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The Bends — Radiohead1 / 2
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The Bends Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Radiohead

Radiohead · 1990s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Fender Telecaster Plus V1
Pickups
Lace Sensor Red (bridge), Lace Sensor Blue (neck)
Amp
Fender Eighty-Five solid state combo
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup (Lace Sensor Red humbucker)

Studio recording, 1994-1995. Jonny Greenwood used the Telecaster Plus V1 with the bridge humbucker for the main riff. Amp is the Fender Eighty-Five, as cited for The Bends-era distorted tones. No evidence of live/touring substitutions for the studio recording.

Amp Settings

Mids
6.5
Bass
6
Gain
6.5
Reverb
2.5
Treble
6.5
Presence
5.5

Effects Chain

  • Pro Co Turbo RAT · distortion

Fender Telecaster Plus V1 (bridge pickup) → Pro Co Turbo RAT → Fender Eighty-Five (with spring reverb)

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Tone Character

  • aggressive and punchy
  • bright but not harsh
  • articulate with clear note separation
  • tight, percussive attack
  • dynamic response to picking
  • slightly compressed
  • focused midrange
  • present upper mids
  • crunchy distortion with clarity
  • cutting, energetic rhythm sound

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct studio amp knob settings found; values estimated based on typical Fender Eighty-Five settings for 1990s alt-rock and forum consensus.
  • ⚠️Pedal settings are not specified in sources; Turbo RAT and Marshall Shredmaster both cited as likely, but Turbo RAT is most consistently mentioned for The Bends album.
  • ⚠️No explicit mention of effects loop usage or exact pedal order in studio; signal chain inferred from era-correct practices and available pedalboard photos.
  • ⚠️No evidence of time-based or modulation effects (delay, chorus, flanger, etc.) on the riff section; only distortion and mild amp reverb are audible.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. The Bends riff has a classic British crunch with forward mids, moderate gain, and balanced bass/treble, typical of Jonny Greenwood's use of Marshall amps in the mid-90s. The tone is punchy and present but not overly bright or scooped, with only subtle room reverb from the production.

Sources