🎸 Rock · 1970s

Atom Heart Mother by Pink Floyd (Solo · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Pink Floyd · solo

The Atom Heart Mother by Pink Floyd guitar tone is built on a Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head with WEM 4x12 cabinet, dialed in at gain 4.5/10, bass 6.5, mid 7, treble 7, presence 6 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

4.5

GAIN

6.5

BASS

MID

TREBLE

PRESENCE

REVERB

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 540 rock tones in our researched catalog: Gain 4.5 sits right around the rock average (4.8); mids at 7 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

6-7 (rolled back for smoother slide tone)

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (1969 black Strat, likely with stock single-coil pickups, used by Gilmour in this era for slide solos) · Amp: Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head with WEM 4x12 cabinet

Studio recording, 1970. Gilmour used his black Stratocaster for slide solos in this era. Amp is Hiwatt DR103, as confirmed for Atom Heart Mother/Meddle period. Effects chain includes Fuzz Face, Binson Echorec, and DeArmond volume pedal. Settings are estimated based on era and typical Gilmour rig; no direct studio knob settings found.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Fender Stratocaster songs & tones →🎚️ single-coil guitars songs & tones →🎚️ fuzz songs & tones →🎚️ Hiwatt songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Neck pickup (for smooth slide tone)

Signal chain

Fender Stratocaster (1969 black Strat, likely with stock single-coil pickups, used by Gilmour in this era for slide solos) → Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face → DeArmond 602 Volume Pedal → Binson Echorec 2 → Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head with WEM 4x12 cabinet

Effects

fuzz, delay, volume pedal, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 3)

Tone character

singing sustain, smooth and liquid slide tone, warm, slightly overdriven, ambient and spacious, long echo repeats, violin-like effect, mild fuzz saturation, soft attack from volume swells, not harsh or aggressive, lush, atmospheric

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, medium dynamics · edge distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Atom Heart Mother sound.

Difficulty

3.5/5 · Solo

The solo requires intermediate slide technique, smooth volume pedal swells, and precise control of sustain and echo timing, but does not involve high-speed runs or complex chord changes.

Worth knowing

No direct studio amp knob settings for Atom Heart Mother solo found; settings estimated based on typical Hiwatt/Strat/Fuzz Face/Binson Echorec rig from 1970-71.
Pedal models and effects chain are reconstructed from multiple sources and era-correct gear lists; specific pedal settings are inferred from user recreations and Gilmour's known preferences.
Pickup choice inferred from slide technique and typical Gilmour slide tone; not explicitly stated in sources.
Delay time and fuzz settings based on user recreations and Binson Echorec technical specs.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Gilmour's solo tone on 'Atom Heart Mother' is edge-of-breakup with a warm, mid-forward British character, likely from a Hiwatt amp, with moderate bass and treble, slightly boosted presence for clarity, and subtle plate reverb typical of early '70s Floyd production.

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Atom Heart Mother guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Atom Heart Mother guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 4.5, bass 6.5, mid 7, treble 7, presence 6, reverb 3. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Atom Heart Mother tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (1969 black Strat, likely with stock single-coil pickups, used by Gilmour in this era for slide solos) · Amp: Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head with WEM 4x12 cabinet; fuzz, delay, volume pedal, reverb.

Can I get the Atom Heart Mother tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like Pink Floyd on Atom Heart Mother — what gear and pedals?

Start with Neck pickup (for smooth slide tone), the amp EQ above (gain 4.5, bass 6.5, mid 7, treble 7, presence 6, reverb 3), and fuzz, delay, volume pedal, reverb. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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Sources

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More like this

🎸 How to get Pink Floyd’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Rock guitar tones → · 🎚️ Hiwatt settings → · 🎛️ best rock amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar solos → · 🎚️ Fuzz tone guide → · 🎯 more singing sustain tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com