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Wish You Were Here Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
1971 Martin D-12-28 12-string acoustic
Pickups
Piezo (acoustic, no magnetic pickups)
Amp
Direct to console (no amp for acoustic intro/riff); second electric part: Fender Stratocaster with single-coil pickups into Fender 'Silverface' Dual Showman Reverb
Pickup Position
Acoustic: N/A (piezo); Electric: Position 4 (neck + middle) likely
Studio recording, 1975. The iconic intro/riff is played on a Martin D-12-28 12-string acoustic, direct to the desk. The 'radio' electric part that joins in is a Fender Stratocaster with single-coil pickups into a Fender 'Silverface' Dual Showman Reverb. No evidence of pedals or effects on the acoustic; electric part uses amp spring reverb. All info is for the original studio version.
Amp Settings
Mids7.5
Bass6
Gain0
Reverb5
Treble7
Presence5
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Tone Character
- crystal clear acoustic strumming
- shimmering 12-string texture
- bright and articulate electric 'radio' part
- warm, natural acoustic resonance
- slight amp spring reverb on electric
- no audible overdrive or distortion
- intimate, dynamic picking
- airy, open chord voicings
- studio clarity with minimal effects
Notes & Caveats
- Gain adjusted to 0 for clean tone
- Acoustic part is direct to desk, no amp or pedals used; electric 'radio' part uses Fender Stratocaster and Fender Dual Showman Reverb with amp spring reverb.
- No evidence of pedals or effects on the acoustic riff; all effects on electric part are amp-based.
- Settings are averaged from forum posts and typical Fender clean amp settings for the era; exact knob positions for the studio session are not documented.
- Pickup selector for electric part is inferred from typical Gilmour usage and tone, not directly cited.
- Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. David Gilmour's 'Wish You Were Here' riff tone is clean with a touch of warmth and sparkle, likely from a Hiwatt or similar amp set just above clean, with balanced mids and slightly boosted bass for fullness. The treble is present but not harsh, and subtle plate reverb adds space, matching the 70s production and Gilmour's typical settings for this style.