🎸 Rock · 1970s

Hey You by Pink Floyd (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Pink Floyd · riff

The Hey You by Pink Floyd guitar tone is built on a Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head into WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 cabinet, dialed in at gain 4.5/10, bass 6, mid 7, treble 6.5, 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

BASS

MID

6.5

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

8-9

VOLUME

7-8

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (Black Strat, late 1960s/early 1970s, maple neck, stock single-coil pickups) · Amp: Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head into WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 cabinet

Studio recording, 1979. Distorted riff section of 'Hey You' on The Wall. Gilmour's Black Strat was used for electric parts. Evidence for Hiwatt DR103 and Binson Echorec delay from multiple sources. Yamaha RA-200 rotary amp may have been blended for modulation/ambience, but main drive is Hiwatt. No evidence of live rig or later-era gear for this section.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Fender Stratocaster songs & tones →🎚️ 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

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Fender Stratocaster (Black Strat, late 1960s/early 1970s, maple neck, stock single-coil pickups) → Binson Echorec (or Sound City Echomaster II, tape echo) → Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head into WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 cabinet

Effects

delay, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 3)

Tone character

punchy midrange bite, clear note separation under gain, British amp crunch, articulate attack, slightly compressed sustain, modest overdrive, not high-gain, tight low end, airy, open top end, distinct delay repeats in riff, classic rock rhythm drive

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, loud dynamics · crunch distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the Hey You sound.

Difficulty

3/5 · Riff

The riff requires tight timing with delay repeats, clean articulation under moderate gain, and dynamic control to maintain clarity, making it intermediate in difficulty.

Worth knowing

No direct numeric amp settings for 'Hey You' riff found in sources; values estimated based on typical Hiwatt/Strat Gilmour settings from era and genre.
Pedal models inferred from era-correct Gilmour gear and audible effects; no explicit pedalboard photo or session sheet for this song's riff.
Yamaha RA-200 rotary amp may have been used for subtle modulation/ambience, but not primary drive.
No evidence of Big Muff or fuzz on this section; distortion is amp-based with delay.
Delay effect is clearly audible in riff, but exact pedal model not confirmed for this track. Binson Echorec is most likely based on era and sources.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. David Gilmour's 'Hey You' riff tone is clean with slight breakup, full and mid-forward, using a Hiwatt amp with moderate bass and treble, strong mids, and subtle reverb for space. These settings reflect his typical late-70s/early-80s amp setup and the song's warm, articulate sound.

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

🎸 All Hey You guitar tones — every part & section →

🎧 Can you guess the tone?

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Hey You guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the Hey You guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 4.5, bass 6, mid 7, treble 6.5, 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 Hey You tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Fender Stratocaster (Black Strat, late 1960s/early 1970s, maple neck, stock single-coil pickups) · Amp: Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head into WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 cabinet; delay, reverb.

Can I get the Hey You 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 Hey You — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 4.5, bass 6, mid 7, treble 6.5, presence 6, reverb 3), and 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 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