GuitarDistortedRiff
Comfortably Numb (Live) Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd · 1970s · rock
live
Original Recording
Guitar
1969 Fender Stratocaster (alder body) with late-'70s Charvel birdseye maple neck
Pickups
DiMarzio FS-1 single-coil (bridge), 1971 Fender Stratocaster single-coils (middle and neck)
Amp
circa 1973-74 custom Hiwatt DR103 100-watt head (linked channel input) with WEM Super Starfinder 200 4x12 cabinet (Fane Crescendo 12A speakers)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Live setup, Pink Floyd, late 1970s/early 1980s era. Settings and gear confirmed for live performances of 'Comfortably Numb' riff section. Pickup engage switch allowed bridge+neck or bridge only; main riff typically bridge pickup. Effects chain includes classic Big Muff fuzz and compression. No chorus/flanger on riff, only on solos. No acoustic guitar in riff section.
Amp Settings
Mids5.5
Bass6.5
Gain6
Reverb3.5
Treble5.5
Presence6
Effects Chain
- MXR Dyna Comp · compression
- Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (c. 1974 Ram's Head) · fuzz
Guitar → MXR Dyna Comp → Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi → Hiwatt DR103 head → WEM 4x12 cabinet (with spring reverb)
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Tone Character
- punchy and articulate
- mid-gain fuzz with clarity
- rich sustain
- British-voiced clean headroom
- slight compression for even dynamics
- warm but defined
- touch-sensitive response
- clear note separation
- not overly saturated
- classic rock rhythm clarity