How to get the American Idiot guitar tone

Big, saturated, full of sustain. The kind of tone that makes a three-note riff feel like a statement. The mids are scooped back, which opens up the low end and gives the treble more room to cut — great for rhythm, though leads can disappear in a mix if you're not careful. Layer in room reverb and the whole thing takes on a dimension you can't get from the amp alone.