Guitar tone · rock, blues

David Gilmour guitar tone: gear & amp settings

The gear and amp settings behind 17 David Gilmour songs, researched from rig rundowns, interviews and gear forums. The rig that shows up most: Gibson ES-335 into Hiwatt DR103 (1974) head into WEM 4x12 cabinet with Fane Crescendo speakers.

Guitars David Gilmour used

Gibson ES-3352 songs
Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (Black Strat)2 songs
Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (Black Strat, maple neck, 1971 pickups)1 song
Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster1 song
Fender Stratocaster (likely Black Strat, but possibly custom, see warnings)1 song
Gibson Les Paul Goldtop with P-90 pickups and Bigsby1 song
Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster (Black Strat, 2016 Live at Pompeii spec)1 song
Fender Stratocaster 'The Black Strat' (customized, maple neck, EMG-SA pickups, black finish)1 song

Amps David Gilmour used

Hiwatt DR103 (1974) head into WEM 4x12 cabinet with Fane Crescendo speakers1 song
Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head1 song
Alessandro Custom Amp (studio recording), possibly Fender Bassman or Hiwatt for live emulation1 song
Alessandro Custom amplifier1 song
Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head into WEM 4x12 cabinets (main), with Fender '59 Bassman LTD as secondary blend1 song
Hiwatt DR103 100W head into WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 cabinets (Fane Crescendo speakers), blended with Fender '59 Bassman and Mesa/Boogie amp (for overdrive/EQ coloration)1 song
Hiwatt DR504 Custom 50 Head (main), Alessandro Redbone Special (backup/secondary)1 song
Hiwatt DR504 Custom 100 (with Alessandro Redbone Special as backup/secondary amp)1 song

23 David Gilmour tones

Song	Part	Guitar	Amp	Gain
Comfortably Numb (Live at Pompeii 2016) · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (Black Strat)	Hiwatt DR504 Custom 50 Head with WEM 4x12 cabinet (Live at Pompeii 2016)	6
Comfortably Numb (Live at Pompeii 2016) · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster (Black Strat replica, Live at Pompeii 2016)	Hiwatt DR504 Custom 50 Head (main), Alessandro Redbone Special (backup/secondary)	5.5
5 A.M. · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster	Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head	4
Coming Back to Life (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (Black Strat)	Hiwatt Custom 100 DR103 Head + Yamaha RA-200 Rotary Speaker (parallel setup)	4.5
5 A.M. · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely Black Strat, but possibly custom, see warnings)	Alessandro Custom Amp (studio recording), possibly Fender Bassman or Hiwatt for live emulation	0
5 A.M. · solo	Solo · clean	Gibson Les Paul Goldtop with P-90 pickups and Bigsby	Alessandro Custom amplifier	2.5
Breathe (In the Air) [Live In Gdansk] · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster 'Black Strat' (customized 1969 model, maple neck, black finish)	Hiwatt DR103 100W head with WEM 4x12 cabinet (Fane Crescendo speakers)	0
Coming Back to Life (Live at Pompeii 2016) · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (Black Strat, maple neck, 1971 pickups)	Hiwatt DR103 (1974) head into WEM 4x12 cabinet with Fane Crescendo speakers	4.5
Dark and Velvet Nights · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson ES-335	Fender Concert (Rivera era, II Series, c.1984-1986)	5
Echoes (Live In Gdansk) · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster 'Black Strat' (customized, maple neck, EMG SA pickups, SPC mid-boost, GHS Boomers 0.10-0.48 strings)	Hiwatt DR103 All Purpose 100W head (1974, Mullard EL34s, ECC83s, modded for linked normal/brilliance inputs) into WEM Super Starfinder 200 4x12 cabinet with Fane Crescendo speakers	2.5
In Any Tongue (Live at Pompeii 2016) · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender 'Black Strat' (1969 Fender Stratocaster, heavily modified)	Hiwatt DR504 Custom 50 (main), Alessandro Redbone Special (blended, live rig)	4.5
Marooned (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) · solo	Solo · distorted	Gibson ES-335	Alessandro Redbone Special	5
Rattle That Lock (Live at Pompeii 2016) · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster 'Black Strat'	Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head (1974) into WEM 4x12 Cabinet with Fane Crescendo speakers	4.5
Run Like Hell (Live at Pompeii 2016) · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Black Stratocaster (1970s, heavily modified, 'Black Strat')	Hiwatt DR103 100W head into WEM 4x12 cabinets with Fane Crescendo speakers	4.5
Scattered (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (Black Strat replica, used live on Luck & Strange concerts)	Alessandro Redbone Special (main amp for Luck & Strange live shows)	5
Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 1-5 (Live at Pompeii 2016) · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender 'Black Strat' (1969 Fender Stratocaster, maple neck, custom electronics)	Hiwatt DR504 Custom 100 (with Alessandro Redbone Special as backup/secondary amp)	4.5
Sorrow (Live at Pompeii 2016) · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster 'The Black Strat' (customized, maple neck, EMG-SA pickups, black finish)	Hiwatt DR103 100W head into WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 cabinets (Fane Crescendo speakers), blended with Fender '59 Bassman and Mesa/Boogie amp (for overdrive/EQ coloration)	7
The Blue · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (Black, likely Custom Shop or original Black Strat)	Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head into WEM 4x12 cabinets with Fane Crescendo speakers	3.5
The Blue · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster 'Black Strat' (1969, alder body, late-'70s Charvel birdseye maple neck, DiMarzio FS-1 bridge pickup, 1971 Fender Strat single-coils middle/neck)	Hiwatt DR103 100-watt head (1974) into WEM 4x12 with Fane Crescendo speakers, parallel with Yamaha RA-200 rotating speaker cabinet	5
Time (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) · riff	Riff · clean	Fender Stratocaster (likely Custom Shop Black Strat, 2023 tour spec)	Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head with WEM 4x12 cabinet (live setup, 2023-2024)	3.5
Time (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Stratocaster (Black Strat, likely 1983-1984 reissue or original, as used by Gilmour on Luck and Strange tour)	Fender Concert Rivera Era Combo (1981-1987)	5.5
Time (Live from the Luck and Strange Concerts) · riff	Riff · distorted	Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster (Black Strat replica, live 2024)	Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head (live, 2024) into WEM 4x12 cabinet	5
What Do You Want from Me (Live at Pompeii 2016) · solo	Solo · distorted	Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster (Black Strat, 2016 Live at Pompeii spec)	Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head into WEM 4x12 cabinets (main), with Fender '59 Bassman LTD as secondary blend	4.5

David Gilmour songs on popular amps

Exact settings ToneAdapt players use for these songs on their own amps.

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Frequently asked questions

What amp did David Gilmour use?

Across 17 researched songs, the amps that come up most are Hiwatt DR103 (1974) head into WEM 4x12 cabinet with Fane Crescendo speakers (1 song), Hiwatt DR103 Custom 100 Head (1 song), Alessandro Custom Amp (studio recording), possibly Fender Bassman or Hiwatt for live emulation (1 song), Alessandro Custom amplifier (1 song).

What guitar did David Gilmour use?

Most often: Gibson ES-335 (2 songs), Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (Black Strat) (2 songs), Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (Black Strat, maple neck, 1971 pickups) (1 song), Fender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (1 song).

How do I get David Gilmour's tone on my amp?

Open any David Gilmour song below to see the original gear and settings, then use ToneAdapt to adapt them to your own guitar, amp, pickups and pedals.