🎸 Rock · 1970s

Breathe (In the Air) by Pink Floyd (Riff · Clean) — Guitar Tone

by Pink Floyd · riff

The Breathe (In the Air) by Pink Floyd guitar tone is built on a Hiwatt DR103 100-watt head into WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 cabinet, dialed in at gain 3/10, bass 7, mid 7, treble 6.5, presence 5.5 (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)

GAIN

BASS

MID

6.5

TREBLE

5.5

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 3 sits below the rock average (4.8) — cleaner and more dynamic than typical rock; mids at 7 are right around average (6.2).

Guitar controls

8-9

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (1969, alder body, maple neck) · Amp: Hiwatt DR103 100-watt head into WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 cabinet

Studio recording, 1972-1973, The Dark Side of the Moon sessions. No evidence of live rig or alternate guitars for the riff section. No pedal overdrive/fuzz used for the main riff; clean amp platform. Effects are primarily time-based and modulation, not gain.

Gear used on this tone

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

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

Pickups

Neck pickup

Signal chain

Fender Stratocaster (1969, alder body, maple neck) → Uni-Vibe (model unknown, likely Shin-ei Univox Uni-Vibe or similar) → Binson Echorec (tape delay) → Hiwatt DR103 100-watt head into WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 cabinet

Effects

modulation, delay, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

warm and smooth, lush and open, ethereal and spacious, rounded highs, slightly compressed, modulated shimmer, touch-sensitive, airy and ambient, classic Strat neck pickup clarity, subtle reverb depth

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, slow tempo, soft dynamics · clean distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Breathe (In the Air) sound.

Difficulty

2.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires clean chord changes, subtle dynamic control, and sensitivity to effect timing, but is not technically demanding in terms of speed or advanced techniques.

Worth knowing

No source provides exact amp knob settings; values estimated based on typical Hiwatt/Strat clean tones for this era and genre.
No explicit confirmation of pedal models for modulation/reverb; effects inferred from audio and era-correct gear.
No evidence of fuzz or overdrive pedal on the main riff section; Big Muff is not used until later in the song/album.
Exact pickup position not stated in sources, but neck pickup is widely accepted for this part based on tone and interviews.
Amp reverb is likely subtle or added in mix; value is estimated low.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. David Gilmour's tone on 'Breathe' is warm, round, and just at the edge of breakup, typical of a Hiwatt amp with mild gain, boosted mids and bass, and moderate reverb for space. The treble and presence are kept moderate to avoid harshness, matching the smooth, airy character of the recording.

⚡ Same tone, YOUR gear — re-dials the gain & EQ for your amp and pickups, free →

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Breathe (In the Air) guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Breathe (In the Air) guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 3, bass 7, mid 7, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 3. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Breathe (In the Air) tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (1969, alder body, maple neck) · Amp: Hiwatt DR103 100-watt head into WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 cabinet; modulation, delay, reverb.

Can I get the Breathe (In the Air) 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 Breathe (In the Air) — what gear and pedals?

Start with Neck pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 3, bass 7, mid 7, treble 6.5, presence 5.5, reverb 3), and modulation, delay, 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 riffs → · 🎚️ Delay tone guide → · 🎯 more compressed tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

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