Song Rig

Paranoid Android

Jonny Greenwood · OK Computer · 1997

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Radiohead's most complex song — a three-part suite that requires multiple distinct guitar tones within a single track. The clean acoustic-ish verse, the heavy distorted middle section, and the orchestral-accompanied final section each use different guitar approaches. Greenwood's heavy section tone is one of the most aggressive in the band's catalog.

Signal Chain

1Fender Telecaster Plus or Starcaster
2Marshall JCM800 (heavy middle section)
3Mesa Boogie (additional layering)
4Various effects for each section

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume8

Bass7

Mid6

Treble7

Presence7

Multiple tones within the same track — the verse is clean and semi-acoustic; the 'kicking squealing Gucci little piggy' section uses maximum Marshall distortion; the final section retreats to clean with orchestral backing.

Technique

How to Play It

Multi-section composition requiring tonal versatility — Paranoid Android demands guitar playing across three stylistically different sections: delicate arpeggio picking, aggressive rhythm chunking, and restrained clean accompaniment against an orchestra.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Telecaster → clean amp for verse → Marshall JCM800 at high gain for the loud section → the heavy section uses conventional power chords; the complexity is structural, not technical.

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