The Guitars of Linkin Park

Brad Delson's Guitars

While Brad Delson is probably best known for his signature red PRS Custom 24 with the Hybrid Theory soldier on it and isn't necessarily known as a big "guitar guy," it might come as a surprise to find out that he's actually played over 90 different guitars during his tenure with Linkin Park!

*NOTE* To the best of my knowledge, all guitars listed as being in "active touring use" are current as of the end of the One More Light European Tour in July of 2017 for the B and C rigs, and the Hollywood Bowl memorial show for Chester Bennington on October 27th, 2017 for the A rig. With the exception of images embedded from external sources, all images on this page are posted in chronological order in a single Imgur album HERE.

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: CE 24
Finish: Royal Blue
Years Used: 1998-2003
Special Features: Sticker between pickups
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Mike Shinoda)
Notes: This is the first PRS guitar that Brad ever owned. According to him, he bought the guitar at a Guitar Center store immediately after Xero signed their Zomba publishing deal in 1998. This guitar was used to record the majority of Hybrid Theory, and served as Brad's main stage guitar through the end of 2000 (he used it for every song except "With You" and "Runaway" at that point, he'd even change tunings between songs when necessary!). At the beginning of 2001, this guitar became Brad's Eb-tuned guitar, and it rotated that role with several other guitars throughout the remainder of the Hybrid Theory touring cycle. This guitar's last use by Brad came in early 2003, when he used it for performances of "Easier to Run." This guitar wasn't seen for several years after that, but it made a return in the hands of Mike Shinoda beginning with the Minutes to Midnight touring cycle in 2007 (minus the sticker between the pickups), and has remained in Mike's arsenal ever since. Brad also used this guitar in the music video for "One Step Closer."
Photo Credit: The Linkin Park Association

Brand: Ibanez
Model: RG7620
Finish: Grey Nickel
Years Used: 2000-2002
Special Features: Blue Hybrid Theory band logo on body
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad used this guitar for performances of "With You" and "Runaway" for the entire Hybrid Theory touring cycle, and likely used the same guitar on the original studio recordings of those two songs as well. According to a magazine interview, Brad's nickname for this guitar was "Satan." Brad retired this guitar from stage use at the conclusion of the Hybrid Theory touring cycle in 2002, and switched to playing 6-string guitars (tuned B to B) on those two songs beginning in 2003. The last time this guitar was seen was in the studio at NRG during the recording of Meteora (it can briefly be seen sitting on a stand in one of the 2003 LPTV videos). It MIGHT have remained a backup to Brad's orange Ibanez for at least part of the Meteora touring cycle, but it didn't see any stage use after Hybrid Theory. I have no idea if Brad still has this guitar or not.
Photo Credit: Nick Running/Rocktime Magazine

Brand: Ibanez
Model: RG7620
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2000 (One show)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This guitar is one of the more random ones I've come across. It's definitely an RG7620 under close examination, based on the locking tremolo and the selection of 7-string RGs available at the time the picture was taken. Brad used this guitar for "With You" and "Runaway" at the September 20th, 2000 show at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. He used his more-familiar grey RG7620 at performances shortly before (The Roxy in Los Angeles on September 5th) and shortly after (Juke Joint in Springfield, Missouri on October 11th) this show, so my best guess is that something was wrong with his usual 7-string at the time of this performance and he had to secure a "fill-in" guitar for this show. It may not even be his guitar, as Linkin Park was still on a VERY tight touring budget at this point in their career - Brad toured for all but the last few weeks of 2000 with only two guitars! I'm willing to bet this was a rented/borrowed instrument.

Brand: Ibanez
Model: AX520
Finish: Galaxy Black
Years Used: 2000 (One show)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Much like the black RG7620, this is a "one-off" guitar that made only one known appearance in 2000, this one at a show in December (I'm unsure which one exactly). Brad's definitely playing a drop-tuned powerchord at the 3rd fret in this picture, so he must have used this guitar as a backup to his blue PRS at some point. It's hard to say much more than that, the guitar may have been used for multiple performances, it may have belonged to Brad, it may have been borrowed/rented...but this one photo is all I have of it! I was perplexed by the block inlays on this guitar for many years, as I was unaware of the existence of the AX520 model that came with them as a standard feature in 2000. I thought it was a customized AX120 for a long time, but I was wrong!
Photo Credit: linkinparkfan.ru

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Violin Amber Sunburst
Years Used: 2000-2004
Special Features: Bird inlays
Current Status: Owned by Phoenix
Notes: Brad acquired his first Custom 24 at the end of 2000, at some point during the "Master Bay Tour" with Papa Roach (this is the same tour that Brad was also photographed with the Ibanez AX120 seen above, so I'm guessing he acquired this guitar mid-tour). It briefly rotated with his blue CE 24, he used this guitar as his main guitar at a show in Peoria, Illinois on December 6th but it served as his Eb-tuned guitar at KROQ's Almost Acoustic Xmas on December 17th. This guitar permanently became his primary guitar at the beginning of 2001, and stayed in that role through the end of the year. Once Brad started using the "red soldier" PRS as his main guitar, this guitar was shifted back to being Brad's Eb-tuned guitar, and it rotated with several other guitars in that role during the Meteora period. This guitar was last seen in the summer of 2004, and it was around that time that it unfortunately became an "A Place for My Head" casualty (and probably the nicest guitar of Brad's that suffered that fate, too). The guitar wasn't SMASHED like some of the Ibanez guitars were, but Brad threw it across the stage one night following "A Place for My Head," and the impact of the landing broke one of the main bolts holding the tremolo unit in place, which completely mangled the entire bridge assembly. The guitar was repaired, but it was never quite the same after that, so the band retired it. At some point not long afterwards, Brad apparently decided to give this guitar to Phoenix, as he's had it at his home studio since at least 2006 and it's been seen in a couple photos (see the Misc. Guitars page).
Photo Credit: Nick Running/Rocktime Magazine

Brand: Taylor
Model: 814ce
Finish: Natural Blonde
Years Used: 2000 (One show), 2017 (One show)
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - E A D G B E acoustic guitar in A rig)
Notes: Brad used this guitar for the debut performance of "My December" at KROQ's Almost Acoustic Xmas in 2000 (first photo). The video of the band performing the song never shows a clear shot of Brad, just a short pan across a close-up view of his hands. I had assumed for years that this must have been some type of Takamine guitar based on the band's longstanding relationship with them, but I never could find an exact match for the inlays. Finally, I realized that the inlays are actually an exact match for the ones that were offered on some of Taylor's 800 series instruments in the late '90s/early 2000's (they were a slightly different "hollow diamond" style of inlay compared to the "element" inlays available on that line of instruments today)! Based on the style of the cutaway, it almost has to be an 814ce (I'm unaware of any other model from that era that it could be). Anyway, you'd think that would be the end of the story on this one...but fast forward SEVENTEEN YEARS to when I'm trying to identify the Taylor acoustic guitar that Brad played on "Sharp Edges" at the Chester tribute show at the Hollywood Bowl, and imagine my shock when I realize that IT'S THE SAME GUITAR (second photo). Same unmistakable period-correct inlays that identify it as an 814ce from around 1998-2000! My best guess is that this is a guitar Brad bought way back when the band first got their record deal, and he kept it at home for all these years (probably no coincidence that its two appearances have both come at shows in the Los Angeles area)! I kind of doubt that Brad would have actually brought this guitar out on tour had the One More Light tour dates not been cancelled, but since the Hollywood Bowl show was the last show with the A rig and Brad was last seen using his new Martin acoustic in the B rig on the European tour, I've chosen to notate this guitar as being in "active touring use" as of the most recent performance.

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 22
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2001 ("Crawling" music video)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: I assumed for many years that Brad used his blue CE 24 in the music video for "Crawling," but it turns out he used a black PRS instead! This must have been an instrument that was rented for the video, as it was never seen again afterwards (this one is distinguishable from any other black PRS Brad has used over the years because it has a 3-way toggle switch instead of a 5-way rotary knob). Brad doesn't get a lot of camera time in the video, but from what I can see of the guitar, I'm pretty sure it's a Custom 22.
Photo Credit: The Linkin Park Association

Brand: Ibanez
Model: AEF30
Finish: Transparent Violin Sunburst
Years Used: 2001 ("Papercut" music video)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad used this guitar in the "Papercut" music video, but never used it live.
Photo Credit: The Linkin Park Association

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Standard 24
Finish: Platinum Metallic
Years Used: 2001-2003 (Possibly 2004)
Special Features: Bird inlays
Current Status: Retired/Donated/On display (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
Notes: Brad used this guitar as his Eb-tuned guitar a lot in the middle portion of 2001, particularly the Ozzfest tour (first photo). Mike also used an identical guitar on "Pushing Me Away" and "Crawling" on that tour, which I THINK was the same instrument. This guitar was actually used after 2001, as Brad's former guitar tech Sean Paden remembers the guitar, and he didn't start working for the band until 2003. This guitar is currently on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (second photo), and it clearly sustained some significant damage between 2001 and when it was donated, so it's likely that this guitar was used for "A Place for My Head" at some point in 2003-2004, and wound up being another "casualty" of that song, which is probably why the band chose to donate it.
Photo Credit: Steven Saing (Second photo)

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Sapphire Smoke Burst
Years Used: 2001 ("In the End" music video), 2007-2017
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Db Ab Db Gb Bb backup guitar in A rig)
Notes: This guitar was Brad's second Custom 24, it was originally a "personal guitar" that he kept at home for practice and demo recordings. It made its first appearance in the music video for "In the End" in 2001 (first photo), but it didn't become part of Brad's live rig until the Minutes to Midnight tour in 2007 (second photo). The guitar was still VERY rarely seen after that, as it was usually a backup Drop D-tuned guitar for songs like "Given Up," "Waiting for the End," and "Burn It Down." Since Brad only plays a few songs on a PRS in that tuning, the chances of him needing to use his backup guitar for those songs is pretty slim. Brad used this guitar for some performances of "When They Come for Me" during the A Thousand Suns era, but the first time I saw a clear shot of this guitar on stage wasn't until June of 2014 at the Download Festival performance where the band played Hybrid Theory in its entirety (Brad used it as his Eb-tuned guitar for "A Place for My Head" and "Forgotten"). This guitar finally saw regular use on tour for The Hunting Party from 2014-2015, tuned to Drop C for use on "Rebellion" (third photo). Once that song was retired, this guitar became a backup to Brad's main PRS in the A rig for the One More Light tour. This guitar apparently has had several electronic components replaced due to some issues with the signal cutting out, but the problem persisted for many years, which is why the guitar went so long without being used much!

Photo Credit: Sean Paden (Second photo)

Brand: Terry C. McInturff (TCM Guitars)
Model: Taurus Sportster
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2001
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad used this guitar as his Eb-tuned guitar in September/October of 2001 (starting on the European tour and continuing through the first month of the Family Values Tour). TCM Guitars is a small, custom-order company that Brad had some degree of an endorsement with for a period of about six months in late 2001/early 2002 (the company continued to list him as an artist on their website for over a decade afterward, despite it being very difficult to find photos/videos of him using their instruments!). He didn't use their guitars very much though, as they were always his Eb-tuned guitars when he used them, so he only used them for 3 songs ("A Place for My Head," "Forgotten," and "Step Up"). I have a feeling Brad's guitar tech at the time, Greg Howard, had more to do with the deal than Brad did. In addition to Brad playing this guitar in 2001, Chester also used it on "It's Goin' Down" on the 2002 tour. It hasn't been seen since then, however.
Photo Credit: The Linkin Park Association

Brand: Takamine
Model: EG461SC
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2001-2002, 2009-2010 (Studio)
Special Features: Snowflake inlays
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad used this guitar for performances of "My December" in the last quarter of 2001 (first photo), and presumably in 2002 as well. He also used it for "Pushing Me Away," "Crawling," "In the End," and the intro to "A Place for My Head" during the band's short acoustic set on the second night of KROQ's Almost Acoustic Xmas in 2001. Mike also used an identical guitar at the same performance. This guitar randomly appeared in a studio photo 8 years later, from when the band was recording A Thousand Suns (second photo)! Note that newer versions of this guitar have regular dot inlays instead of snowflakes.

Photo Credit: linkinpark.com (Second photo)

Brand: Terry C. McInturff (TCM Guitars)
Model: Glory Standard
Finish: Cherry Burst
Years Used: 2001
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad used this guitar as his Eb-tuned guitar for the November dates of the Family Values Tour in 2001, and all subsequent shows through the end of the year. It's easy to mistake this guitar for Brad's sunburst PRS, but the control layout, bridge, and inlays are different, plus this guitar only has 22 frets.

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Black Cherry
Years Used: 2002-2017
Special Features: Hybrid Theory soldier artwork on body, arrow-shaped inlay at 12th fret, "gas mask" headstock logo, non-original bridge (2010-Present)
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Db Ab Db Gb Bb main guitar in A rig)
Notes: Brad acquired this now-iconic guitar in late 2001, but it didn't make its stage debut until Projekt Revolution in 2002. Brad used both this guitar and his sunburst Custom 24 as his primary guitar at different points during that tour, but this guitar became his main guitar in 2003, and has remained in that role ever since. In addition to the soldier artwork, a particularly interesting feature of this guitar is the "gas mask" logo on the headstock - It takes the place of what would usually be the "Paul Reed Smith" signature/logo, making this one of a VERY small number of guitars PRS has ever built without their logo on it (possibly the only one, in fact)! Brad acquired a 22-fret version of this guitar in 2008, and a second 24-fret version was added the following year (both of these guitars are mentioned further below). The original version of this guitar had its bridge replaced in 2010, as the intonation screws were stripped and the guitar kept going out of tune. This guitar was also used in the music videos for "Somewhere I Belong," "Faint," and "From the Inside." Brad also used it during the filming of "Breaking the Habit," but when they turned the live performance footage into animation, they made his guitar blue instead for some reason!

Brand: Unknown
Model: Unknown (Les Paul copy)
Finish: Unknown (Cherry Sunburst)
Years Used: 2003 (Magazine photo shoot)
Current Status: Unknown (Destroyed)
Notes: Brad had a feature article/photo shoot in the May 2003 issue of Total Guitar magazine. He smashed a knockoff Les Paul copy in a couple of the photos from the shoot (first photo), and from what I can see of the headstock shape (second photo), it's definitely not an Epiphone. None of the photos in the set are clear enough to make out the headstock logo though, and there are so many random companies that have made cheap Les Paul copies over the years that I've never been able to track down any info on what brand this guitar is.
Photo Credit: Brad Delson Online

Brand: Ibanez
Model: RGT3120
Finish: Transparent Dark Brown
Years Used: 2002 (Studio), 2003-2007
Multiple Copies: 2
Special Features: DiMarzio D-Sonic bridge pickup (#1)
Current Status: Sold at auction (#1)/Unknown (#2)
Notes: Brad initially used this guitar in the studio during the Meteora recording sessions (first photo). Despite the finish name, this guitar is really more orange in color. Once the band went on tour after the album was done, this became the guitar he played "With You" and "Runaway" on throughout the Meteora touring cycle. Brad had two copies of this guitar, and for some reason one had a D-Sonic in the bridge (second photo), while the other didn't (third photo). These guitars came with stock DiMarzio PAF Pro pickups, so maybe they decided the pickup change wasn't necessary on the second guitar. This guitar made its last appearance at the 2007 Bamboozle festival, when the band played "Runaway" for the first (and only) time on the Minutes to Midnight touring cycle. One of these guitars was sold at a Music For Relief charity auction prior to the band's Los Angeles performance in August of 2011. I'm not sure exactly what happened to the second copy of this guitar, but it's no longer in the band's possession.
Photo Credit: Rockpalast (Third photo)

Brand: Ibanez
Model: RG470XL
Finish: Black Pearl
Years Used: 2003-2008
Multiple Copies: 4
Special Features: Unknown DiMarzio bridge pickup
Current Status: Sold at auction (#1 and #2)/Donated, on display (Hard Rock Cafe - Denver, CO) (#3)/Unknown (#4)
Notes: Brad used this baritone guitar for live performances of "Don't Stay" and "Nobody's Listening," as those songs are tuned a full step lower than Linkin Park's "traditional" tuning (first photo). Of the four copies of this guitar Brad used over the years, his most-frequently used one earned the nickname "Sao Paulo," as the 2004 show in Sao Paulo, Brazil was the last time it had its strings changed. That's right, this guitar continued to be used for the next four years without ever getting a fresh set of strings put on it! This was kind of a running joke with the band's crew, but it also made sense, since Brad was only using the guitar for one song per show at that point, and I can imagine it took FOREVER for new strings to stretch properly on a guitar with a 27" scale length AND an Edge Pro bridge! "Sao Paulo" was eventually sold at a Music For Relief charity auction prior to the band's Los Angeles performance in August of 2011 (with the same set of strings still on it!), and another copy of this guitar was sold in November of 2013 as part of another Music For Relief auction in support of Typhoon Haiyan relief. A third copy of this guitar was donated to the Hard Rock Cafe in Denver at some point (second photo), and I have no idea if the band still has the last copy in their possession or not as of 2017.

Brand: Ibanez
Model: RG470
Finish: Titanium Ice
Years Used: 2003
Special Features: Unknown DiMarzio bridge pickup
Current Status: Retired/Destroyed
Notes: I knew of this guitar's existence for YEARS, ever since Sean Paden told me it had been used as a "smasher" on "A Place for My Head." I had given up on ever finding a photo of it, but lo and behold, I came across a photo from the Boost Mobile Festival show the band played right before Summer Sanitarium in 2003, and it appeared that Brad was playing the verse riff of "Don't Stay" on a different guitar than his usual RG470XL baritone. Thanks to some quick searching from one of my Twitter followers, more photos were tracked down, confirming that it was indeed the long-lost silver RG470! I originally had been told that this was actually an RG570, but there's way too much metal flake in the finish for it to be the Grey Nickel variant that was offered on the RG570 at the time, and instead is a much better fit for the RG470's Titanium Ice finish (I suppose it's possible Brad also had an RG570 at some point, but it wasn't this guitar). I was surprised to discover Brad used this guitar on "Don't Stay" at some point, but since this was still pretty early on in the Meteora cycle, perhaps he only had one copy of the RG470XL baritone at the time and was using this as a backup. This guitar was also apparently briefly used as a backup to the orange RGT3120 on "With You" and "Runaway," but it was relegated to "smasher" status after only a couple shows in that role, and ended up being destroyed before the end of the tour. Short lifespan for this guitar, but fortunately it was photographed on one of the rare occasions it was used!
Photo Credit: ZUMA Press, Inc., via Alamy Stock Photo

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Grey Black
Years Used: 2003-2017
Special Features: Hybrid Theory soldier artwork on body, arrow-shaped inlay at 12th fret
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb guitar in A rig)
Notes: Brad acquired this guitar prior to the Summer Sanitarium tour in the summer of 2003, it's basically identical to his "red soldier" PRS save for the finish, except this guitar has the regular PRS logo on the headstock instead of the "gas mask" logo. This guitar is most often used as either an Eb-tuned guitar or a backup to his main PRS (or sometimes a combination of the two), although it also served as his Drop D guitar for a brief period in early 2007. This guitar was actually the first "A Place for My Head" casualty, believe it or not! Sean Paden had just started working as Brad's guitar tech when Brad got this guitar, and he made the mistake of handing it to him for "A Place for My Head" on the second show of the Summer Sanitarium tour, not knowing that that would be the night the tradition of smashing a guitar after that song would start! The guitar's neck ended up completely broken off, but thankfully it was repairable! Needless to say, Sean made sure he didn't give this guitar to Brad for that song at the following show! Like the "red soldier" PRS, Brad acquired a 22-fret version of this guitar in 2008, and a second 24-fret version in 2009, both of which are mentioned further below.
Photo Credit: Chad Lee/Rock Concert Fotos

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2003-2004
Special Features: Bird inlays
Current Status: Retired/Destroyed/Donated/On display (Hard Rock Cafe - New York City)
Notes: This guitar lived a very tortured life. It was originally rented from a music store in Los Angeles for the "Numb" music video shoot (they needed a black PRS on short notice, as Joe Hahn wanted an all-black color scheme for the instruments in the video). Brad happened to be wearing a belt with a large metal buckle the day of the video shoot, which scuffed the finish on the back of the guitar, resulting in the band having to buy it from said music store for full price! The guitar then found its way into Brad's touring rig for the Summer Sanitarium tour (first photo), where it was used as an Eb-tuned guitar. Since it was in the correct tuning for the song, this guitar wound up being used for "A Place for My Head" on one of the nights Brad didn't smash an Ibanez...meaning it got smashed as well, as seen in this 2003 photo of Sean Paden in Guitar Player Magazine (second photo). The guitar was repaired, however, and returned for the 2004 Projekt Revolution tour, once again as an Eb-tuned guitar, and it once again became a "smasher" for "A Place for My Head," but with a twist: Brad and Sean got into a little competition involving this guitar, where Brad would smash it every night, and Sean would fix it and give it back to him at the next show, to see who would give up on the guitar first. Sean repaired this guitar over 20 times in total! At the August 3rd show in Camden, New Jersey, a piece of the center of the headstock went missing, which would normally have been a "death blow" to the guitar, but instead, Sean grabbed a couple of Korn's drum sticks, cut them to the right size/shape and glued them together to fill in the missing piece, glued the entire headstock back together, spraypainted it black, and glued one of Brad's guitar picks over the truss rod cover. At the following show in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio on August 5th (my first Linkin Park show!), Brad tossed the guitar on the ground after "A Place for My Head" again, and this time Chester picked it up and REALLY made sure to smash it up. Brad told Sean after the show that he was giving up, and not to hand him that guitar again at the next show. Crew 1, band 0! The entire band (and Sean) ended up signing the guitar and donating it to the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City (third photo), but not before some of the hardware was removed and the black speed knobs were swapped out for gold ones (the band doesn't really like to use the gold knobs on their stage guitars, so they pull black knobs off other guitars whenever they can).
Photo Credit: LP Times (First photo), Guitar Player Magazine (Second photo)

Brand: Ibanez
Model: Various RG series guitars
Finish: Various
Years Used: 2003-2004
Current Status: Retired/Destroyed
Notes: This entry is a "catch-all" for the numerous Ibanez guitars destroyed by Brad and/or Chester following "A Place For My Head" on the Summer Sanitarium tour in 2003, as well as the 2004 Projekt Revolution tour. This didn't happen at EVERY show, but it was definitely a frequent occurrence! These guitars varied quite frequently, as they were retired after reaching the point of becoming unrepairable. Brad smashed a black RG220B on the Live in Texas DVD (first photo), which appears to have been signed by the band beforehand, so I'm guessing it was donated somewhere afterwards, but I haven't been able to find out where. I thought that this may have been the same guitar Mike used in the "Crawling" music video for a while, but this guitar has a locking tremolo, while Mike's doesn't. Chester is pictured smashing another guitar in the From the Inside: Linkin Park's Meteora book, which is a black RG321 with a DiMarzio D-Sonic bridge pickup that Mike had previously used on the 2003 Projekt Revolution tour (second photo), this was specifically at the show in Montreal, Canada on July 20th, 2003. I was also recently contacted by the wife of a fan who played guitar on "Faint" at the Cardiff, Wales show on November 25th, 2003 (the first known instance of a fan playing guitar with LP on stage!), and was given the body of another previously-smashed guitar as a gift afterwards (third photo). This guitar was an RG2120X in Transparent Light Blue finish. I'd assume this guitar was smashed during Summer Sanitarium and the band still had it sitting around (although my contact did specify that the guitar still had its electronics and hardware at the time of the show, they were removed afterwards when it was decided to gift the guitar to her husband). What's interesting about this guitar is that it was originally equipped with a Double Edge piezo system (much like the S2020X Brad used on "My December" later in 2004), but I asked Sean Paden about it and he confirmed that the piezo electronics had been removed from the guitar, leaving it with a "normal" RG volume/tone configuration before it was destroyed. In terms of other Ibanez "smashers" not pictured here, there was also a Titanium Ice RG470 (mentioned further above since it was also used on "Don't Stay" at one point) and I know for a fact a Transparent Violet RGT3120 was smashed at some point (the same model guitar that Brad used on "With You" and "Runaway," but in a different color), but I don't have a photo of it. More Ibanez guitars were almost definitely used, but I'm only positive of five of them. Other non-Ibanez guitars used as "smashers" include the black PRS Custom 24 mentioned above, Brad's "grey soldier" Custom 24 (which was only smashed on one occasion near the beginning of the Summer Sanitarium tour, and subsequently repaired), and Brad's Amber Violin Sunburst Custom 24 from the Hybrid Theory touring cycle (which was unfortunately damaged so badly that it had to be retired). The Platinum Metallic PRS Standard 24 that is currently on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame appears to have been used as a "smasher" during this period as well based on visible damage to the instrument, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
Photo Credit: The Linkin Park Association (First photo), Kayleigh Tuck (Third photo)

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24 Artist
Finish: Transparent Ruby Red
Years Used: 2003-2004, 2007-2011
Special Features: Bird inlays, non-original hardware, DiMarzio D-Sonic bridge pickup (2003-2004), Fernandes FSK-401 Sustainer modification (2007-Present), black pickup rings (2007-Present)
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Mike Shinoda)
Notes: This guitar has gone through a lot of modifications over the years. This is a Custom 24 with "artist package" upgrades, but the gold hardware on it has been replaced with "standard" hardware. Brad used this guitar to play "Figure.09" on the Meteora touring cycle, as that song is played with the 3 highest strings removed, and a second low Db string added in place of what would normally be the Bb string (first photo). The guitar also had a D-Sonic pickup in the bridge at that point. In 2007, this guitar was modified with a Fernandes Sustainer for use on "No More Sorrow," the original PRS bridge pickup (or at least one like it) was put back in the guitar, and the pickup rings were changed from white to black (second photo). Once "No More Sorrow" was retired at the end of the A Thousand Suns touring cycle, Mike started using it for performances of "Waiting for the End" in 2012. NOTE: I've had some people question if these photos aren't actually of two different guitars, based on the back of the neck appearing unfinished in the second photo. I honestly have no explanation for this. That particular photo is from the Sandisk Sunset Strip Block Party show on October 26th, 2007. I've seen other photos of the guitar from shows both before and after that date that clearly show that the back of the neck matches the finish on the rest of the body, as it did in all the Meteora-era photos. From comparing the grain pattern in the quilted top on the body, it still appears to be the same guitar, and I can't imagine Brad would have had another Sustainer-equipped guitar that he only used once! There are also a few audience videos of "No More Sorrow" from the show in question, and while they're very low quality by today's standards, they don't give any indication of the neck being unfinished either (the stage lights would reflect a lot brighter off the back of a light-colored neck when Brad has his back to the audience, and that doesn't happen), so unless I get more information that indicates otherwise, I'm going to chalk the look of the neck in the second photo up to a weird lighting thing.
Photo Credit: The Linkin Park Association (First photo), Linkin-Photo (Second photo)

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 22
Finish: Emerald Green
Years Used: 2003
Special Features: Bird inlays
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This guitar wasn't used on stage much. It was originally a backup Eb-tuned guitar on the Summer Sanitarium tour, but never saw any stage use in that role. For the short European tour in August/September of 2003, Brad's guitar lineup was shuffled around a bit, as his black Custom 24 still had a broken neck from the last time it was used on "A Place For My Head," and there was no time to repair it before the band departed for Europe. This brought Brad's sunburst Custom 24 out of retirement to become his Eb-tuned guitar (it hadn't been used on the Summer Sanitarium tour), and this green Custom 22 wound up becoming Brad's "4-string" for use on "Figure.09." The red Custom 24 that Brad normally used for that song wasn't available either, as the band was experimenting with using multiple touring rigs for the first time, so not all of their instruments made the trip to Europe with them. This guitar's color was actually what caused it to not be used much, as the band thought it was too "loud" and didn't really like it, so it was retired and either sold or given away at some point after the conclusion of the Meteora touring cycle.

Brand: Ibanez
Model: S2020X
Finish: Antique Violin
Years Used: 2004
Special Features: Double Edge piezo system, dual outputs
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad used this guitar for performances of "My December" in early 2004 (first photo). Brad decided he wanted to use a piezo-equipped guitar for "semi-acoustic" tones on that particular song, so Ibanez sent him this guitar to use. It also happens to be the exact same guitar that was photographed for the S2020X's entry in Ibanez's 2004 catalog (second photo)!
Photo Credit: Ibanez Guitars (Second photo)

Brand: Ernie Ball/Music Man
Model: Stingray 5
Finish: Sterling Silver
Years Used: 2004
Current Status: Likely active touring use (As of 2017 - Phoenix)
Notes: Brad and Phoenix routinely swapped instruments to play "Nobody's Listening" on the U.S. leg of the Meteora World Tour in early 2004. Note that I don't really keep up on what basses Phoenix uses live, so I THINK this one is still in use, but I'm not completely sure.

Brand: Fender
Model: Unknown (Telecaster)
Finish: Blonde
Years Used: 2006-2007 (Studio)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: The first guitar in the rack pictured here is a Telecaster that Brad used while recording Minutes to Midnight.

Brand: Fender
Model: 1964 Stratocaster
Finish: Lake Placid Blue
Years Used: 2006-2007 (Studio)
Special Features: Matching headstock
Current Status: Unknown (Possibly owned by Ethan Mates)
Notes: The second guitar in the rack pictured here is a vintage Stratocaster that Brad used while recording Minutes to Midnight. This guitar is owned by studio engineer Ethan Mates (or at least was at the time of the photo, he may have sold it in the years since), and has a VERY rare matching headstock.

Brand: Fender
Model: Unknown (Stratocaster)
Finish: Sage Green
Years Used: 2006-2007 (Studio)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This is another Strat that Brad used while recording Minutes to Midnight.

Brand: Fender
Model: Jaguar
Finish: 3-Color Sunburst
Years Used: 2006-2007 (Studio)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This is a vintage Jaguar that Brad used while recording Minutes to Midnight.

Brand: Gibson
Model: Unknown (Les Paul)
Finish: Gold Top
Years Used: 2006-2007 (Studio)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This is another guitar that Brad used while recording Minutes to Midnight. It may be a vintage Les Paul Standard, or it may be a more recent reissue/an offshoot model like a Les Paul Classic that happens to be in a goldtop finish, hard to say for sure.

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Private Stock Custom 22 Baritone
Finish: Transparent Ruby Red
Years Used: 2006 (Studio), 2007-2008
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: While it may not look like it at first glance, this is actually one of the most valuable/unique guitars Linkin Park has ever had in their possession. This was a custom-ordered PRS baritone guitar that Brad initially acquired in 2006, and had in the studio while recording Minutes to Midnight (first photo - first guitar in the rack). This guitar was then used as a backup guitar for Brad's RG470XL for performances of "Don't Stay" on the Minutes to Midnight touring cycle (second photo - it's the guitar on the far left, under the hat). The guitar wound up only being used for one live performance though, as it was determined that its tone was so different from that of the Ibanez guitars, that it was easier to just keep using the Ibanez guitars for consistency's sake (even though the PRS was a much higher-quality instrument). While PRS has mass-produced a couple SE-line baritone guitars over the years (the Mike Mushok SE, and more recently, the two variants of the SE 277 Baritone), they rarely build baritone instruments in their USA plant. Brad's was only the 7th baritone they ever built, and I'm pretty sure at least a couple of the other six are owned by Pete Loeffler from Chevelle! Speaking of the Mike Mushok SE, Brad actually had one of those guitars in his touring rig during the Minutes to Midnight period as well (he had 4 RG470XLs and the custom PRS baritone, so he needed one more guitar to serve as a backup in the band's third touring rig), but it was never used live, and I doubt any photos of it exist. As for the custom baritone, its last known status was "sitting in a guitar case and probably hasn't been touched in years" according to Sean Paden. Since Sean hasn't worked with the band since 2013 and I haven't really been in direct contact with Brad's new tech (BEN, HIT ME UP BRUH), I have no way of really knowing if the band still has this guitar or not.

Brand: Fender
Model: Rory Gallagher Signature Stratocaster
Finish: Worn 3-Color Sunburst
Years Used: 2007-2017(#1 and #2), 2009-2015 (#3)
Multiple Copies: 3 (#3 acquired in 2009)
Special Features: Prototype model (#3)
Current Status: Active touring use (#1 and #2 - As of 2017 - D A D G B E backup guitars in A and B rigs, also tuned to E A D G B E when necessary)/Studio use (Mike Shinoda) (#3)
Notes: With several of the songs on Minutes to Midnight being recorded on Strats, Brad started using this guitar on stage in 2007, and it subsequently became his second most-frequently used guitar for almost 7 years, after his red soldier PRS. Brad initially had two of these guitars, which were the standard model offered for sale to the public. The third one that he acquired in 2009 was actually a prototype model that Fender sent to Rory Gallagher's brother for final approval, prior to the actual production run starting (this prototype apparently sat untouched in a music store for a few years, it was a total coincidence that Brad happened to end up with it). The prototype looks identical to the other two, but it's still not TECHNICALLY the same model. Once the touring cycle for The Hunting Party began in May of 2014, the Rory Gallagher Strats were largely relegated to backup duty, as Brad began playing his newer "Time Machine" series Strats built by Jason Smith as his main Strats for the most part. As of 2017, Brad is using these guitars both as backups and for songs tuned to standard ("One More Light," "Talking to Myself," and "Nobody Can Save Me") in the A and B rigs, but oddly enough, the third guitar seems to have been swapped out for a silver Strat in the C rig (see below). Note that I have no way of knowing if it's actually the "third guitar" (the prototype acquired in 2009) that was swapped out, but for the sake of convenience, that's how I've chosen to notate things unless I receive information stating otherwise. Mike started using one of these Strats at his home studio in late 2019, so I've also elected to note that as being "#3" for the sake of convenience here.

Brand: Fernandes
Model: Dragonfly Elite
Finish: See-Thru Green
Years Used: 2007
Special Features: Body wrapped in black gaffer's tape, upper horn pickup selector switch, Fernandes Sustainer pickup system (2-mode version)
Current Status: Sold at auction (2013 LPU Summit - New Zealand)
Notes: Brad used this guitar for "live-in-studio" performances of "No More Sorrow" in early 2007 (first photo), such as the Sessions@AOL performance. Brad initially experimented with using an EBow during rehearsals, like he had on the studio recording of the song, but it proved to be too difficult to make the transitions from the melodic figure played with the EBow to the strummed powerchord riffs. The solution they came up with was to use a Fernandes Sustainer-equipped guitar, but they didn't have time to modify a PRS for Brad on such short notice, so they called Fernandes and ordered a guitar with the Sustainer built into it. The guitar they were sent happened to have a quilted green finish that the band thought was really obnoxious (second photo - stock picture, not actually Brad's guitar), so they wrapped the entire guitar in black gaffer's tape to give it a more subdued look (this is why the Fernandes logo isn't visible on the headstock). This is also the only Dragonfly I've ever seen that has the pickup selector switch on the upper horn of the guitar, rather than next to the volume/tone knobs. This leads me to believe it may be a prototype model of some kind (the switch wasn't modified/moved after the band received the guitar, per Sean Paden). I believe this is also the only guitar Brad's ever used that had a Seymour Duncan pickup in it (this model comes with one stock in the bridge position, but Brad usually uses DiMarzio pickups)! This guitar also only has the older 2-mode version of the Sustainer that only has "Normal" and "Harmonic" modes on it, which is why those early performances of "No More Sorrow" sounded different than subsequent performances, as Brad uses the "Mix" mode on his other Sustainer-equipped guitars, but had to use the "Normal" mode on this one. Anyway, the guitar wasn't used again once Brad acquired his first PRS with the Sustainer modification, so it wound up being autographed by the band and auctioned off at the 2013 LPU Summit in New Zealand (third photo).

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: CE 22
Finish: Vintage Cherry
Years Used: 2007-2009
Special Features: Fernandes FSK-401 Sustainer modification
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad started using this guitar to perform "No More Sorrow" in April of 2007. This was the first Sustainer-equipped PRS Brad used for "real" live performances, his red Custom 24 Artist from the Meteora touring cycle was also modified around the same time and made its live debut the following month. This guitar was used a lot during the first half of the Minutes to Midnight touring cycle, but was subsequently phased out in favor of other modified PRS guitars. It wasn't seen much after mid-2008, but it did make a couple more appearances in 2009. Due to the tight schedule the band had between rehearsals and the start of the Minutes to Midnight promo tour, this guitar was "rush-modified" by Erik Goehrisch at Lush Guitars in North Hollywood, instead of having the modifications done by Brad's tech Sean Paden. Sean did the modifications for all of the other subsequent Sustainer-equipped guitars, which is why this guitar's control layout looks a little different from all of the others. I thought this guitar may have ended up in Mike's touring rack later on as a backup for "Waiting for the End," but I was wrong about that, as it turns out Mike doesn't actually carry a backup Sustainer-equipped guitar in his touring rack!
Photo Credit: LP Times

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 22
Finish: Vintage Yellow
Years Used: 2007
Special Features: Bird inlays
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad used this guitar for a few performances of "Somewhere I Belong" at the beginning of the Minutes to Midnight touring cycle, most notably the Webster Hall performance that was shown in movie theaters. I believe this is the only PRS with a covered bridge pickup that Brad's ever used (covered pickups were a standard feature of all of PRS's 22-fret guitars for a few years, most other guitars in LP's arsenal would at least have the bridge pickup swapped out for an uncovered one, but this guitar is an exception)! Brad apparently didn't like the bright yellow color of this guitar, which led to it not being used on stage much. Pretty sure this guitar didn't stick around for too long, I believe the band got rid of it before the end of the Minutes to Midnight touring cycle.
Photo Credit: LP Times

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Black Cherry
Years Used: 2007-2017
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb guitar in C rig)
Notes: This guitar is pretty similar to Brad's red soldier PRS, but this one has a tremolo bridge, and the top has an unusually "subdued" appearance, compared to the highly figured tops found on most PRS Custom-line instruments. Brad initially used this guitar as his Eb-tuned guitar on the May/June 2007 European tour, and it's been used in several roles since then. Phoenix used this guitar fairly often for performances of "Hands Held High" and "Leave Out All the Rest" during the Minutes to Midnight period, and Brad has continued to use it occasionally, including a one-off performance as his primary PRS for the Sunset Music Strip Festival show in August of 2013, as Brad's red soldier PRS was out of commission with a broken nut (first show in well over 10 years without one of the red soldier guitars!). This guitar was tuned to Drop C for use on "Rebellion" during The Hunting Party's touring cycle, and as of 2017, it's now back to its original role as an Eb-tuned guitar in the C rig.
Photo Credit: LP Inside Hamburg

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Standard 24
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2007-2017
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - D A D G B E backup guitar in A rig)
Notes: This guitar was also introduced on the spring European tour in 2007, and it's remained a regular part of Brad's arsenal ever since (it's apparently one of the best-sounding guitars in the band's arsenal, despite its rather plain appearance!). This guitar has jumped back and forth from being used in Eb and Drop D tunings several times over the years, and is currently a backup Drop D guitar in the A rig. This guitar makes an appearance in the "Given Up" music video, which was edited together from live performance footage.

Brand: Musiconics International (MCI)
Model: B-35 "Guitorgan"
Finish: Wine Red
Years Used: 2007 ("Bleed It Out" music video)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This guitar was rented for the "Bleed It Out" music video, it's a late 1970's "Guitorgan," which is a ridiculously rare guitar/organ hybrid instrument conceived by a man named Bob Murrell in the 1960's (his company operated under two different names at different points - Murrell Electronics and Musiconics International). Murrell actually purchased batches of hollowbody guitars from other manufacturers and modified them with his own electronics to create the Guitorgan, which is why Guitorgans vary greatly in appearance from guitar to guitar. The B-35 model was produced towards the end of the production run for the original Guitorgan design, and was built into an Aria Pro II copy of a Gibson ES-345 (generally speaking, Murrell used Japanese import hollowbody guitars for his Guitorgan builds, although there are examples of them being built from other guitars as well).

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Scarlet Smokeburst
Years Used: 2008-2011
Special Features: "Birds in flight" inlays, Fernandes FSK-401 Sustainer modification
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Mike Shinoda)
Notes: This guitar essentially replaced Brad's red CE 22 for use on "No More Sorrow" starting in the summer of 2008 (although the CE 22 still made occasional appearances for another year or so afterwards). This is also the only PRS in Linkin Park's arsenal with the rare "birds in flight" inlays, which were only available on certain guitars built between 2005 and 2007. This guitar wasn't used a lot, with its most recent appearance (in Brad's hands, anyway) being at the A Thousand Suns release show in New York City in 2011. As of 2014, Mike is now using this guitar for some performances of "Waiting for the End."

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Dave Navarro Signature Model
Finish: Jet White
Years Used: 2008-2017
Special Features: Non-original hardware, 3-way pickup selector replaced with 5-way rotary knob
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - D A D G B E backup guitar in B rig)
Notes: Brad started using this guitar in the summer of 2008 as a Drop D-tuned instrument, and it's remained in that role ever since. While the Dave Navarro signature model comes stock with gold hardware and a 3-way pickup selector switch, they've been replaced with "standard" hardware and a 5-way rotary knob on this guitar.

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Platinum Metallic
Years Used: 2008 (One show)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This is a random guitar, for sure. Brad played "Crawling" and "In the End" on this guitar at the June 2008 show in Skive, Denmark. He used his red soldier PRS for other songs at the same show, so I'm guessing this was a backup guitar. To my knowledge, that was the only time he used it on stage. I've also been told this guitar was a backup instrument in Mike's rig at one point, but I don't know exactly when that was or if the band still has this guitar. This guitar also has a tremolo bridge on it, as opposed to the stoptail bridge on the silver Standard 24 that Brad used way back in 2001. This screenshot from a Youtube video is the best image I can find of the guitar, it's significantly better than the one I had on the site previously but it's still not particularly good.

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Grey Black
Years Used: 2008-2017
Special Features: Black "LP Burst" artwork on body, circular "LP" logo 12th fret inlay, arrow logo on truss rod cover
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - D A D G B E main guitar in A rig)
Notes: Brad debuted this guitar in the summer of 2008, it's essentially the Minutes to Midnight-era equivalent of the Hybrid Theory soldier guitars, with the newer circular version of the "LP" logo on it. The finish on this guitar is actually identical to the grey soldier PRS, the black graphics were applied over the top of the existing finish. This guitar has been used in a variety of tunings ever since it was introduced - it did some time as a backup to Brad's main PRS during the Minutes to Midnight era (and even did one leg of a tour during that period as his main PRS), was largely kept in standard tuning for use on "When They Come for Me" during the A Thousand Suns period, and seems to have found a more permanent home as Brad's Drop D-tuned PRS in the A rig in recent years.

Brand: Fender
Model: Classic '60s Stratocaster
Finish: Inca Silver
Years Used: 2008-2014, 2017
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - D A D G B E backup guitar in C rig, also tuned to E A D G B E when necessary)

Notes: This is a Strat that's been used sparingly over the years. It was used at the June 2008 show in Berlin on "Bleed It Out," and the 2009 Summer Sonic show in Tokyo for about half of "New Divide" (the wireless pack on Brad's Rory Gallagher Strat died mid-song, so he switched to this guitar to finish it). It was also used for "Jornada del Muerto" for the 2010 South American shows (that song is in standard tuning instead of Drop D). This guitar remained in Brad's touring rig as a backup through the end of the Living Things touring cycle, before becoming one of Mike's "backstage jamming" guitars in 2014. As of 2017, this guitar has reappeared in Brad's hands, once again being used as a standard-tuned guitar in the C rig for "Talking to Myself" and "One More Light," in addition to serving as a backup.

Brand: Taylor
Model: 610 Spec
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2009 (One appearance)
Special Features: Gold hardware, snowflake inlays, binding, spruce top w/flamed maple back and sides, cocabola center stripe on back
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: I've been meaning to add this guitar to the site for over a decade, but tracking down info on it was a nightmare! Brad was the commencement speaker for the 2009 graduating class at UCLA (after a much-publicized incident involving original speaker James Franco dropping out at the last minute due to pressure from students). As part of his speech, he picked up an acoustic guitar at one point and hilariously covered a verse/chorus of "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" by Britney Spears. I'm assuming this is a guitar he kept at home, as it's the only time I've seen it. I knew it was a Taylor, but with the only available video of the performance being a 240p clip from 2009, it's hard to make out any details! I could tell that it had gold tuners, no pickguard, binding around the top edge of the body, and that the top/sides/back were all a similar color, with a dark stripe down the back. After a lot of guesswork and some really stupid Google searches ("Taylor guitar back and sides same color as top," for example), I tracked down somebody selling an early 2000's 610 "Spec" (special edition) model that seems to match all of the same specifications. I could actually be wrong about the exact model here, but I think this is the closest I'm going to get!
Photo Credit: UCLA

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2009-2017
Special Features: White "LP Burst" artwork on body, circular "LP" logo 12th fret inlay
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - D A D G B E main guitar in B rig)
Notes: This guitar was acquired in 2008, but didn't debut until the summer of 2009. It's essentially the same thing as the grey "LP burst" guitar, just in a different finish, and this one also lacks the arrow logo on the truss rod cover. Funny story - this guitar's nickname was sort of indirectly my doing, without me even realizing it. Brad's former guitar tech Sean Paden discovered my website sometime in 2009 and started keeping up with it. This guitar was one of the first new guitars he saw me add to the website, and the photo I happen to have of it comes from a show in St. Petersburg, Russia. Sean started referring to the guitar as "St. Pete" after that, and the name ended up sticking with the band's crew!
Photo Credit: Linkin Park Russia

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 22
Finish: Black Cherry
Years Used: 2009-2017
Special Features: Hybrid Theory soldier artwork on body, arrow-shaped inlay at 12th fret, arrow logo on truss rod cover
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb main guitar in B rig)
Notes: Brad acquired a second set of "soldier guitars" in 2008, but they didn't debut on stage until 2009. Unlike the original "red soldier" guitar, this one is a Custom 22 instead of a Custom 24, which was actually the result of a mistake at the PRS factory! This one also has the arrow logo on the truss rod cover, and doesn't have the gas mask logo on the headstock.

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 22
Finish: Grey Black
Years Used: 2009-2017
Special Features: Hybrid Theory soldier artwork on body, arrow-shaped inlay at 12th fret, arrow logo on truss rod cover
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb guitar in B rig)
Notes: Brad acquired a second set of "soldier guitars" in 2008, but they didn't debut on stage until 2009. Unlike the original "grey soldier" guitar, this one is a Custom 22 instead of a Custom 24, which was actually the result of a mistake at the PRS factory! This one also has the arrow logo on the truss rod cover.
Photo Credit: LP Times

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Black Cherry
Years Used: 2009-2017
Special Features: Hybrid Theory soldier artwork on body, arrow-shaped inlay at 12th fret
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb main guitar in C rig)
Notes: Likely as a result of the PRS factory mistake that resulted in the second set of soldier guitars being Custom 22s instead of Custom 24s, a third set of the guitars was ordered in 2009 (both the second and third set ultimately debuted in 2009 - I thought for a long time that the third set didn't debut until 2010, but I was wrong). This guitar is distinguishable from the original "red soldier" by the lack of the "gas mask" design on the headstock, and the fact that this guitar has a flamed maple top instead of a quilted maple top like the first two "red soldier" guitars. This guitar also appears to be a slightly lighter shade of red than the other two "red soldier" guitars.
Photo Credit: Universia

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Grey Black
Years Used: 2009-2017
Special Features: Hybrid Theory soldier artwork on body, arrow-shaped inlay at 12th fret
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb backup guitar in C rig)
Notes: Likely as a result of the PRS factory mistake that resulted in the second set of soldier guitars being Custom 22s instead of Custom 24s, a third set of the guitars was ordered in 2009 (both the second and third set ultimately debuted in 2009 - I thought for a long time that the third set didn't debut until 2010, but I was wrong). This guitar is distinguishable from the original "grey soldier" by the dramatic "tiger stripes" on the top of the guitar (the original has a much more subdued flame top than this one). The soldier graphic also appears to be slightly larger on this guitar. Brad also used this guitar in the music video for "Final Masquerade."

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: CE 24 Mahogany
Finish: Indigo
Years Used: 2009-2011
Special Features: Custom Blue Flake finish, Fernandes FSK-401 Sustainer modification
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This guitar was initially a backup guitar that was acquired near the beginning of the Minutes to Midnight touring cycle, but never saw any stage action. It was originally a very bright, almost "electric blue" color (first photo - stock picture, not actually Brad's guitar). In 2009, with the band expanding from 2 to 3 touring rigs, this guitar was modified to become a new Sustainer-equipped guitar for use on "No More Sorrow," and it was repainted a darker blue with a metal flake finish at that point as well (second photo). Mike also used this guitar for some performances of "Waiting for the End" from 2012 to 2014.

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 22
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2009-2017
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - D A D G B E main guitar in C rig)
Notes: Brad has been using this guitar since 2009, but I didn't actually realize it until the 2012 Billboard Awards performance of "Burn It Down" because it looks so similar to his black Standard 24 at first glance! This one has white pickup rings and binding though, and close inspection reveals that it only has 22 frets. This is one of several PRS guitars that Brad rotates for Drop D tuning. Brad also used this guitar in the music video for "New Divide."

Brand: Fender
Model: Classic '70s Stratocaster
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2009-2010 (Studio)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad used this guitar during the recording of A Thousand Suns. It's notable for having an ash body, as opposed to the more "traditional" alder bodies found on most Strats.
Photo Credit: Mike Shinoda

Brand: Fender
Model: 1996 Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster
Finish: 3-Color Sunburst
Years Used: 2009-2010 (Studio)
Current Status: Unknown (Possibly owned by Ethan Mates)
Notes: Brad used this guitar during the recording of A Thousand Suns, it's one of the guitars that belongs to studio engineer Ethan Mates (or at least did at the time the band was recording that album - Ethan's guitar collection changes a lot). Unlike the more-recent reissues of Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Lenny" Strat, this is the more rare mid-90s model, which features a left-handed/"upside-down" bridge, gold hardware, and a pao ferro fretboard. You don't see too many of these!
Photo Credit: Mike Shinoda

Brand: Gibson
Model: Les Paul Junior (Doublecut model)
Finish: TV Yellow
Years Used: 2009-2010 (Studio)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This is a vintage Les Paul Junior that Brad used during the recording of A Thousand Suns, most notably for the guitar solo on "Waiting for the End." As a doublecut model, it can be dated to between 1958 and 1961 (the singlecut version was available from 1954 to 1958, and the model adopted the SG body style sometime in 1961 until the end of its original run in 1963).

Brand: Gibson
Model: J-45
Finish: Cherry Sunburst
Years Used: 2009-2010 (Studio)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad used this guitar during the recording of A Thousand Suns, most notably on "The Messenger." This is a vintage J-45 that can be dated to between 1955 and 1965, as the pickguard shape on it was introduced in 1955, and the Gibson logo was added to the pickguard of the J-45 starting in 1966.
Photo Credit: The Linkin Park Association

Brand: Fender
Model: 1966 Jaguar Reissue
Finish: Candy Apple Red
Years Used: 2010 ("The Catalyst" music video)
Special Features: Distressed finish
Current Status: Sold at auction (2011 LPU Summit - Chicago)
Notes: Brad used this guitar in the music video for "The Catalyst," but it never found its way into his live rig (first photo). This is actually a pretty rare Jaguar reissue that came out of Fender's Japan factory, it's commonly referred to as a "big block" reissue due to the block inlays. The finish on this guitar was "hand-distressed" in a similar fashion to Mike's Strat from the "What I've Done" music video, and it also appears that the bridge pickup volume knob went missing at some point. This guitar wound up being auctioned off at the 2011 LPU Summit in Chicago (second photo).

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Standard 22
Finish: Satin Vintage Mahogany
Years Used: 2010-2017
Special Features: Bird inlays, unknown DiMarzio bridge pickup
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - D A D G B E backup guitar in C rig)
Notes: This is the same guitar that Mike and Phoenix both used on the Road to Revolution DVD (on "No More Sorrow" and "Leave Out All the Rest," respectively). Brad used this guitar on "When They Come for Me" for the three South American shows at the very beginning of the A Thousand Suns touring cycle, and it's actually been one of his backups in the C rig ever since. It's only been used once since 2010, however, at a show in Las Vegas in January of 2014, where Brad once again used it on "When They Come for Me."

Brand: Takamine
Model: Unknown Dragon series acoustic-electric guitar
Finish: Natural Gloss
Years Used: 2010-2014, 2014-2017 (Backstage)
Multiple Copies: 3
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - backstage guitars)
Notes: Brad initially started using this guitar for live performances of "The Messenger" in 2010, as well as performances of "Castle of Glass" on the Living Things touring cycle. This is the same model acoustic guitar that Mike previously used on "The Little Things Give You Away," but the band actually has at least 6 (!) of these guitars, as there have been periods where Mike and Brad both had an acoustic guitar in each of their touring racks (I list 3 of them here and 3 on Mike's page for that reason). These guitars are actually from Takamine's entry-level "Dragon series" line (also commonly called the "D series"), which was typically only available in Asian markets (the band got them imported through their partnership with Takamine). Despite being cheap guitars, they're well-known in the industry for having a very balanced-sounding preamp in them, which makes them great for sound engineers to work with. This is why the band ultimately chose to use them in favor of more expensive instruments. Unfortunately, it's hard to say what exact model these guitars were, since there were so many Dragon series variants over the years (they may not have all even been the exact same model, although they certainly looked identical). By 2014, these guitars were relegated to backstage warmup/jamming duties, as the band wasn't playing any songs in the live set that required acoustic guitars at that point. These guitars are still being used backstage as of 2017, despite Brad using a new Martin acoustic guitar for performances of "Sharp Edges" (see below).

Brand: Fender
Model: Road Worn '60s Stratocaster
Finish: 3-Tone Sunburst
Years Used: 2010-2014
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad initially used this guitar in the "Waiting for the End" video (first photo), and it became part of his live rig afterward, as one of several backup Strats that saw use on "Jornada del Muerto" on the A Thousand Suns tour. In 2012, this guitar continued to primarily serve as a backup to one of his Rory Gallagher Strats, but it was also frequently used for performances of a couple songs from Living Things (second photo), most frequently "Lost in the Echo" and "In My Remains." Following the conclusion of the Living Things tour, this guitar became a backstage guitar used by Mike in 2014. As of the One More Light touring cycle, I'm unsure if Mike is still using this guitar in any capacity or not. Also, funny story, I actually have the box and gig bag this guitar was originally shipped in! When I received one of Brad's old Fernandes Dragonfly guitars as a gift (see below), the original packaging for it had been lost or thrown away, so they boxed it up in the packaging this Strat originally came in. It still has the shipping labels on it from when it was shipped from the Fender factory to Linkin Park's rehearsal studio!

Brand: Fender
Model: American Standard Stratocaster
Finish: Mystic Red
Years Used: 2010-2014
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This Strat was initially used for some performances of "Jornada del Muerto" on the A Thousand Suns tour, and remained in Brad's rig as a backup guitar through the end of the Living Things touring cycle. I don't have any photos of it in action, unfortunately, and as of 2014, I have no idea what's become of this guitar.
Photo Credit: Sean Paden

Brand: Roland
Model: 1977 GS-500
Finish: Honey Burst
Years Used: 2010 ("Burning in the Skies" music video)
Current Status: Owned by Amir Derakh
Notes: Brad borrowed this guitar from Amir Derakh from Julien-K/Dead By Sunrise for the "Burning in the Skies" video (first photo). The GS-500 is the "controller" portion of the Roland GR-500 guitar synthesizer, which was actually the very first guitar synth Roland ever built! Very cool vintage technology...lots of extra knobs and switches on this guitar! More information on this guitar was formerly available on Amir's website (second photo), although the site appears to have gone dead at some point in the past couple years.
Photo Credit: Amir-Derakh.com (Second photo)

Brand: Epiphone
Model: Worn 1966 Wilshire Reissue
Finish: Worn Black
Years Used: 2011 ("Iridescent" music video)
Special Features: Distressed finish
Current Status: Sold at auction (2011 LPU Summit - Hamburg)
Notes: Brad used this guitar in the "Iridescent" music video (first photo). It didn't hang around for much longer, as it was auctioned off at the Hamburg LPU Summit later the same year (second photo). While this is a "worn" guitar in the first place, the finish has definitely been distressed even more than usual!
Photo Credit: Mike Shinoda Clan (First photo)

Brand: Fernandes
Model: Dragonfly Pro
Finish: Gun Metal Blue Satin
Years Used: 2011
Special Features: Fernandes Sustainer pickup system, disabled tone control
Current Status: Owned by...me!
Notes: Brad unexpectedly used another Dragonfly to play "No More Sorrow" at two shows in June of 2011, the KROQ Weenie Roast and the BFD Festival (first photo). Due to the band's touring schedule, their two primary touring rigs were both out of the country at the time, so they used their "C rig" for those two shows, but Brad didn't have a Sustainer-equipped guitar in that rig at the time (I think he was carrying a backup Sustainer PRS in the A and B rigs at that point, so all 4 of his modified PRS's were in those two rigs). They got another guitar from Fernandes on short notice, and it wasn't used again after those two shows. The band and their guitar tech Sean Paden surprised me in the summer of 2012 and sent me this guitar as a gift. All 7 of them signed it, and Mike and Joe even drew on it a little (second photo)! Not the most significant guitar in terms of "LP history," but it's definitely become my favorite, for obvious reasons. Thanks guys!
Photo Credit: KROQ (First photo)

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Tim Mahoney SE
Finish: Baby Blue
Years Used: 2011
Special Features: Custom Blue Sparkle finish, Fernandes FSK-401 Sustainer modification
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Mike Shinoda)
Notes: Since the Fernandes Dragonfly Pro mentioned above was a short-term solution for Brad's Sustainer-equpped guitar in the band's "C rig," this guitar was intended to be a more long-term solution. It's a Tim Mahoney signature model (first photo), but it's been repainted a darker blue, with the usual Sustainer modification done to it (second photo). Brad ended up only using this guitar for two performances of "No More Sorrow" in Las Vegas and Los Angeles in August of 2011. I unfortunately don't have a photo of Brad from either of those performances (he stayed at the back of the stage behind Joe's DJ riser for the entire song on both nights!), but Mike started using this guitar on "Waiting for the End" in 2012.
Photo Credit: Sean Paden/Southbound Custom

Brand: Vox
Model: SDC-55
Finish: Trans Red
Years Used: 2012 ("Burn It Down" music video)
Special Features: Heavily distressed/charred finish, some hardware components missing
Current Status: Sold at auction
Notes: Brad used this guitar in the "Burn It Down" video (first photo), and in keeping with the video/song theme, the guitar appears to have literally been set on fire at some point! It's also missing a couple knobs and the tip for the pickup selector switch, and the output jack is also gone! Needless to say, this was strictly used as a music video prop. This guitar (or what's left of it...) was signed by the band and auctioned off as part of Music For Relief's charity auctions supporting Typhoon Haiyan relief in the Philippines in January of 2014 (second photo).

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: DC3
Finish: Antique White
Years Used: 2012-2017
Special Features: Unknown DiMarzio bridge humbucker, maple neck
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - B E A D G B backup guitar in B rig)
Notes: Brad started using this guitar to perform "With You" and "Runaway" at the beginning of the Living Things touring cycle (first photo). I originally thought it was an NF3, but it turns out it's a DC3 with a humbucker added in the bridge position (second photo). While "With You" and "Runaway" aren't in the current setlist for the One More Light tour as of 2017, Brad's B-to-B tuned guitars are still present in his touring racks, hence them still being listed as "active."
Photo Credit: Sean Paden (Second photo)

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: DC3
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2012-2017
Special Features: Unknown DiMarzio bridge humbucker, ring dot inlays
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - B E A D G B main guitar in A rig)
Notes: Brad also used this guitar for performances of "With You" and "Runaway" beginning with the Living Things touring cycle, this guitar has the same modifications as the white one, but it has a rosewood neck and different inlays. While "With You" and "Runaway" aren't in the current setlist for the One More Light tour as of 2017, Brad's B-to-B tuned guitars are still present in his touring racks, hence them still being listed as "active." This guitar also made a one-off appearance in an unconventional role at the Chester tribute show at the Hollywood Bowl, where it was tuned to B F# B E G# C# and used on "Crawling," as the band played the song a whole step down from its original key to accomodate the vocal range of guest singer Oli Sykes.

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: DC3
Finish: Vintage Burst
Years Used: 2012-2017
Special Features: Unknown DiMarzio bridge humbucker, ring dot inlays
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - B E A D G B main guitar in C rig)
Notes: This guitar debuted on "With You" and "Runaway" at the June 2012 performance at the X Games, and continued to be used throughout the rest of the year. It's identical to Brad's black DC3, save for the finish. While "With You" and "Runaway" aren't in the current setlist for the One More Light tour as of 2017, Brad's B-to-B tuned guitars are still present in his touring racks, hence them still being listed as "active."

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: DC3
Finish: Vintage Cherry
Years Used: 2012-2017
Special Features: Unknown DiMarzio bridge humbucker, maple neck
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - B E A D G B main guitar in B rig)
Notes: This guitar was originally a backup to Brad's sunburst DC3, and saw considerably less stage use than his other 3 modified DC3s. It didn't see stage use until it was used on "With You" at the 2013 Sunset Strip Music Festival, making it the last of the four DC3's to see use. At some point in between tours for The Hunting Party, this guitar was shifted to being the main baritone guitar in the B rig. This guitar is identical to Brad's white DC3, save for the finish. While "With You" and "Runaway" aren't in the current setlist for the One More Light tour as of 2017, Brad's B-to-B tuned guitars are still present in his touring racks, hence them still being listed as "active."

Brand: Gibson
Model: 1932 HG-22
Finish: Unknown (Sunburst)
Years Used: 2012 ("Castle of Glass" music video)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad rented this 80 year-old acoustic guitar for use in the "Castle of Glass" video. Very cool pre-World War II Gibson stuff!
Photo Credit: Sean Paden

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: NF3 (Custom)
Finish: White Wash
Years Used: 2012-2017
Special features: Single-pickup model, unknown DiMarzio humbucking bridge pickup, master volume knob, maple neck
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - B E A D G B backup guitar in C rig)
Notes: Brad started using this guitar for performances of "With You" beginning with the Mexico shows in September of 2012. Unlike his other newer "B-to-B" guitars that are modified DC3s, this one actually started out as an NF3 (first photo). It was modified at the PRS factory specifically for Brad, with the middle and neck pickups removed, a DiMarzio humbucker installed in the bridge position, and the tone knob removed (second photo). While "With You" and "Runaway" aren't in the current setlist for the One More Light tour as of 2017, Brad's B-to-B tuned guitars are still present in his touring racks, hence them still being listed as "active."

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: NF3 (Custom)
Finish: Frost Blue Metallic
Years Used: 2012-2017
Special Features: Single-pickup model, unknown DiMarzio humbucking bridge pickup, master volume knob, ring dot inlays, non-original black pickguard
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - B E A D G B backup guitar in A rig)
Notes: This was the second customized NF3 that Brad received in September of 2012, it started off as a normal NF3 just like the first one (first photo), and had the same factory modifications done to it, with the addition of a black pickguard (second photo). This one also has a rosewood neck, so it has the "ring dot" inlays on it instead of regular dots. While "With You" and "Runaway" aren't in the current setlist for the One More Light tour as of 2017, Brad's B-to-B tuned guitars are still present in his touring racks, hence them still being listed as "active."

Brand: Gibson
Model: Les Paul Standard
Finish: Tobacco Sunburst
Years Used: 2013-2014 (Studio)
Current Status: Owned by Ethan Mates
Notes: One of Mike's Instagram videos filmed during the recording of The Hunting Party shows Brad using this guitar in the studio. This guitar belongs to studio engineer Ethan Mates.
Photo Credit: Mike Shinoda

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: SC245
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2013-2014 (Studio)
Special Features: Bird inlays
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: One of Mike's Instagram videos filmed during the recording of The Hunting Party shows Brad using this guitar in the studio. Mike also used this guitar quite frequently during that period, which led me to believe it belonged to him (he's already associated with the Singlecut body style, after all), but it was never seen again after the album came out, so this may have strictly been a studio guitar.
Photo Credit: Mike Shinoda

Brand: Fender
Model: Telecaster
Finish: Walnut
Years Used: 2013-2014 (Studio)
Special Features: "Ashtray" bridge cover (removed for playing)
Current Status: Studio use (Mike's home studio)
Notes: Brad used Mike's Telecaster for some guitar work on The Hunting Party, including portions of "Guilty All the Same."

Brand: Gibson
Model: 1970 ES-335
Finish: Walnut
Years Used: 2013-2017 (Studio)
Special Features: Small block inlays, trapeze tailpiece
Current Status: Owned by Ethan Mates
Notes: This guitar showed up in another one of Mike's Instagram videos from the studio during the recording sessions for The Hunting Party, an amusing one of Brad playing/singing "Rainbow Connection," as made famous by Kermit the Frog! This is another one of Ethan Mates' guitars, and it's easy to date as a 1970's ES-335 based on the inlays and tailpiece (the tailpiece is visible in another photo that Ethan posted on his own Instagram), as well as the discontinued Walnut finish. As far as I can tell, this guitar doesn't have the coil-splitting switch found on a lot of other ES-335's from the era (those models were designated as the "ES-335TD"). A 2014 interview with Premier Guitar confirmed that this guitar dates to 1970. This guitar also showed up in the background of some additional studio photos in 2016, so this one's still seeing some studio use (Jon Green from The Bonfires was actually photographed playing this guitar in the studio with Linkin Park around this time, so he likely used it for the additional guitar work he contributed to "Nobody Can Save Me").
Photo Credit: Mike Shinoda

Brand: Gibson
Model: 1978 SG Standard
Finish: Walnut
Years Used: 2013-2017 (Studio)
Current Status: Owned by Ethan Mates
Notes: Brad used this guitar to record multiple songs on both The Hunting Party and One More Light. Mike has also used this guitar in the studio, but I don't have a photo of him with it at present.
Photo Credit: Linkin Park

Brand: Fender
Model: Masterbuilt 1962 Ultimate Relic Stratocaster
Finish: Coral Pink
Years Used: 2013 (Studio), 2014-2017
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - D A D G B E main Strat in A rig)
Notes: This is an extremely high-end (retail price: $6,500!) Custom Shop reissue Strat with a very worn pink finish on it. This particular model was offered exclusively through online retailer The Music Zoo as part of Fender's "Time Machine" series of instruments, with this guitar put together by Fender master builder Jason Smith. I can see why this guitar might be confused with the Rory Gallagher Strat at first glance, but the wear pattern is totally different and it's a much lighter color. This guitar was originally found on the "Misc. Guitars" page, but Joe Hahn posted a photo of Brad playing it in the studio on his Instagram in February of 2014 (first photo), and it was apparently one of the main guitars used by both Brad and Mike during the recording of The Hunting Party. This guitar was originally owned by studio engineer Ethan Mates, but Brad loved the guitar and used it so much on the album that Ethan ended up giving it to Brad as a gift so he could use it on tour (second photo)! I originally thought that Brad may have had multiple copies of this guitar, but that isn't the case. He traveled with this guitar throughout the first part of the touring cycle for The Hunting Party (meaning the guitar rotated between all 3 of the band's rigs), before picking up a couple more custom Strats near the end of 2014 (see below). It became his main Strat in the A rig after the others were acquired.
Photo Credit: Joe Hahn (First photo)

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Obsidian
Years Used: 2014 (Guitar World contest)
Special Features: Bird Inlays
Current Status: Given away (contest prize)
Notes: Guitar World magazine did a giveaway in June of 2014 for a Custom 24 signed by Brad. It turns out that it wasn't one of his stage-used guitars, just a Custom 24 that was acquired solely for the contest. Very cool finish on this guitar!
Photo Credit: Guitar World

Brand: Fender
Model: Unknown (Stratocaster HSS)
Finish: Unknown (White Blonde?)
Years Used: 2014 ("Until It's Gone" music video)
Special Features: Distressed finish, maple neck
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad used this guitar in the video for "Until It's Gone," and surprisingly, it's actually a Strat with a humbucking bridge pickup for a change (first photo)! This guitar has a maple neck, and a distressed "white wash"-looking finish (second photo). Not sure exactly what model Strat this is.

Brand: Fender
Model: Masterbuilt 1962 Ultimate Relic Stratocaster
Finish: Unknown (Burgundy Mist?)
Years Used: 2014
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Once it became apparent that Brad's new Strat of choice would be the Masterbuilt guitar that Jason Smith built, the band had him build 3 more Strats (first photo), 2 of which ended up being added to Brad's live rig in the fall of 2014. The original Strat became the main guitar in the A rig, while the blue one went into the B rig, and this burgundy/purple-colored one went into the C rig. This guitar made its debut at the band's two shows in Brazil in October of 2014...but Brad missed those shows due to an ear infection, so his guitar tech Ben Young ended up being the one who played it for its first shows (second and third photos)! The band didn't use the C rig again until their China tour in July of 2015, where I expected to see Brad playing it, but this guitar ended up being swapped out for the black Strat seen in the middle of the first photo instead! Ben gave me a cryptic answer when I asked him about this: "China is the first time the black one has made an appearance. The purple one...maybe it will be seen again, or maybe not. Or, maybe it never really existed." The guitar obviously does exist, however, and given its apparent disappearance following the performances where Ben used it, I have a feeling the band may have given him the guitar as a gift to thank him for filling in. I have no way to confirm that, however.
Photo Credit: Jason Smith (First photo)

Brand: Fender
Model: Masterbuilt 1962 Ultimate Relic Stratocaster
Finish: Unknown (Sapphire Blue?)
Years Used: 2014-2017
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - D A D G B E main Strat in B rig)
Notes: This is the second of the new Jason Smith Strats that Brad added to his touring arsenal in late 2014. This one became the main Strat in the B rig, and debuted on the European tour in November of 2014.

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Black Cherry
Years Used: 2014-2015
Special Features: Arrow-shaped inlay at 12th fret, arrow logo on truss rod cover
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: This is a guitar that I knew existed as far back as 2012, but I don't believe it was ever used on stage prior to the European tour in the fall of 2014. This guitar is essentially another copy of the "red soldier" Custom 24...without the soldier artwork on it! It has the same custom inlay and truss rod logos that are also present on the Custom 22 version of the guitar, but for some reason the artwork was left off the body. Sean Paden told me a while back that there was one more "red soldier guitar" that the band had sitting around, but it still needed to have the artwork added to it. Apparently they ultimately decided to leave the artwork off of this one, and Brad ended up using it as a Drop C-tuned guitar for "Rebellion" during part of The Hunting Party's touring cycle. I don't believe this guitar is currently being used as of 2017, however.
Photo Credit: BlackChester Photography

Brand: Fender
Model: Masterbuilt 1962 Ultimate Relic Stratocaster
Finish: Black
Years Used: 2015-2017
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - D A D G B E main Strat in C rig)
Notes: As mentioned above, this is one of three additional Strats that Jason Smith built for Brad after he acquired the original pink one from Ethan Mates. The blue and purple ones were put into the B and C rigs right away, but the black one wasn't seen for a while. The first photo of it after the band took delivery of the guitars actually came from Ethan Mates (first photo), which originally led me to believe that this guitar was given to Ethan, essentially in exchange for the pink Strat that he gave to Brad after the conclusion of the recording sessions for The Hunting Party (this guitar was originally found on the "Misc. Guitars" page for that reason). However, upon closer inspection, the picture Ethan posted was actually taken at Linkin Park's rehearsal studio, not his personal studio. The black Strat was eventually swapped into the C rig in place of the purple one, and made its debut in China in July of 2015 (second photo).
Photo Credit: Ethan Mates (First photo)

Brand: Fender/Ernest Packaging Solutions
Model: "Cardboard Chaos" Stratocaster
Finish: Natural (Corrugated cardboard)
Years Used: 2015 (Studio)
Special Features: ...IT'S A STRAT MADE OUT OF CARDBOARD!
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: A company called Ernest Packaging Solutions has an ongoing web series called "Cardboard Chaos," where they try to build various things out of cardboard that you wouldn't normally think possible. They've mainly stuck to transportation-type products (skateboards, surfboards, bikes, etc.), but recently ventured into the guitar world, building a one-off Strat in conjunction with Fender's Custom Shop. The entire body AND neck/fingerboard on this guitar is made out of corrugated cardboard, coated in special epoxy to give it enough strength to withstand the string tension! Near the end of the Youtube video that features this guitar, Chester somehow gets in on the action and brings the guitar to the studio, where Brad jams on it for a while. This guitar was not actually given to the band permanently though, as it was later put on display at the Fender booth at the January 2016 NAMM show. What became of the guitar afterwards is unknown.
Photo Credit: Linkin Park

Brand: Martin
Model: Unknown
Finish: Unknown (Natural)
Years Used: 2016-2017 (Studio)
Current Status: Owned by Ethan Mates
Notes: Brad was photographed with this guitar in the studio in an early 2016 Instagram post. While the Snark clip-on tuner conveniently blocks out the headstock logo, other photos from the studio clearly show the same guitar, revealing it's a Martin of some kind (this guitar also makes an appearance on Chester's page and the Misc. Guitars page). No idea what model it is, but it looks fairly old, and it was confirmed to be one of Ethan Mates' guitars in a couple interviews. Brad ended up using this guitar to record "Sharp Edges."
Photo Credit: Linkin Park

Brand: Fender
Model: Closet Classic Precision Bass Pro
Finish: Olympic White
Years Used: 2016-2017 (Studio)
Current Status: Likely active studio use (Phoenix)
Notes: A recent studio photo from the band shows Brad playing this bass, which is a Fender Custom Shop special edition bass that was released in 2012. Phoenix has also been photographed in the studio with this bass several times in recent years, so I'm guessing it's his, but I don't think he's ever used it live.
Photo Credit: Linkin Park

Brand: Fender
Model: Jazzmaster
Finish: Natural
Years Used: 2016-2017 (Studio)
Current Status: Owned by Ethan Mates
Notes: This is a vintage Jazzmaster owned by Ethan Mates that Brad used in the studio while working on One More Light. It was randomly seen in a montage of footage featuring the band in Mercedes' "50 Years of AMG" video on Youtube.
Photo Credit: Mercedes AMG

Brand: D'Angelico
Model: Premier DC
Finish: Transparent Wine
Years Used: 2017 (Rehearsals)
Special Features: F-holes, "stairstep" tailpiece
Current Status: Unknown (In use by Chester Bennington as of July 2017)
Notes: During rehearsals for the first leg of the One More Light tour, Brad was featured in a Youtube video showing off some of his guitars. In it, he shows off this guitar Chester had previously been photographed with, saying Chester had gifted it to him and that he was considering using it for performances of "Heavy." That obviously never came to fruition however, as Brad ended up using his Strat for that song on tour, and Chester ended up using the guitar himself on a few songs.
Photo Credit: Linkin Park

Brand: Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
Model: Custom 24
Finish: Faded Whale Blue
Years Used: 2017
Special Features: Bird inlays
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb backup guitar in B rig)
Notes: I wasn't aware of this guitar's existence until it was one of several B rig guitars Brad showed off in a Youtube video from rehearsals in early 2017. He mentions it being in the same tuning as his main PRS, which makes sense considering he's now carrying a dedicated Eb-tuned guitar for the first time in a while. This guitar may have been with the band for a while (it's notably a newer PRS, as it has a 5-way blade-style pickup selector switch, which replaced the older 5-way rotary knob on most PRS guitars sometime in 2012), but it's new to me.
Photo Credit: Linkin Park

Brand: Gibson
Model: SJ-200 True Vintage
Finish: Antique Natural
Years Used: 2017 (One show)
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad and Chester performed "One More Light" for employees at Spotify's New York City headquarters during the promo tour leading up to the release of One More Light in the spring of 2017. Brad used this jumbo-bodied acoustic guitar for the performance, and it's a Gibson I've never seen him with before. I'd assume Brad just borrowed/rented this guitar for the appearance, it's not like there's a shortage of music stores/rental facilities in NYC!

Brand: Martin
Model: Custom GPC-MMVE
Finish: Natural Gloss
Years Used: 2017
Current Status: Active touring use (As of 2017 - E A D G B E acoustic guitar in B rig)

Notes: After being almost exclusively being associated with Takamine acoustic guitars for basically Linkin Park's entire career, tradition was broken in 2017 with Brad switching to using this Martin for performances of "Sharp Edges." I suspect that this change may have had something to do with the brief media spat LP had with ESP Guitars due to some comments Mike made in an interview leading up to the release of One More Light (ESP became the U.S. distributor of Takamine Guitars in 2015). Anyway, it took me a while to track down the exact model of this guitar, as it's not one that's shown on Martin's website - I ultimately figured it out because it happened to be advertised in a Guitar Center sale flyer that I got in the mail! I'm not sure if Brad has multiple copies of this guitar or not, he used it for performances using both the A and B rigs during the European tour in 2017, so he might have multiple copies, or this guitar might have just been traveling with him. He used an old Taylor guitar on "Sharp Edges" at the Chester tribute show in October (see above...WAY above!), which was a show with the A rig, so I'm just listing this guitar as being in the B rig for now.

Brand: Fender
Model: Unknown (Stratocaster)
Finish: Olympic White
Years Used: 2018 (Studio)
Special Features: Maple neck
Current Status: Unknown
Notes: Brad and Mike spent some time in the studio in February of 2018 working on a song with Lauren Dair, who was the winner of the Stagelight Monthly Music Contest (the overall winner for the previous year got to work with Linkin Park in the studio). In the behind-the-scenes video of the three of them working together, Brad can briefly be seen with this Strat, which is most likely an American series instrument of some type, given that it has 22 frets. This guitar most likely is part of the backline at Red Bull Studios, where they were recording at the time.

The Guitars of Linkin Park

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Brad Delson's Guitars

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