No Surprises

The recording

Recorded between July 1996 and March 1997 at St Catherine’s Court, the track was produced and mixed by Nigel Godrich and Radiohead. Jonny Greenwood performed clean electric guitar arpeggios with the neck pickup, feeding a low‑gain tube amp and applying subtle reverb and a short slap‑back delay to create the song’s airy ambience. The part sits prominently in the centre of the mix, captured with a close‑mic technique that preserves its warm mid‑range.

Tuning Standard EADGBE

Reported gear

1965 Fender Telecaster

Guitar

Jonny Greenwood recorded the clean arpeggiated chords on a 1965 Fender Telecaster, using the neck pickup for a warm, rounded tone.

Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb

Reverb

A subtle reverb was added to the guitar signal, likely using an Electro‑Harmonix Holy Grail to create the spacious ambience.

Line 6 DL4 Delay

Delay

A short slap‑back delay adds a faint echo, probably using a Line 6 DL4 digital delay unit.

Vox AC15 (late 1970s)

Amp

The Telecaster was driven into a Vox AC15 tube amp, delivering the clean, mid‑rich tone heard in the verses.

Alternatives

Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster

Modern equivalent · for the 1965 Fender Telecaster

$300 to $350

Boss DD‑7 Digital Delay

Still made · for the Line 6 DL4 Delay

$120 to $150

TC Electronic Hall of Fame 2 Reverb

Still made · for the Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb

$150 to $200

Vox AC15 reissue

Modern equivalent · for the Vox AC15 (late 1970s)

$1,200 to $1,500

Practical playing approach

Recreation guidance, not a claim about undocumented studio control positions.

1. 1.Play the chords with a light touch, using the neck pickup for a warm, rounded tone.
2. 2.Fingerpick the arpeggios to retain dynamics and avoid harsh picking.
3. 3.Set the amp gain low and keep the volume moderate for clean headroom.
4. 4.Add a subtle reverb to emulate the song’s spacious ambience.
5. 5.Apply a short slap‑back delay to give the chords a slight echo.