Solo Tone

Coming Back to Life (Live at Pompeii 2016)

David Gilmour

Guitarrock2010s+

Original Gear

GuitarFender Custom Shop David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster (Black Strat, maple neck, 1971 pickups)

AmpHiwatt DR103 (1974) head into WEM 4x12 cabinet with Fane Crescendo speakers

Pickups1971 Fender single-coil Stratocaster pickups

Amp Settings

gain4.5

bass6.5

mid7

treble7

reverb4

presence6.5

Effects & Signal Chain

compressionBoss Boss CS-2 Compression Sustainer

overdriveBK Butler BK Butler Tube Driver

fuzzElectro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (likely Ram's Head reissue or Cornish G-2 clone)

delayFree The Tone Delay pedal (Free The Tone Future Factory or similar, set to 375ms)

Notes

Live performance, Pompeii 2016. Guitar is the Black Strat with 1983 C-shape maple neck and 1971 pickups. Amp is original 1974 Hiwatt DR103 with WEM 4x12 cabinet loaded with Fane Crescendo speakers. Effects and pedal order based on 2016 tour rig. No studio processing, strictly live rig.

Tone Character(10)

singing sustainsmooth lead tonecrystal-clear articulationlush delay repeatsslightly compressed attackbright and expressive highsdynamic touch sensitivityrich harmonic overtonesliquid phrasingopen, airy solo sound

Difficulty

The solo requires intermediate technique, especially expressive bends, smooth vibrato, and dynamic control to achieve Gilmour's signature sustain and phrasing. Timing with delay repeats adds complexity, but the tempo is moderate and there are no fast runs.