Brad Delson | |
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 Delson performing with Linkin Park at Rock im Park in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bradford Phillip Delson |
| Also known as |
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| Born | December 1, 1977[1] Agoura, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | Linkin Park |
| Formerly of | Relative Degree |
| Website | linkinpark |
Bradford Phillip Delson (born December 1, 1977) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist and one of the founding members of the rock band Linkin Park.[2]
Delson was born and raised in Agoura Hills, California.[3] He attended Agoura High School with his friend, Mike Shinoda.[4] Delson played the trumpet,[5] and later began playing the guitar when he was 12 years old.[6][7] He enjoyed listening to Guns N' Roses and Metallica.[8] He played in the rock band Relative Degree in 1995 with drummer Rob Bourdon, but the group disbanded after their first live show in 1996.[8]
Delson attended UCLA, where he was roommates with bassist Dave Farrell for three years.[9] He majored in communication studies, and later interned for Jeff Blue, then the vice president of A&R for Zomba Music.[10] Blue shared his insight and experience on the music industry with Delson, while also giving him constructive feedback on musical projects.[10] Delson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication studies from UCLA in 1999.[11] He considered attending law school after graduation but instead pursued a career as a professional musician.[12]
Delson, alongside Mike Shinoda and Rob Bourdon, founded Xero, the earliest incarnation of Linkin Park, in 1996.[13] The band later recruited vocalist Mark Wakefield, bassist Dave Farrell, and turntablist Joe Hahn.[13] 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.[13]
Delson played guitar on all seven of Linkin Park's albums. He also played bass on Hybrid Theory when Farrell temporarily left Linkin Park to tour with another band.[14] After the release of Hybrid Theory, Delson was closely involved with the production and creative direction of Linkin Park's sound alongside Shinoda.[15][16] The two co-produced The Hunting Party and One More Light.[17] 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.[16] 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."[16] He also oversaw the band's business operations, including their marketing and finance, alongside bandmates Farrell and Bourdon.[8][9]
Delson and Linkin Park have been on an indefinite hiatus since the sudden death of Chester Bennington in 2017.[18]
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Main article: Machine Shop Records |
Delson and Shinoda founded their own record label, Machine Shop Records, in 2001.[19] 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."[19]
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Main article: Linkin Park discography |
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.[20][dubious ] Delson performs guitar solos on the tracks "What I've Done",[21] "In Pieces",[22] and "The Little Things Give You Away."[23] Delson also played many solos on Linkin Park's 6th studio album The Hunting Party.[24]
Delson typically performs while wearing a pair of Shure brand headphones, in order to protect his hearing.[25][26]
Delson's equipment includes the following:[27][28]
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.[29]
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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.[31]
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.
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Delson married Elisa Boren in September 2003.[32] The couple bought a home in Los Angeles' Beverleywood neighborhood in 2022.[33]
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.[34][35]
Delson has cited that his biggest influence is singer and vocalist Sebastian Bach.[36]
