Comfortably Numb (Live at Pompeii 2016) by David Gilmour (Solo · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

The Comfortably Numb (Live at Pompeii 2016) by David Gilmour guitar tone is built on a Hiwatt DR504 Custom 50 Head with WEM 4x12 cabinet, dialed in at gain 6/10, bass 6.5, mid 7.5, treble 7, presence 6 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

Amp settings (0–10)

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 6 sits above the rock average (4.8) — a hotter, more saturated take than most rock tones; mids at 7.5 are above average (6.2).

Guitar controls

Original gear

Guitar: Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (Black Strat) · Amp: Hiwatt DR504 Custom 50 Head with WEM 4x12 cabinet (Live at Pompeii 2016)

Live performance, 2016. Gilmour used his Black Strat with custom single-coil pickups, running into a Hiwatt DR504 head and WEM 4x12 cab. Effects chain included Big Muff, Colorsound Power Boost, and delay. No evidence of amp-based reverb or modulation; all effects appear to be from pedals. No evidence of Fender Twin Reverb used in this specific live setup.

Gear used on this tone

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

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (Black Strat) → Boss CS-2 Compression Sustainer → Colorsound Power Boost → Electro-Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff Pi → Delay pedal (likely TC Electronic 2290 or similar high-quality digital delay) → Hiwatt DR504 Custom 50 Head with WEM 4x12 cabinet (Live at Pompeii 2016)

Effects

compression, boost, fuzz, delay, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (plate, level 2)

Tone character

singing sustain, smooth lead tone, rich harmonic overtones, liquid sustain, creamy fuzz, clear note separation, ambient spaciousness, delayed repeats, expressive bends, dynamic touch sensitivity

Recording context

live

How it’s played

straight, slow tempo, loud dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Comfortably Numb (Live at Pompeii 2016) sound.

Difficulty

4.5/5 · Solo

The solo demands advanced bending and vibrato technique, precise control of sustain and dynamics, and the ability to phrase melodically over a slow tempo with complex delay timing. The emotional expressiveness and control required make it challenging even for experienced players.

Worth knowing

• No specific numeric amp settings for Live at Pompeii 2016 found; amp settings estimated based on typical Hiwatt/Big Muff Gilmour live setup.
• Pedal order and exact delay settings inferred from common Gilmour live rigs and audible effects in the recording.
• No evidence of modulation (chorus, flanger, phaser) used in this solo for this performance; only fuzz, boost, compression, and delay are clearly present.
• Pickup choice (bridge) based on video footage and typical Gilmour solo tone.
• Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Gilmour's Pompeii 2016 solo tone is classic British crunch with smooth sustain, prominent mids, and a warm, full low end. The amp is set for expressive lead playing with notable ambience, using moderate gain, boosted mids, and slightly elevated presence and reverb to match the live, atmospheric production.

Comfortably Numb (Live at Pompeii 2016) guitar tone — FAQ

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Sources

• What is the recipe for Pink Floyd Comfortably Numb solo tones?
• David Gilmour 2016 Tour Effects Signal Chains | The Gear Page
• David Gilmour's Guitar Gear, Pedalboard & Equipment - Equipboard

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