Riff Tone
Breathe (In the Air) [Live In Gdansk]
David Gilmour
Guitarrock2000s
Original Gear
GuitarFender Stratocaster 'Black Strat' (customized 1969 model, maple neck, black finish)
AmpHiwatt DR103 100W head with WEM 4x12 cabinet (Fane Crescendo speakers)
PickupsCustom-wound single-coil pickups (late 1960s Fender spec, Seymour Duncan SSL-1 in neck/middle, custom wound in bridge)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass7
mid7
treble6.5
reverb3
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
compressionBoss Boss CS-2 Compression Sustainer
overdriveB.K. Butler B.K. Butler Tube Driver
delayBoss or Pete Cornish Delay pedal (model likely Boss DD-2 or custom Pete Cornish delay)
otherUnknown Volume pedal (model unknown)
Notes
Live performance, 2006 (Live In Gdansk). Guitar is the Black Strat, used for the clean riff sections. Amp is Hiwatt DR103, not a Fender Twin. Effects are from pedalboard, not amp. No amp distortion. Settings are inferred from Gilmour's typical live clean setup for this era.
Tone Character(10)
lush and glassywarm and roundedchimey Stratocaster clarityslightly compressedrich, full-bodied lowsairy, open highstouch-sensitivesmooth sustain without breakupsubtle ambiencedynamic and expressive
Difficulty
The riff is not technically complex but demands careful dynamic control, smooth chord transitions, and expressive vibrato to capture the iconic feel.
Sources
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Original Gear
GuitarFender Stratocaster 'Black Strat' (customized 1969 model, maple neck, black finish)
AmpHiwatt DR103 100W head with WEM 4x12 cabinet (Fane Crescendo speakers)
PickupsCustom-wound single-coil pickups (late 1960s Fender spec, Seymour Duncan SSL-1 in neck/middle, custom wound in bridge)
Amp Settings
gain0
bass7
mid7
treble6.5
reverb3
presence6
Effects & Signal Chain
compressionBoss Boss CS-2 Compression Sustainer
overdriveB.K. Butler B.K. Butler Tube Driver
delayBoss or Pete Cornish Delay pedal (model likely Boss DD-2 or custom Pete Cornish delay)
otherUnknown Volume pedal (model unknown)
Notes
Live performance, 2006 (Live In Gdansk). Guitar is the Black Strat, used for the clean riff sections. Amp is Hiwatt DR103, not a Fender Twin. Effects are from pedalboard, not amp. No amp distortion. Settings are inferred from Gilmour's typical live clean setup for this era.
Tone Character(10)
lush and glassywarm and roundedchimey Stratocaster clarityslightly compressedrich, full-bodied lowsairy, open highstouch-sensitivesmooth sustain without breakupsubtle ambiencedynamic and expressive
Difficulty
The riff is not technically complex but demands careful dynamic control, smooth chord transitions, and expressive vibrato to capture the iconic feel.
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