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Solo Tone

The Bends

Radiohead

Guitarrock1990s

Original Gear

GuitarFender Telecaster Plus (early 1990s, Red-Red Dually bridge Lace Sensor pickup)
AmpFender Eighty-Five (late 1980s solid-state combo, 1x12 Eminence speaker)
PickupsLace Sensor Red-Red Dually (bridge), Lace Sensor Blue (neck)

Amp Settings

gain8
bass6.5
mid7.5
treble7
reverb1.5
presence5.5

Effects & Signal Chain

modulationDigiTech DigiTech Whammy WH-1
distortionMarshall Marshall Shred Master

Notes

Studio recording, 1994-1995. Settings and gear confirmed for The Bends album era. Solo section uses bridge pickup and high-gain amp/pedal setup. Pedals confirmed from period interviews and reputable gear rundowns.

Tone Character(10)
aggressive and saturatedcutting bridge pickup attackharsh, glitchy octave-up solo texturetight and focused midrangedry, immediate response (no reverb)pronounced upper mids and treble for claritycompressed, punchy distortionslightly grainy, solid-state edgedynamic, with bursts of intensitydistinctive octave effect in solo

Difficulty

The solo requires intermediate technique due to the use of the Whammy pedal for octave effects, aggressive picking with high-gain settings, and careful timing of pedal use to match the phrasing of the solo.

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The Bends settings for your amp

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use on these amps.

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The Bends by Radiohead — Solo Tone Settings | ToneAdapt