Tube Screamer is commonly placed before the 5150 to tighten the low end and push the amp into further saturation.
NS-2
Noise Gate
Peavey 5150
Amp
The heavy, saturated core tone on “Faint” is often attributed to a Peavey 5150, the high‑gain amp favored by many nu‑metal productions.
Alternatives
Practical playing approach
Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.
- 1.Select the bridge pickup for maximum bite.
- 2.Use tight palm‑muted down‑strokes on the low strings for the main riff.
- 3.Set the Tube Screamer’s drive high and level low to push the amp.
- 4.Dial the amp’s mids up and bass down for a focused, aggressive tone.
- 5.Alternate‑pick the rapid eighth‑note passages to keep the rhythm tight.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What gear was used for the Faint guitar tone?
The available research points to Ibanez RG7421 into Peavey 5150. The full reported signal chain and evidence links are listed on this page.
Are the original Faint amp settings documented?
Exact historical knob positions are not reliably documented for most recordings. ToneTwin does not publish generated values as studio fact; it creates playable settings only for the amp and pedals a player selects.
How do I recreate the Faint tone on my own gear?
Use the reported pickup, gain character, effects and signal-chain order as the target, then translate that target to your equipment. The matcher models controls for your selected rig rather than copying undocumented studio numbers.
Researched and reviewed by the ToneTwin Research Team.