TonesMatch
Let Down — Radiohead1 / 2
Original RigYour Adaptation
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Let Down Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Radiohead

Radiohead · 1990s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Rickenbacker 360 (likely 6-string, used by Ed O'Brien on OK Computer era studio recordings)
Pickups
Rickenbacker Hi-Gain single coils
Amp
Vox AC30 (studio, 1997 OK Computer sessions)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup (Rickenbacker 360 Hi-Gain single coil)

Studio recording, 1997. Ed O'Brien played the main riff on a Rickenbacker 360 through a Vox AC30. Jonny Greenwood's parts are layered, but the main chiming riff is Ed's Rick 360. No evidence of live/tour gear or alternate guitars for the studio riff section.

Amp Settings

Mids
7
Bass
6
Gain
3.5
Reverb
5
Treble
7
Presence
5.5

Effects Chain

  • Boss DD-5 Digital Delay · delay
  • Boss RV-3 Digital Reverb/Delay · reverb

Rickenbacker 360 → Boss DD-5 Digital Delay → Boss RV-3 Digital Reverb/Delay → Vox AC30

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Tone Character

  • chiming and glassy
  • lush, ambient reverb
  • bright and articulate
  • clean, shimmering top end
  • swelling, layered textures
  • subtle delay trails
  • open and airy
  • slightly compressed
  • no audible overdrive
  • spacious stereo image

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings found; values estimated based on typical Vox AC30 settings for clean, ambient tones in 1990s alternative rock.
  • ⚠️Pedal models inferred from era, artist interviews, and audible effects; no studio session sheet with exact pedal order/settings found.
  • ⚠️Multiple sources confirm Rickenbacker 360 and Vox AC30 for Ed O'Brien on OK Computer, but no explicit pickup selector position; bridge pickup inferred from tone.
  • ⚠️Delay and reverb are clearly audible, but exact pedal models/settings are not confirmed for the studio recording.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The 'Let Down' riff features a chimey, edge-of-breakup clean tone typical of Jonny Greenwood's late-90s setup (Fender amps, moderate gain, pronounced mids, and subtle reverb). The tone is articulate but not harsh, with balanced EQ and a touch of ambient space, matching both the era's production and Radiohead's Brit-rock influences.

Sources