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Comfortably Numb — Pink Floyd1 / 2
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Comfortably Numb Solo Guitar Tone Settings — Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd · 1970s · rock

studio

Original Recording

Guitar
1970s Fender Stratocaster (Black, maple neck, stock single-coil pickups, 'Black Strat')
Pickups
Fender single-coil (1970s, stock, likely bridge pickup for solo)
Amp
Hiwatt DR103 100-watt head (custom, linked channels) into WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 with Fane Crescendo speakers, parallel with Yamaha RA-200 rotary speaker
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup

Studio recording, 1979, The Wall album. Gilmour's 'Black Strat' into a custom Hiwatt DR103 and Yamaha RA-200 rotary speaker. Alembic F-2B preamp also used. Effects chain includes Big Muff, delay, compression, and modulation. Settings and chain are for the studio solo, not live.

Amp Settings

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

Effects Chain

  • MXR Dyna Comp · compression
  • Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (Ram's Head, c. 1974) · fuzz
  • Delay (TC Electronic 2290 or Binson Echorec, see notes) · delay

Fender Stratocaster → MXR Dyna Comp → Big Muff Pi → Alembic F-2B preamp → Hiwatt DR103 → Yamaha RA-200 rotary speaker (parallel) → WEM 4x12 cab; delay at end of chain

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Tone Character

  • singing sustain
  • liquid, violin-like fuzz
  • lush, swirling modulation
  • long, ambient delay repeats
  • rich harmonic overtones
  • clear note separation
  • airy, three-dimensional space
  • expressive bends and vibrato
  • smooth, saturated lead tone
  • dynamic touch sensitivity

Notes & Caveats

  • ⚠️Exact amp knob settings for the studio recording are not published; values are estimated based on Guitar World and Gilmour's typical Hiwatt settings for The Wall era.
  • ⚠️Pickup position is inferred from tone and Gilmour's known soloing habits; most sources and isolated tracks indicate bridge pickup.
  • ⚠️Rotary speaker modulation is from Yamaha RA-200, not a pedal; chorus/flanger pedals are suggested for emulation but not used on the original studio recording.
  • ⚠️Delay and modulation settings are based on multiple sources and audio analysis; some pedal settings are approximated from forum and Gilmourish.com data.
  • ⚠️No evidence of wah, phaser, or other effects in this solo; only effects clearly audible or cited are included.
  • ⚠️Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. David Gilmour's 'Comfortably Numb' solo tone is achieved with a Hiwatt amp set for edge-of-breakup/crunch, boosted with a Big Muff, and features prominent mids, warm bass, and smooth treble. The presence and reverb are set to add clarity and space, matching the song's lush, soaring lead sound from the late '70s production.

Sources