🎸 Rock · 1970s

Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd (Clean · Clean) — Guitar Tone

by Pink Floyd · clean

The Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd guitar tone is built on a Hiwatt DR103, dialed in at gain 0/10, bass 6, mid 5, treble 5, presence 4.5 (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

TREBLE

4.5

PRESENCE

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 0 sits well below the rock average (4.8) — cleaner and more dynamic than typical rock; mids at 5 are below average (6.2); treble 5 is below the 6.5 norm (darker, smoother top end).

Original gear

Amp: Hiwatt DR103 (custom 100-watt head) into WEM Super Starfinder 200 4x12 cabinet · Strings: Flatwound (likely, based on era and typical Waters setup; not explicitly confirmed for this session) · Tuning: Standard E

Studio recording, 1979, The Wall sessions. Roger Waters on bass. No evidence of live rig for this section.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ single-coil guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Hiwatt songs & tones →

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

Pickups

Neck pickup only (Precision Bass standard)

Effects / signal chain

Fender Precision Bass → (possible light studio compression) → Hiwatt DR103 → WEM 4x12 cabinet (amp-mic'd, possibly blended with DI)

Amp effects: Compression (level 4)

Tone character

deep and supportive, rounded low end, smooth, pillowy attack, subtle compression, midrange presence, warm and vintage, no drive or fuzz, sits under the mix, classic 70s rock bass

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, slow tempo, soft dynamics. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Comfortably Numb sound.

Difficulty

1.5/5 · Clean

The bass line is straightforward, mostly root notes with a slow tempo and no technical fills or advanced techniques required.

Worth knowing

No direct source for exact bass amp EQ; estimated from era, typical Waters rig, and genre.
No explicit mention of compression pedal or DI box for this session; compression level estimated from studio practices.
String type inferred from era and Waters' known preferences, not confirmed for this exact session.
Settings merged 75% AI / 25% web research. Roger Waters used a passive Fender Precision Bass with flatwounds, played fingerstyle, and was typically DI'd or lightly amped with ultra-clean settings for 'Comfortably Numb.' The late-70s production is clean, with moderate bass, balanced mids/treble, and light compression—no grit or drive.

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

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Comfortably Numb guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Comfortably Numb guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 0, bass 6, mid 5, treble 5, presence 4.5. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the Comfortably Numb tone?

Original gear/effects: Amp: Hiwatt DR103 (custom 100-watt head) into WEM Super Starfinder 200 4x12 cabinet · Strings: Flatwound (likely, based on era and typical Waters setup; not explicitly confirmed for this session) · Tuning: Standard E; Fender Precision Bass → (possible light studio compression) → Hiwatt DR103 → WEM 4x12 cabinet (amp-mic'd, possibly blended with DI).

Can I get the Comfortably Numb 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 Comfortably Numb — what gear and pedals?

Start with Neck pickup only (Precision Bass standard), the amp EQ above (gain 0, bass 6, mid 5, treble 5, presence 4.5), and Fender Precision Bass → (possible light studio compression) → Hiwatt DR103 → WEM 4x12 cabinet (amp-mic'd, possibly blended with DI). Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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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 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