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Planet Telex — Radiohead1 / 2
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Planet Telex Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Radiohead

Radiohead · 1990s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Fender Telecaster (likely Johnny Greenwood's main Telecaster, mid-90s, maple neck, single coils)
Pickups
Fender single-coil (Telecaster stock pickups, likely bridge position for riff)
Amp
Fender Eighty Five (solid-state combo, studio recording, 1994-1995 era)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording for 'The Bends' (1994-1995). Johnny Greenwood is credited with the main riff, using his Telecaster into a Fender Eighty Five amp. Effects are a critical part of the tone, especially tremolo and tape echo/delay. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section.

Amp Settings

Mids
6.5
Bass
6
Gain
5.5
Reverb
3
Treble
7
Presence
5.5

Effects Chain

  • Marshall Shredmaster · distortion
  • Roland Space Echo (RE-201 or emulation) · delay
  • Tremolo pedal (model unknown, possibly Boss TR-2 or amp tremolo) · tremolo

Fender Telecaster → Marshall Shredmaster → Tremolo pedal → Roland Space Echo (RE-201 or emulation) → Fender Eighty Five amp (spring reverb on)

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Tone Character

  • swirling, modulated tremolo pulse
  • bright and cutting attack
  • ambient, spacey delay trails
  • tight, focused low end
  • chimey upper mids
  • slightly gritty edge-of-breakup
  • dynamic, touch-sensitive response
  • percussive, rhythmic strumming
  • modulated, wobbly clean tone
  • distinct tape echo repeats

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No official studio knob settings found; amp settings estimated based on typical Fender Eighty Five usage for 90s alternative rock.
  • ⚠️Multiple sources confirm Telecaster and Fender Eighty Five amp for Johnny Greenwood on 'The Bends', but do not specify pickup selector; bridge pickup inferred from tone and playing style.
  • ⚠️Tremolo and tape echo/delay are clearly audible and referenced in multiple sources, but exact pedal models for tremolo are not confirmed for the original studio recording.
  • ⚠️No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for this section; all data is for studio recording.
  • ⚠️Pedal settings are not specified in sources; delay and tremolo settings are estimated based on audio and typical use.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Jonny Greenwood's riff tone on 'Planet Telex' is a mid-forward, crunchy Brit-rock sound typical of a cranked Vox AC30 with moderate gain, prominent mids, and a slightly airy top end. The production uses some room ambience but not excessive reverb, and the EQ avoids extreme lows or highs, focusing on punch and clarity.

Sources