Tone library / Linkin park / One step closer

One step closer amp settings — Fender Frontman 15g

The Linkin park guitar tone for “One step closer”, dialed in for a Fender Frontman 15g with a Squier Strat. Studio version, Hybrid Theory (2000)

Original rig

Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, PRS CE 24 with DiMarzio D-Sonic bridge pickup, Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, 4x12 with Celestion V30s

Thick, aggressive nu-metal crunch with scooped mids, tight palm-muted low end, and saturated high-gain distortion

Amp settings — Fender Frontman 15g

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	10
Bass	7
Mid	3
Treble	6
Reverb	0
Master	4

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE6 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Overdrive/Distortion Pedal (e.g., Boss DS-1, Tube Screamer clone)

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned. The Frontman 15G's solid-state gain is thin and fizzy at max; a DS-1 ($50 new) or used TS9 ($40) will give you the saturated chunk this tone requires. Without it, you will get buzzy distortion, not tight metal crunch.

Gain/Drive 7 · Tone 4 · Level 7

Why these settings

The Frontman 15G is a 15-watt solid-state practice amp with no presence control, no FX loop, and a bright, thin voicing—the opposite of a Dual Rectifier's warm, compressed saturation. I maxed gain and cut mids to approximate the scooped nu-metal scoop, but the amp physically cannot produce tight high-gain metal tone alone. The Squier Strat's single-coil bridge pickup is bright and low-output compared to Delson's humbucker; rolling tone to 6 warms it slightly. A distortion pedal is mandatory to get anywhere close.

PRO TIPTune to Drop D at minimum (DADGBE) to match the song's low-end weight—standard tuning will sound thin regardless of settings. Palm mute hard and pick aggressively right over the bridge pickup for that percussive attack. If you later add a pedal, put it first in chain and drop amp gain to 5 to avoid mud.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Fender Frontman 15g. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.