Brad Delson
Bradford Philip Delson (born December 1, 1977) is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist and one of the founding members of the rock band Linkin Park.
Also recorded as Bradford Delson · Bradford Philip Delson
Brad Delson

Madder Gibbler at English Wikipedia · Public domain
- Name
- Brad Delson
- Birth Name
- Bradford Philip Delson
- Born
- 1 December 1977
- Birthplace
- Agoura, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- Musician
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- alternative metal · nu metal · hard rock · alternative rock · electronic rock
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Bradford Philip Delson (born December 1, 1977) is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist and one of the founding members of the rock band Linkin Park.
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Note VALÉORINE
Brad Delson (born 1977) is a guitarist, musician and record producer, among other activities, of American nationality. The guitarist was born in Agoura Hills.
Brad Delson was educated at Agoura High School and University of California, Los Angeles. The guitarist is a member of Linkin Park and Phi Beta Kappa Society.
The work spans alternative metal, alternative rock and electronic rock, among others. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q19199 · wikipedia · Brad Delson
In this article
Biography
Biography
Delson worked across guitarist, musician, record producer and songwriter. The registers place that work in alternative metal, nu metal, hard rock, alternative rock and electronic rock. This article rests on 83 catalogued compositions, 16 issued recordings and 3 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

ARGO-Konzerte,Brad Delson,Centerstage,Konzert,Linkin Park,Livekonzert,Livemusik,Musik,RiP,Rock im Park 2014
Stefan Brending (2eight) · Foto: Stefan Brending

Linkin Park pictured in September 2024
Warner Records
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Brad Delson • Birth Name — Bradford Philip Delson • Born — 1 December 1977 • Birthplace — Agoura, California, U.S. • Instrument — * Guitar • Genre — * Alternative rock • nu metal • alternative metal • electronic rock • pop rock • Occupation — Musician • Years Active — 1995–present • Current Member Of — Linkin Park • Past Member Of — Relative Degree • Website — linkinpark.com
Early life
Early life
Delson was born and raised in Agoura Hills, California. He attended Agoura High School with his friend, Mike Shinoda. Delson played the trumpet, and later began playing the guitar when he was 12 years old. He enjoyed listening to Guns N' Roses and Metallica. He played in the rock band Relative Degree with drummer Rob Bourdon, but the group disbanded after their first live show. Delson attended UCLA, where he was roommates with bassist Dave Farrell for three years. He majored in communication studies, and later interned for Jeff Blue, then the vice president of A&R for Zomba Music. Blue shared his insight and experience on the music industry with Delson, while also giving him constructive feedback on musical projects. Delson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication studies from UCLA in 1999. He considered attending law school after graduation but instead pursued a career as a professional musician.
Linkin Park
Linkin Park
• Illustration — Delson performing with Linkin Park at Rock im Park in 2014 Delson, alongside Mike Shinoda and Rob Bourdon, founded Xero, the earliest incarnation of Linkin Park, in 1996. The band soon recruited vocalist Mark Wakefield, bassist Dave Farrell, and turntablist Joe Hahn. After Wakefield left Xero, Delson turned to his former boss Jeff Blue from Zomba Music to help find a replacement. Blue introduced the band to Chester Bennington, who successfully auditioned and became the band's full-time vocalist. Blue later became the vice president of A&R for Warner Bros. Records, and helped the band sign a record deal. Delson played guitar on all eight of Linkin Park's albums. He also played bass on Hybrid Theory when Farrell temporarily left Linkin Park to tour with another band. After the release of Hybrid Theory, Delson was closely involved with the production and creative direction of Linkin Park's sound alongside Shinoda. The two co-produced The Hunting Party (2014) and One More Light (2017). While working on The Hunting Party, record producer Rick Rubin encouraged Delson to showcase his guitar playing by including more guitar solos compared to the band's previous albums. Delson commented on the new approach, "On the last few records I certainly played guitar in the studio, but I'd been focusing on other instruments… But these songs are all about rediscovering the guitar and having a lot of fun with it." He also oversaw the band's business operations, including their marketing and finance, alongside bandmates Farrell and Bourdon. Delson and Linkin Park entered a seven-year hiatus following the sudden death of Chester Bennington in 2017. The band announced their reunion with new members in September 2024, and the band's eighth album, From Zero, was released in November, which Delson co-produced. Delson later revealed that he would not be joining the band on tour, preferring to work in the studio and behind the scenes. Alex Feder performs in his place, but Delson remains an official member of the band, and states that he has not ruled out a return to touring in the future.
Machine Shop Records
Machine Shop Records
Delson and Shinoda founded their own record label, Machine Shop Records, in 2001. Delson explained his rationale behind founding his own record label, commenting, "Too many people in the music industry tried to preserve the status quo instead of embracing innovation."
With Linkin Park
With Linkin Park
• Hybrid Theory (2000) • Meteora (2003) • Minutes to Midnight (2007) • A Thousand Suns (2010) • Living Things (2012) • The Hunting Party (2014) • One More Light (2017) • From Zero (2024)
Playing style and equipment
Playing style and equipment
• Illustration — Delson performing at Smirnoff Music Centre in Dallas, Texas, on August 4, 2007 Delson has stated that he "doesn't like to show off", and that he attempts to play his guitar so that it sounds as though it were the keyboard or strings so as to seamlessly fit in with the band's hip-hop- and electronica-style compositions. Delson has also stated that he likes to produce a gritty, "sampled" feel with his sound. Although a self-described "fervent opponent of guitar leads," he started performing solos in the Minutes to Midnight era after his bandmates encouraged him to do so. Delson performs guitar solos on the tracks "What I've Done", "In Pieces", and "The Little Things Give You Away." Delson also played many solos on Linkin Park's 6th studio album, The Hunting Party. Delson typically performs while wearing a pair of Shure brand headphones, in order to protect his hearing. While composing music and starting song ideas, Delson will sometimes "freely improvise" guitar riffs and noise, and sort through the recordings at a later time. He said: "Something unintentional might be the coolest sound I make all day, and knowing how to allow those mistakes to happen and to shape them potentially makes for some great music. We’re trying to approach things with openness and childlike wonder." Delson's equipment includes the following:
Guitars
Guitars
• Paul Reed Smith Custom 24/Standard 24/CE 24 guitars – Delson's favorite guitar is his custom-made red PRS with the Hybrid Theory soldier on the body, tuned to Drop C#. He also has one with a greyburst finish and the "Minutes to Midnight-era LP" logo on it for tuning to Drop D and for performing songs from Minutes to Midnight. He also has a blue CE24 and sunburst Custom 24 that was his main guitar for the early days of Linkin Park and can be seen in the videos for "In The End," "Crawling," and "One Step Closer." It was retired in 2003. He also has two CE24s and a Custom 24 with a Fernandes Sustainer neck pickup for performing "No More Sorrow". • PRS Custom 22/CE 22 guitars. Delson has two Custom 22, one in a grayish color tuned to E♭ tuning and one red, with the Hybrid Theory soldier on the body identical to his Custom 24 tuned to Drop C#. The same red guitar had its neck pickup changed out for a Fernandes Sustainer pickup for performing No More Sorrow. • PRS NF3 – used on "Runaway" and "With You". tuned to B Standard • PRS Standard – Silver finish. Used in E♭ tuning. Retired in 2002. • Ibanez RG470XL guitar – used on "Don't Stay" and "Nobody's Listening", tuned to Drop B • Ibanez GRG370DX guitar • Ibanez RG120 guitar – Used on "A Place for My Head" during the Summer Sannitarium 2003 Tour and some Projekt Revolution shows in 2004 (one was smashed at nearly every show on Summer Sanitarium in 2003, and occasionally on Projekt Revolution in 2004). • Ibanez RG7620 7-string guitar – Used on "Runaway" and "With You" from 1999 to 2002, tuned to B tuning • Fender Rory Gallagher Tribute Stratocaster – Used on "What I've Done", "The Little Things Give You Away", "Valentine's Day", "Bleed it Out", "New Divide", "Iridescent", "Burning in the Skies" and "The Catalyst". • Fender vintage 1950s Stratocaster – Use mainly in the studio or as a backup for his Fender Rory Gallagher Tribute Stratocaster. (During Summer Sonic 2009 he asked for one in the middle of New Divide as his Rory Gallagher had a problem) • Fender Jaguar • Fender Telecaster • Gibson Les Paul (no longer used) • Ibanez RGT3120 – used on "Runaway" and "With You" in 2003–2007, tuned to B • Gibson J45 – Used on "The Messenger" (A Thousand Suns)
Effects
Effects
To avoid problems with pedals being damaged during live performances, Delson keeps his effect pedals in a rack along with his amplifiers and controls them through a pedalboard onstage. The board also contains a pedal control which allows him to change the settings for his effect pedals. • Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro floorboard • GCX Audio Switcher • TC Electronics G-Major effects processor • Boss Expression pedal • Boss BF-3 Flanger • Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor • Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer (x2) • Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble • Dunlop MXR Micro Amp • Ibanez LF-7 Lo-fi pedal • Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte • Dr. Scientist Reverberator • Electro-Harmonix HOG • EarthQuaker Devices Disaster Transport SR • EarthQuaker Devices Hummingbird • Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail • Red Panda Particle • Strymon BigSky • Z.Vex Super Hard-On • Z.Vex Mastotron
Amplifiers and current rig
Amplifiers and current rig
For the first two albums, he used Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers and modified Marshall 1959SLP reissue heads live and in the studio, but during the recording of Minutes to Midnight Delson decided not to use much of his old equipment to give him a new sound. Delson used several vintage and rare amplifiers such as Soldano SLOs, Marshall JCM 800, Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, a 1972 50-watt Hiwatt Custom, a Bogner Uberschall, and an extremely rare Bo Diddley amplifier with an onboard tape delay that was probably made for Diddley by Watkins (WEM). During live performances, Delson relies on several Randall MTS Modules to recreate the sound from these different amplifiers. In 2014, the Randall rig was eventually phased out for a Fractal Axe-FX II setup, which is run direct into the PA system and a Matrix GT1000FX power amp. The only analog effect pedals being used are a Devi Ever Shoegazer fuzz, Electro-Harmonix H.O.G., and a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor.
Other
Other
• Dunlop Picks-Tortex Wedge (0.73mm) • D'Addario strings: EXL115, EXL140, EXL110 • DiMarzio pickups – D-Sonic, Tone Zone, and Air Norton • Audio technica wireless transmitters and receivers • Native Instruments Maschine Mikro - used on "Castle of Glass", "Lies Greed Misery", and "Victimized" • Megaphone - used on "Empty Spaces" and "When They Come For Me" • Mike Shinoda's Access Virus Ti2, Nord Stage 2, Korg Triton (from 2007-2009), & Open Labs Neko (from 2010 to 2014) for keyboards
Personal life
Personal life
Delson married Elisa Boren in September 2003. The couple bought a home in Los Angeles' Beverlywood neighborhood in 2022. He was the keynote speaker at his alma mater UCLA's College of Letters and Science commencement ceremony on June 12, 2009, in Pauley Pavilion. Delson is Jewish.
Philanthropy
Philanthropy
• 2004 – Delson and his wife established the Delson Scholarship Fund at UCLA, which annually awards four-year scholarships to extraordinary students from Huntington Park. • 2005 – Linkin Park established Music for Relief, a non-profit organization founded to aid victims of world catastrophes and combat global warming. Since its founding, Music for Relief has raised almost three million dollars, helping victims of the South Asian tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and the Southern California wildfires. • 2005 – Signed on as an official supporter of Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and instruction to children in underserved public schools throughout the United States. Delson has personally delivered instruments to children in the program and sits on the organization's board of directors as an honorary member.
Life and work
Life and work
Brad Delson was born on 1 December 1977 in Agoura Hills. Delson held the nationality of United States. Delson was educated at Agoura High School and University of California, Los Angeles. Married to: Elisa Delson. Delson worked as guitarist, musician, record producer and songwriter. Delson was active from 1995. The fields Delson worked in include alternative metal, nu metal, hard rock, alternative rock and electronic rock. Delson played the guitar. Delson worked in English.
Works documented in more than one form
Catalogued output
Works documented in more than one form
4 titles are catalogued under more than one form, which is to say the registers hold them both as a work and as a distinct object, score, recording or edition. Where a title is documented in several forms the evidence behind it is correspondingly wider, and the article treats those forms as separate records of the same work rather than as separate works.
Somewhere I Belong
2003 — catalogued as song and single
Lying from You
2004 — catalogued as song and single
No More Sorrow
2007 — catalogued as digital promotional single and musical work/composition
Waiting for Tomorrow
2016 — catalogued as musical work/composition and single
Compositions, 2000–2016
Catalogued output
Compositions, 2000–2016
The entries below are works composed by the subject, as the institutional registers catalogue them; later performances and commercial recordings of the same music are listed separately. The 2000s are the densest part of the run, with 5 titles, and that concentration is a fact about what the registers have catalogued rather than a judgement on the work itself. They belong to a run of 83 titles in all, from 2000 to 2016.
9 compositions carry dates between 2000 and 2016
The run opens with Crawling and closes with Waiting for Tomorrow
Crawling
2000
A Place for My Head
2000
Points of Authority
2002
Blackout
2010
Wretches and Kings
2010
Iridescent
2011
Compositions without a settled date
Catalogued output
Compositions without a settled date
74 further compositions are catalogued under Delson's name without a date the collections agree on, which is why they are set apart from the dated run rather than placed in it. A selection is set out below and the complete run may be opened beneath it. Sold My Soul to Yo Mama. Could Have Been. Hands Held High.
The Little Things Give You Away
Bleed It Out
Talking to Myself
Jornada Del Muerto
Part of Me
Keys to the Kingdom
Hit the Floor
Cure for the Itch
One Step Closer
Running From My Shadow
When They Come for Me
Make It Up as I Go
The complete catalogue · 22
The Little Things Give You Away
Bleed It Out
Talking to Myself
Jornada Del Muerto
Part of Me
Keys to the Kingdom
Hit the Floor
Cure for the Itch
One Step Closer
Running From My Shadow
When They Come for Me
Make It Up as I Go
Nobody Can Save Me
Easier to Run
Guilty All the Same
What I've Done
Mark the Graves
All for Nothing
Darker Than Blood
Until It’s Gone
A Line in the Sand
Pushing Me Away
Primary material
Issued recordings
These are published sound issues catalogued under the name. Most postdate the works they carry, and an issue is never counted here as a work of composition. 15 issues carry dates between 2001 and 2025. The run opens with Papercut and closes with Up from the Bottom.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Brad Delson”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
institutional register
- MusicBrainz artist record for Brad Delson
Unverified · MusicBrainz
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q19199: Brad Delson
Unverified · Wikidata
Where the work is held
Institutional memberships
Delson is recorded as a member of Linkin Park and Phi Beta Kappa Society. Membership is stated by the bodies' own records and is not read here as evidence of office or of any particular role within them.
Authority records
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Apar, Corey. Brad Delson | Biography. AllMusic. December 1, 1977.
- 2.Thompson, Clifford. Current Biography Yearbook. H. W. Wilson. 334. June 1, 2003. 0824210263.
- 3.http://www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/aap/35th/champions/#braddelson
- 4.Quirarte, Xavier. 'Hybrid Theory': 20 años de un disco explosivo de Linkin Park. Milenio. October 24, 2020.
- 5.Cervantes, Niki. Deceased Linkin Park Frontman's Band Had Strong Santa Monica Ties. Santa Monica Lookout. 2017-07-20.
- 6.Apar, Corey. Brad Delson. AllMusic. 2017.
- 7.Bosso, Joe. Linkin Park's Brad Delson on the new album A Thousand Suns. Music Radar. November 24, 2010.
- 8.Perlmutter, Adam. In the Studio with Linkin Park. Premier Guitar. April 17, 2014.
- 9.Young, Simon. Linkin Park, you're a nu metal boy band. Discuss. Metal Hammer. October 23, 2015.
- 10.David, Fricke. Linkin Park: David Fricke Talks to Chester Bennington About 'Hybrid Theory' Success. Rolling Stone. March 14, 2002.
- 11.Perez Hollingsworth, Ashley. Interview: Jeff Blue Reflects On The Struggles, Frustrations, And Joys Of Working With Linkin Park. Genre Is Dead. 2021-02-16.
- 12.Gordon, Larry. UCLA replaces actor with rock star for commencement speech. Los Angeles Times. 2009-06-09.
- 13.Brad Delson: il chitarrista dei Linkin Park compie 41 anni. ONDA Musicale. 2018-12-01.
- 14.The LP Association. Everybody loves a success story.
- 15.Hickie, James. Linkin Park: The inside story of Hybrid Theory. Kerrang!. 2019-10-24.
- 16.Childers, Chad. 19 Years Ago: Linkin Park Release Their 'Meteora' Album Read More: 19 Years Ago: Linkin Park Release Their Second Album 'Meteora'. Loudwire. 2022-03-25.
- 17.Perlmutter, Adam. In the Studio with Linkin Park. Premier Guitar. 2014-04-17.
- 18.Baltin, Steve. Linkin Park Shine A Different 'Light' On Band For New Album. Forbes. 2017-05-26.
- 19.Linzinmeir, Taylor. Mike Shinoda — Linkin Park Have 'No Plans' for New Music. Loudwire. April 23, 2022.
- 20.Sherman, Maria. Linkin Park reunite 7 years after Chester Bennington's death, with new music. AP News. September 5, 2024.
- 21.Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson confirms he will sit out of all live shows. NME. September 7, 2024.
- 22.Weller, Phil. “You never know. I don't have a crystal ball, I can’t definitely say”: Linkin Park’s Brad Delson on why he stepped back from touring – and if he’d ever return to the stage. Guitar World. December 23, 2024.
- 23.Egan, Matt. Linkin Park: Rock band by night, venture capitalists by day. CNN. 2015-05-18.
- 24.Michael Wood. Linkin Park has a new singer and a new album on the way. Los Angeles Times. 5 September 2024.
- 25.Gold, Judah. "Buzz: Linkin Park." Guitar Player, vol. 35, no. 3, 2001., pp. 70-70, 72.
- 26.Al-Sardar, Ali. Top 10 Linkin Park Songs: A Definitive Ranking — 5. What I've Done (Minutes to Midnight, 2007). RockInformer. August 12, 2023.
- 27.Coffman, Tim. A beginner's guide to Linkin Park: from radio hits to rarities. Alternative Press. November 17, 2021.
- 28.WBOS. Linkin Park: Their 20 Best Songs, Ranked. rock929rocks.com. July 19, 2022.
- 29.Childers, Chad. Brad Delson on Linkin Park's new album: "There's a lot of guitar solos". Loudwire. Townsquare Media. March 21, 2014.
- 30.Freeman, Phil. Linkin Park Were America's Last Huge Rock Band. Stereogum. July 21, 2017.
- 31.Linkin Park Gear Gallery. Premiere Guitar. May 7, 2014.
- 32.Perlmutter, Adam. In the Studio with Linkin Park - Premier Guitar. www.premierguitar.com.
- 33.http://www.randallamplifiers.com/about/pdf/GP0908_Linkin-Park_MTS.pdf
- 34.Guitar World, July 2008
- 35.Youtube.com. Guitar World – Linkin Park's Brad Delson touring rig. December 4, 2008.
- 36.Premierguitar.com. In the Studio with Linkin Park. April 17, 2014.
- 37.GuitarPlayer.com. Electric & Acoustic Guitar Gear, Lessons, News, Blogs, Video, Tabs & Chords.
- 38.Keys, Lisa. Jewish Journal. December 13, 2007.
- 39.Selin, Alica. Linkin Park Guitarist Brad Delson's New L.A. Home Has Blue Velvet Movie Theater. Loudwire. 2022-02-03.
- 40.Newsroom.ucla.edu. Linkin Park's Brad Delson to keynote UCLA commencement | UCLA.
- 41.UCLA replaces actor with rock star for commencement speech. Los Angeles Times. June 9, 2009.
- 42.http://www.littlekidsrock.org/news/press/Delson.html
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedinstitutional register
MusicBrainz artist record for Brad DelsonMusicBrainz
Partially resolvedauthority record
Unverified
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
This entry is compiled from 4 catalogued sources across 4 independent registers. The registers consulted are Wikimedia Foundation, Crossref registry, MetaBrainz Foundation and Wikipedia. Every statement above is held against the register that stated it; where the registers are silent, the entry is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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