Tone library / Linkin park / One step closer

One step closer amp settings — Fender Blues Junior IV

The Linkin park guitar tone for “One step closer”, dialed in for a Fender Blues Junior IV with a Jackson Warrior. Studio version, Hybrid Theory (2000)

Original rig

Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier (Modern mode), PRS CE 24 with DiMarzio D-Sonic humbuckers, Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer for tightening

Saturated high-gain with scooped mids, tight palm-muted low end, aggressive attack

Amp settings — Fender Blues Junior IV

BRIGHToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	10
Bass	8
Mid	3
Treble	6
Reverb	0
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Tube Screamer (TS9 or clone)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. Essential for this tone. Run into amp input. Set drive LOW (boost mode) to tighten low end and add midrange cut. Without this, the Blues Jr will sound flabby and undefined at high gain.

Drive 2 · Tone 5 · Level 8

02High-Gain Distortion (Boss DS-1, MXR Fullbore Metal, or TC Dark Matter)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. The Blues Jr cannot produce Mesa Rectifier saturation on its own. Stack this AFTER the Tube Screamer for nu-metal gain levels. A Boss Metal Zone (MT-2) or MXR Fullbore Metal is ideal for the scooped character.

Level 7 · Tone 5 · Dist 8

Why these settings

The Fender Blues Junior is a clean-platform tube amp with no high-gain channel — it cannot produce Rectifier saturation without external pedals. I set amp gain to max and cut mids to 3 (compensating for Fender's natural scoop being less aggressive than Mesa's), but you will not reach this tone without a distortion pedal. The Jackson's high-output humbuckers help push the front end harder than Delson's D-Sonics would, so the pedal gain can stay slightly lower than on a stock PRS.

PRO TIPTune to Drop C# (C#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D#) to match the recording. Palm mute aggressively right at the bridge saddle for maximum tightness — if your mutes sound boomy, move your picking hand closer to the bridge and back off the bass knob by 1.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Fender Blues Junior IV. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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