Creep (Radiohead) guitar tone and amp settings
Creep guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3: Crunch amp type, medium gain (Gain 5.5), forward mids (Middle 6.5), bright top (Treble 6.5), bridge pickup.
Settings for your amp
The song has distinct sounds: Clean, with tremolo verse, Distorted pre-chorus, Distorted chorus, Distorted solo. Each rig below lists what to change for them.
Creep settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3 settings for every songThese settings play the distorted chorus, distorted solo.
AmpBOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Variation
- Off
- Amp Type
- Crunch
- Gain
- 5.5
- Volume
- 6
- Bass
- 4.5
- Middle
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Booster Color
- Orange
- Booster
- 6.5
- Mod
- 0
- FX
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb Color
- Green
- Reverb
- 1.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Power Control
- Set to your room
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
Creep settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40
Positive Grid Spark 40 settings for every songThese settings play the distorted chorus, distorted solo.
AmpPositive Grid Spark 40
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Type
- Crunch
- Gain
- 6.5
- Bass
- 4.5
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Mod
- 0
- Delay
- 0
- Reverb
- 1
- Output
- Set to your room
- App Amp Model
- Plexiglas
- App Drive
- Over Drive
- App Comp/Wah
- Off
- App Mod/EQ
- Off
- App Delay
- Off
- App Reverb
- Room Studio A
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 8
Creep settings on a Fender Mustang LT25
Fender Mustang LT25 settings for every songThese settings play the distorted chorus, distorted solo.
AmpFender Mustang LT25
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Amp Model
- 80S ROCK
- Gain
- 5.5
- Volume
- 5.5
- Treble
- 6
- Bass
- 4.5
- Middle
- 6.5
- Master
- Set to your room
- Stomp
- ROCK DIRT
- Mod
- None
- Delay
- None
- Reverb
- SMALL ROOM
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
Creep settings on any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble
These settings play the distorted chorus, distorted solo.
Amp
GuitarElectric guitar with two humbuckers
The same settings in text
Amp
- Gain
- 7.5
- Bass
- 4
- Mid
- 6.5
- Treble
- 6.5
Electric guitar with two humbuckers
- Pickup Selector
- Bridge
- Volume
- 10
- Tone
- 7
Add a Marshall ShredMaster and tremolo pedal for closer section-specific tones.
Song parts
BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3
Clean, with tremolo verse:
Amp Type Clean, Gain 2, Booster 0, FX Color Green, FX 3.5
.Play lightly through the tremolo verse.
Distorted pre-chorus:
Gain 7.5, Booster 8.5
.Rake muted strings hard for the noisy accents.
Song parts
Positive Grid Spark 40
Clean, with tremolo verse:
Amp Type Clean, Gain 2.5, Mod 4.5, App Amp Model AD Clean, App Drive Off, App Mod/EQ Tremolo
.Use the clean tremolo sound for the verse
Distorted pre-chorus:
Gain 9
.Rake muted notes with the gain pushed high
Song parts
Fender Mustang LT25
Clean, with tremolo verse:
Gain 2.5, Stomp None, Mod TREMOLO
.Keep the picking restrained through the tremolo verse.
Distorted pre-chorus:
Gain 8.5
.Rake dead notes hard for the loud abrasive burst.
Song parts
Any amp with Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble
Clean, with tremolo verse:
Gain 2, Volume 8
.Play lightly and pulse the picking evenly.
Distorted pre-chorus:
Gain 9.5
.Rake muted strings hard for a noisy burst.
Why it sounds like that
Creep's guitar sound runs on contrast. The verse arpeggios are clean, and the clean guitars before the pre-chorus are tremolo-effected. Jonny Greenwood then rakes three pairs of dead notes at very high gain, and a separate overdub of an electric guitar through a pedal and an amp makes the big noise. The chorus is built on overdriven power chords, and Greenwood's Marshall ShredMaster was his main distortion on Pablo Honey.
- Rake three pairs of dead notes hard, with plenty of gain, just before the chorus.
- Scratch the strings with octave shapes for a counter-melody after the second chorus.
What gear did Jonny Greenwood use on Creep?
Thom Yorke
- Guitar
- Gibson SG[3]
Ed O’Brien
- Guitar
- Rickenbacker 360[3]
Jonny Greenwood · Distorted chorus
- Effects
- Marshall ShredMaster[7]
- Sean Slade says Jonny Greenwood was the band's wild card, making wild bursts of sound, solos and quirky parts. (on this song)[1]
- Sean Slade says Thom Yorke played traditional rhythm-section guitar, tight with the bass and drums. (on this song)[1]
- Sean Slade says Ed O’Brien played rhythm guitar and added textures and extra parts to the arrangements. (on this song)[1]
- Distorted pre-chorus: MusicRadar reports Jonny Greenwood raked three pairs of dead notes just before the chorus, with a very high amount of gain. (on this song)[2]
- Clean, with tremolo verse: MusicRadar reports the clean guitars that come before the pre-chorus rake are tremolo-effected. (on this song)[2]
- Distorted chorus: MusicRadar reports the chorus is built on overdriven power chords. (on this song)[2]
- Interlude: MusicRadar reports Jonny Greenwood scratched his guitar with octave shapes to make a counter-melody after the second chorus. (on this song)[2]
- Distorted pre-chorus: Mix reports Paul Kolderie describes the separate big-noise overdub as an electric guitar through a pedal and an amp. (on this song)[1]
- Distorted pre-chorus: Mix reports the noise overdub was re-recorded with a Fet 47 in the drum room, because Paul Kolderie says the room was very live. (on this song)[1]
- Distorted pre-chorus: Mixdown reports the amp was placed in the drum room and miked with a drum mic, which gave the noise its punchy growl. (on this song)[3]
- Distorted pre-chorus: Sean Slade says the noise was mixed louder at the band's request, until the comically loud mix was the one everyone liked. (on this song)[4]
- Pre-chorus: Jonny Greenwood told MOJO that a distortion pedal and a loud guitar make an enormously exciting combination. (on this song)[5]
- Jonny Greenwood told MOJO he found Creep a bit wimpy as a younger player and wanted to do the opposite. (on this song)[5]
- Distorted pre-chorus: Sean Slade says Greenwood's pre-chorus noise was a very deliberate part, meant to spice up a song Greenwood found boring. (on this song)[4]
- Distorted pre-chorus: Ed O’Brien says Jonny Greenwood's pre-chorus noise is the sound of him trying to spoil the song. (on this song)[2]
- Mixdown reports Jonny Greenwood played a 1990 Telecaster on Pablo Honey, which ended up being stolen. (on the album Pablo Honey)[3]
- Mixdown reports Thom Yorke used a 90s Gibson SG on Pablo Honey. (on the album Pablo Honey)[3]
- Mixdown reports Ed O’Brien used a Rickenbacker 360 on Pablo Honey. (on the album Pablo Honey)[3]
- Mixdown reports Greenwood's Marshall ShredMaster pedal, his main distortion, was used on every Pablo Honey song except 'Thinking About You'. (on the album Pablo Honey)[6]
- Distorted chorus: Bonedo reports a Marshall ShredMaster gives the chorus distortion. (on this song)[7]
- MusicRadar reports Thom Yorke said Greenwood's distorted contributions suited a song that calls for intense dynamics through drops and lifts. (on this song)[2]
Questions
What gear did Jonny Greenwood use on Creep?
The sources on this page document Jonny Greenwood's gear on Creep by Radiohead: guitar, Telecaster [3]; effects, Marshall ShredMaster [6]. Each value cites the numbered source it comes from, listed at the foot of the page.
What are the Creep settings on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3?
For the Creep guitar tone on a BOSS Katana 50 Gen 3, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 5.5, Volume 6, Bass 4.5, Middle 6.5, Treble 6.5, Booster Color Orange, Booster 6.5, Mod 0, FX 0, Delay 0, Reverb Color Green, Reverb 1.5; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Power Control to your room. These settings play the distorted chorus and distorted solo. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Creep settings on a Positive Grid Spark 40?
For the Creep guitar tone on a Positive Grid Spark 40, set Amp Type Crunch, Gain 6.5, Bass 4.5, Mid 6.5, Treble 6.5, Mod 0, Delay 0, Reverb 1, App Amp Model Plexiglas, App Drive Over Drive, App Reverb Room Studio A; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 8. Set Master and Output to your room. These settings play the distorted chorus and distorted solo. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
What are the Creep settings on a Fender Mustang LT25?
For the Creep guitar tone on a Fender Mustang LT25, set Amp Model 80S ROCK, Gain 5.5, Volume 5.5, Treble 6, Bass 4.5, Middle 6.5, Stomp ROCK DIRT, Mod None, Delay None, Reverb SMALL ROOM; on the electric guitar with two humbuckers, Pickup Selector Bridge, Volume 10, Tone 7. Set Master to your room. These settings play the distorted chorus and distorted solo. They are AI-assisted starting points; adjust them by ear on your own amp.
Can I get the Creep tone on my own amp?
Yes. The settings above cover 3 reference amps and any amp with the basic controls. For your exact rig, KnobMaster, an iPhone app, sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for Creep, using only the controls your gear has.
Get it for your exact rig
KnobMaster sets every knob of your own amp, guitar and pedals for this song.
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