Clean Tone

Fake Plastic Trees

Radiohead

Bassrock1990s

Original Gear

BassFender Jazz Bass (likely 1960s or 1970s, passive, sunburst finish)

AmpMesa Boogie Bass 400+ (studio, likely DI blend; live: Mesa Boogie combo per Equipboard)

Pickups2 single-coil Jazz Bass pickups

Amp Settings

gain0

bass5.5

mid6

treble5.5

presence4.5

compression4.5

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, The Bends (1995), likely DI + amp blend; Colin Greenwood is known for using a Jazz Bass on The Bends era, with Mesa Boogie amps in studio and live.

Tone Character(10)

clear and articulatewarm low endslightly scooped midsopen top endno audible drive or gritsmooth sustainnatural attacksubtle compressionstudio-polishedsupportive, not aggressive

Difficulty

The bass line is simple, consisting mostly of root notes played at a slow tempo with little technical demand or variation, making it accessible for beginners.

Sources

Amp Settings for Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead (gear and tone tips)Radiohead – The Bends - Gear & Equipment Used on the Album | Equipboard Fake Plastic Trees (Bass Cover with Tabs) - Radiohead - YouTube

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