GuitarDistortedSolo80% confidence
Paranoid Android Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Radiohead
Radiohead · 1990s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Fender Telecaster Plus
Pickups
Lace Sensor single coils (Red, Blue, Silver configuration)
Amp
Fender 85 solid-state combo
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1997. Jonny Greenwood used the Telecaster Plus into a Fender 85 amp for the solo section, with a Marshall ShredMaster distortion pedal and a Mutronics Mutator rack effect for the filter/envelope sound. The DOD440 Envelope Filter is used live, but the Mutator was used on the studio recording.
Amp Settings
Mids6.5
Bass5.5
Gain7
Reverb2.5
Treble7
Presence5.5
Effects Chain
- Marshall ShredMaster · distortion
- Mutronics Mutator · modulation
Fender Telecaster Plus → Marshall ShredMaster → Mutronics Mutator → Fender 85 amp (with light spring reverb)
Tone Matcher
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Tone Character
- aggressive and saturated
- synth-like filter sweeps
- cutting, bright top end
- mid-forward and compressed
- singing sustain
- dynamic, modulated envelope
- alien, glitchy textures
- crisp, biting lead
- distinctive, synthetic solo sound
- notably atonal and experimental
Notes & Caveats
- No official amp knob settings for the Fender 85 were found for the studio solo; settings are estimated based on typical 1990s Radiohead tones and forum approximations.
- The Mutronics Mutator rack effect is confirmed for the studio solo, but exact settings are not published.
- Live performances substitute the DOD440 Envelope Filter for the Mutator, but the studio recording uses the Mutator.
- No explicit confirmation of pickup selector position, but bridge pickup is strongly indicated by tone and typical Greenwood usage.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Jonny Greenwood's solo tone on 'Paranoid Android' is a saturated, mid-forward British crunch with moderate gain, tight low end, and clear but not harsh highs, likely from a Vox AC30 or Marshall with mids pushed and moderate reverb added in production. These settings reflect the aggressive, articulate, and slightly ambient character of the solo.