TonesMatch
Breathe (In the Air) — Pink Floyd1 / 2
Original RigYour Adaptation
GuitarDistortedRiff80% confidence

Breathe (In the Air) Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd · 1970s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (early 1970s, likely 1969 black Stratocaster with rosewood neck for studio recording)
Pickups
Fender single-coil pickups (original vintage spec, likely stock 1969 Strat pickups)
Amp
Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 (with WEM Super Starfinder 200 4x12 cabinet, Fane Crescendo speakers)
Pickup Position
Neck pickup

Studio recording, 1972-1973, The Dark Side of the Moon sessions. Gilmour used his black Stratocaster for the main riff, plugged into a Hiwatt DR103 head and WEM cab. No evidence of fuzz or overdrive pedals for the riff section; mild amp breakup only. Effects are primarily reverb (likely plate, possibly from EMT 140 in studio).

Amp Settings

Mids
7
Bass
6.5
Gain
3.5
Reverb
5.5
Treble
6
Presence
5.5

Tone Matcher

Match This Tone to Your Gear

Tell us your guitar and amp — we’ll calculate the exact settings translated to your specific rig.

Adapt to MY Gear →

7-day free trial · Cancel anytime.

Tone Character

  • warm and smooth
  • airy and open
  • slightly compressed
  • lush reverb tail
  • rounded attack
  • touch-sensitive
  • not heavily distorted
  • classic British amp breakup
  • dynamic and expressive
  • full-bodied neck pickup sound

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️No direct numeric amp settings found; settings estimated based on typical Hiwatt/Strat setup for Gilmour in 1972-73 and classic rock conventions.
  • ⚠️No explicit pedal model confirmed for the riff section; fuzz and delay are not audible in the main riff, only reverb.
  • ⚠️Reverb likely from studio plate (EMT 140), not a pedal or amp spring reverb.
  • ⚠️Pickup position inferred from tone and Gilmour's known preferences for this song; some sources mention neck or neck+middle, but neck is most widely cited.
  • ⚠️No evidence of effects loop used in the studio for this section.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. David Gilmour's tone on 'Breathe' is warm, clean, and slightly compressed with a touch of breakup, typical of his early '70s Hiwatt/DR103 and Fender combo amp setup. The mids are forward and the bass is full for warmth, while treble and presence are restrained for smoothness; moderate reverb reflects the song’s spacious, atmospheric feel.

Sources