Jonny Greenwood Pedalboard
Full effects breakdown — core pedals, signal chain order, and budget alternatives
Jonny Greenwood's signal chain centres on 4 essential effects: Overdrive (Gretsch Country Gentleman), Modulation, Delay, Reverb (Vox AC30 / Fender Twin Reverb). The resulting sound: Fender Telecaster, Gretsch Country Gentleman or vintage guitar into a Vox AC30 or Fender Twin, with extensive effects including DigiTech Whammy, EHX POG and various modulation. The overdrive functions as a signal booster and light overdrive rather than a heavy distortion source — it pushes the amp's input harder, causing the amp's own tubes to clip. The pedal adds focus and sustain while the amp provides the tonal character. The Gretsch Country Gentleman is typically set with gain near zero and level above unity — it functions as a transparent signal booster that pushes the amp's input stage rather than adding its own distortion character. This is what gives the tone its smooth, amp-driven quality rather than the harder-edged sound of a gain pedal.
Essential Pedals
These effects are non-negotiable for Jonny Greenwood's tone. Skip any one and the signature sound is lost.
Optional / Contextual Effects
Jonny Greenwood uses these situationally — great to have but not required for the core sound.
£1,000 Pedalboard Breakdown
Specific gear recommendations at the £1,000 budget tier.
Pedalboard at Every Budget
The effects chain scales with budget — budget tiers keep the essential categories intact with less expensive alternatives.
- OverdriveKing Tone Duellist OD
- ModulationWalrus Audio Julia
- DelayWalrus Audio Fundamental Delay
- ReverbWalrus Audio Fundamental Reverb
Signal Chain Order
Modulation after drive: running modulation before the dirt pedal creates a pitch-unstable input to the drive circuit, producing uneven, chaotic modulation rather than smooth movement on the driven signal. Delay last in the chain (or in the effects loop) ensures the repeats are clean reproductions of the effected signal. Running delay before drive would create driven, distorted repeats that accumulate into an indistinct wall.
- Guitar
- Drive pedals (Overdrive, Fuzz)
- Modulation (Chorus, Phaser, Flanger)
- Delay (after modulation, before reverb)
- Reverb (last in chain before amp)
- Amp
Related Gear
Similar Guitarists
FAQ
Jonny Greenwood Pedalboard — Common Questions
Jonny Greenwood's pedalboard includes: DigiTech Whammy 5. The core effects in Jonny Greenwood's sound are Overdrive, Modulation, Delay.
The standard signal chain for Jonny Greenwood's pedalboard follows the professional convention: guitar → tuner → wah (if used) → compression → overdrive/distortion → amp → modulation (chorus/flanger) → delay → reverb. Modulation after drive: running modulation before the dirt pedal creates a pitch-unstable input to the drive circuit, producing uneven, chaotic modulation rather than smooth movement on the driven signal. Delay last in the chain (or in the effects loop) ensures the repeats are clean reproductions of the effected signal. Running delay before drive would create driven, distorted repeats that accumulate into an indistinct wall.
Jonny Greenwood typically uses a transparent overdrive or boost to push the amp's front end rather than relying on a dedicated distortion pedal.
Building a Jonny Greenwood-style pedalboard depends on budget. At £200 you can cover the essentials (~£298 for the full rig). At £500 the pedalboard includes Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive. At £1,000 (full rig: ~£1,046) all the key pedals are covered.
Jonny Greenwood's delay is handled by a dedicated delay pedal placed at the end of the signal chain (or in the amp's effects loop). Common choices include the Boss DD series, TC Electronic Flashback, or MXR Carbon Copy.