Ed O'Brien is the guitarist of Radiohead, a player whose parts lean heavily on effects: delay, looping, tremolo, chorus and tape echo all shape the band's atmospheric sound. BOSS gear has run through his whole playing life, from the first compact pedal he ever bought to the delay on his board today, but his setup also reaches well beyond one brand, taking in restored vintage units and boutique builders.
BOSS pedals across his career
O'Brien's relationship with BOSS goes back to the beginning of his life as a gear owner. Hearing a BOSS Micro Rack digital delay unit at an early band rehearsal is what led him to buy his first compact pedal, a DD-3 Digital Delay1. That set a pattern: he says he has used BOSS pedals throughout his entire career1, and in Radiohead the tuners were BOSS as well.
"We always used the BOSS tuners," he recalls.
The specific BOSS units he names cover a wide range of effect types:
| Pedal | Type | What he says about it |
|---|---|---|
| DD-3 Digital Delay | Delay | His first compact pedal1 |
| DD-3T | Delay | Tap tempo model on his current board1 |
| TR-2 Tremolo | Tremolo | "absolutely brilliant"1 |
| BOSS Flanger | Flanger | "which is amazing"1 |
| CE-1 | Chorus | Original unit bought from Soundgas; "the preamp is unbelievable"1 |
| LS-2 | Switching | Used live for "technicolor moments in the Radiohead set"1 |
The CE-1 is a notable one: rather than a modern reissue, he bought an original unit from Soundgas several years ago and prizes its preamp1. The LS-2, a line selector rather than an effect in the usual sense, was his tool for switching in sounds at specific points in the live set1.
Beyond BOSS: the rest of his setup
O'Brien's board is not a single-brand affair. Analog Man's own page shows his pedalboard carrying their OD-1 mod2, and Diamond Pedals' Memory Lane delay counts him among its players3. A Pigtronix Infinity Looper was on its user list in 20154.
Vintage and restored gear matters to him too. On his solo record he used a Space Echo, and a stereo Space Echo built for him by Soundgas gave him a sound he had been chasing:
"On my new record, I used a Space Echo," he reveals, "and I've got a stereo Space Echo built by Soundgas that gave me a sound I was seeking in my head."
His taste for unusual units has reached other players as well. Fontaines D.C. guitarist Carlos O'Connell came to the Soundgas Type 636P after watching O'Brien show his new pedalboard in a YouTube video5.
"I saw Ed O'Brien on YouTube was showing his new 'board, he played through it and I was like 'Wow,'" he continues.
On That Pedal Show, the presenter described a similar influence running the other way, from O'Brien's taste to a whole board's design: "I was building a board for Ed O'Brien at the time and he based the whole board around this pedal," referring to the original Grampian6.
Looping and atmospheres
Loopers are a working tool for O'Brien rather than a novelty. BOSS's own guide to loop pedals names him alongside David Torn as players who use loopers to create atmospheres, and describes him looping the atmospheric sounds on "Idioteque" and leaving the loop running while he sings over it7. He is also one of the players gearnews names as a first association with harmonizer pedals8.
Questions
What pedals does Ed O'Brien use?
His current pedalboard, built by Dan Steinhardt of That Pedal Show, carries the tap tempo BOSS DD-3T and an Analog Man OD-1 mod12. He has shown a Soundgas Type 636P on a new board in a YouTube video5, and he has also used a Pigtronix Infinity Looper4, an original CE-11, a TR-2 Tremolo, a BOSS Flanger1, an LS-21 and a Soundgas-built stereo Space Echo1.
Does Ed O'Brien use BOSS pedals?
Yes. He has used BOSS pedals throughout his entire career1, Radiohead always used BOSS tuners1, and his first compact pedal was a DD-3 Digital Delay bought after he heard a BOSS Micro Rack digital delay at an early band rehearsal1.
Has Ed O'Brien always used BOSS pedals?
BOSS has been with him from the start, but his boards have never been BOSS-only. Alongside the DD-3T, TR-2, Flanger, CE-1 and LS-2, he has used gear from Analog Man2, Soundgas1, Diamond Pedals3 and Pigtronix4.
What brand of pedals is on Ed O'Brien's pedalboard?
BOSS is the through-line, from the DD-3 to the DD-3T on his current board1, with Analog Man, Soundgas, Diamond Pedals and Pigtronix all appearing in his setup over the years2134.
What pedals does Ed O'Brien use?
His current pedalboard, built by Dan Steinhardt of That Pedal Show, includes the tap tempo BOSS DD-3T delay and an Analog Man OD-1 mod. He has also shown a Soundgas Type 636P on a new board in a YouTube video, and he has used a Pigtronix Infinity Looper, an original BOSS CE-1, a TR-2 Tremolo, a BOSS Flanger and an LS-2.
Does Ed O'Brien use BOSS pedals?
Yes. He says he has used BOSS pedals throughout his entire career, and Radiohead always used BOSS tuners. His first compact pedal was a DD-3 Digital Delay, bought after hearing a BOSS Micro Rack digital delay at an early band rehearsal, and the DD-3T is on his current board.
Has Ed O'Brien always used BOSS pedals?
BOSS has been there his whole career, but not exclusively. He bought his first compact pedal, a DD-3, after hearing a BOSS Micro Rack delay, and BOSS pedals have stayed on his boards, alongside gear from Soundgas, Analog Man, Diamond Pedals and Pigtronix.
What brand of pedals is on Ed O'Brien's pedalboard?
BOSS is the constant: the DD-3T delay sits on his current board, and he has used the TR-2 Tremolo, a BOSS Flanger, the LS-2 and an original CE-1. Other brands include Analog Man, whose OD-1 mod is on his board, plus Soundgas-built gear and a Pigtronix Infinity Looper.
Sources (8)
- Reverberations: Ed O’Brien of Radiohead, BOSS (articles.boss.info), 2024-04-23
- Boss OD-, Analog Man (analogman.com), 2026
- Best boost pedals 2026: including the best clean boost pedals for guitar, Guitar World, 2020-07-01
- Pigtronix Releases Infinity Looper 2.0 Firmware and Web Site, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2015-07-02
- Carlos O'Connell reveals the secret weapon on his pedalboard, Guitar World, 2025-06-05
- Guitar Boost & Simple Preamp Pedals £50, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2026-07-10
- The Complete Guide to Loop Pedals for Electric Guitarists, BOSS (articles.boss.info), 2025-04-04
- Unusual Effects Pedals: A Sonic Treasure Hunt in 6 Chapters, gearnews.com, 2025-01-17