NOTE: This website is frequently updated. Last update June 2011.
TONE BUILDING - What do each of the pedals David Gilmour used do and how do you set them to get similar Pink Floyd tones? Which pickups and amps work best for those tones? Here is a general guide to the gear and how to get the tones. There are audio clips demonstrating building basic Gilmour tones using some of the same gear David used. These clips are designed to show what each individual piece of gear contributes to the tone. This is not a comprehensive song by song list by any means, just a general guide based on my experience. I highly recommend you look at Gilmourish.com and The Tone from Heaven for much more detailed reference for all the gear David has used throughout the years. Those guys have really done their home work and have created very comprehensive websites on everything to do with David Gilmour's gear and tone, but for my website I wanted to focus on actual sound clips and settings for reference. Enjoy!
TONE BUILDING - Animals - The effects used and sound clips (coming soon)
TONE BUILDING - Delicate Sound of Thunder and Pulse - The effects used and sound clips
TONE BUILDING - On an Island - The effects used and sound clips
TONE BUILDING - The Wall - The effects used and sound clips (coming soon)
THE ELECTRIC MISTRESS and BIG MUFF - The perfect combo for The Wall and Final Cut tones
BOOSTING A BIG MUFF - How to use an overdrive pedal to drive your Muff
DELAY / ECHO - Using delay and delay time settings
EMG DG-20 SA or VINTAGE STYLE GUITAR PICKUPS - Sound clips to illustrate the tone differences
WHAT TYPE OF AMPLIFIER TO USE - Amps that work best for Gilmour tones
NOTE - I have listed the gear and settings I use in most cases, for reference, but note that the tones may not exactly match your rig, depending on which amplifier you use, your guitar, pickups, and fingers.
Below are sound clips and info on the primary pedals needed to create the fuzz/distortion tones heard in solos from songs like On the Turning Away, Sorrow and Comfortably Numb from the Pink Floyd live albums Delicate Sound of Thunder and Pulse. I have included a basic description of each what each pedal does. Some very detailed info about David's Pulse rig and gear can be found at The Tone from Heaven website. Below are photos of David's huge Momemtary Lapse of Reason and Division Bell touring rigs for Pink Floyd.
(left to right) David Gilmour's 1987 custom Bob Bradshaw rig and 1989 Bradshaw rig with Pete Cornish switching system
(left to right) David Gilmour's 1994 custom Bob Bradshaw modded effects rig, with a Phil Taylor pedals-to-rack rack setup, Cornish modded effect pedals mounted on top, all controlled by a Bob Bradshaw midi floor pedalboard with a Pete Cornish switching system. Note the blue tick marks by the knobs in these enhanced photos, indicating the settings in these press photos are likely Gilmour's actual settings. The tick marks are to ensure the pedal settings are the same from show to show. Gilmour has similar marks on his 2006 all-tube Pete Cornish board.
TONE BUILDING WITH EMG SA ACTIVE PICKUPS - Here are some basic late 1980s through mid 1990s Gilmour tones using some of the same pedals and pickups David used. Fender Deluxe Stratocaster with EMG DG-20 SA active pickups, exactly the same pickups used in David's red strats from the mid 1980s through the 1990s. Used on the Momentary Lapse of Reason and Division Bell tours, as captured on the Delicate Sound of Thunder and Pulse CDs. All clips are played with a Fender Stratocaster through a clean, loud Fender Twin Reverb. There is an article and sound clips illustrating the difference between EMG SA pickup and vintage style Strat pickups HERE.
Pedals used, listed in chain order - Guitar > Boss CS-2 compressor > B.K. Butler Tube Driver > Red Army Overdrive (early Sovtek Big Muff, same as Civil War Muff) or V2 Ram's Head Big Muff > Boss GE-7 equalizer > Boss CE-2 or CE-5 chorus > TC Electronic Nova delay > Amp
Tone Build Example #3 - Same as above, but playing Pink Floyd's On the Turning Away solo.
Tone Build Example #5 - EMG DG-20 bridge pickup with pedal settings shown above. Playing Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb solo. GE-7 set for treble and bass boost. I turn each pedal on in sequence to hear what each contributes to the tone.
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SORROW INTRO TONE - The intro to Sorrow is one of my favorite tones. I Prefer the live versions of Sorrow from Delicate sound of Thunder and Pulse to the studio version. The intro tone is monstrous and alive with feedback. An integral component to the unique feedback sound is the EMG DG-20 bridge pickup with the SPC control on 10, but single coil pickups can also be used. The tone is definitely generated by a Big Muff with the sustain full on. David had a Ram's Head Big Muff, a Civil War Russian Big Muff, and a Pete Cornish P-2 Muff on his boards for these tours. The Delicate sound of Thunder version is the Ram's Head Big Muff and I believe the Pulse version is the P-2 because it has more gain than a Civil War Muff, though the Civil War Big Muff patch on David's pedalboard can be seen on is some of the filmed performances of this song. There is also a Boss CE-2 chorus being used, a long delay, a Tube Driver set to boost the Muff, and a compressor being used to increase the gain and sustain. The sustained feedback is enhanced and fed by David's very loud tube amplifier. It is tricky to get just the right feedback to make this sound work, but the key is to load the gain and sustain with a compressor or Tube Driver to drive the Muff and, most importantly, amp VOLUME. Too much feedback and you have an overloaded mess, and too little you have to wait for the feedback. I have found the guitar needs to be a certain distance from my amp to get the feedback to come when I need it, and standing with the guitar in relation to the amp in different ways produces different types of feedback. You will find the Muff with sustain maxed will be very noisy with both a Tube Driver and a compressor running, but you won't hear the noise it when playing, and the notes are almost constant with few quiet parts.
Sorrow Tone Build - EMG DG20 bridge pickup with pedal settings shown above. GE-7 set for treble and bass boost. I turn each pedal on in sequence to hear what each contributes to the tone. This one needs to be loud to get the feedback, and I turn the SPC control on my EMG strat wide open
DAVID'S SPC and EXG SETTINGS - See this page for for photos and settings from various songs for David's EMG controls, specifically the SPC control on his EMG fitted Strats.
PULSE TONE DEMOS BY FRÉDÉRIC PEYNET - Here are some excellent Pulse tone examples using an EMG Strat and a Koch Studiotone amplifier by Frédérick Peynet (Deck from the Gilmour Gear Forum). Frédérick is among the best at capturing these tones with his gear and playing.
Gear used and EMG settings
What Do You Want from Me : EMG Stratocaster > Demeter Compulator > Cornish G-2 > Boss CE-2 > T-Rex Replica > Koch Studiotone amp. EXG-2 SPC-6 Neck pickup
On the Turning Away: EMG Stratocaster > Demeter Compulator > Cornish P-2 > Tube Driver > CE-2 > Replica > Koch Studiotone amp. EXG-2 SPC-6-7 Bridge pickup
Poles Apart: EMG Stratocaster > Demeter Compulator > Cornish SS-2 > CE-2 - Replica > Koch Studiotone amp. EXG-5 SPC-10 Neck pickup
Sorrow: EMG Stratocaster > Cornish P-2 > Cornish SS-2 > CE-2 > Replica > Koch Studiotone amp. EXG-2-3 SPC-10 Bridge pickup
PULSE BIG MUFF COMPARISONS - David used three Big Muffs in his Division Bell rig - the "Ram's Head" Big Muff, Pete Cornish P-2 Muff, and "Civil War" Sovtek Big Muff. The Ram's Head has a deep, dark tone with the mids "scooped" out. It has a wilder, more out of control feel, and a huge thundery sound. The P-2 is a more refined Big Muff with added mids (less scooped), and more controlled, uniform, and smooth tone, yet still retains the high gain of the Ram's Head. The Civil War Big Muff has a very smooth tone with slightly less gain than the other two, and more bottom end. Below are comparison clips using a Strat fitted with EMG DG-20 pickups (EXG off, and SPC on 5) and a Fender Twin Reverb.
Muff Comparison Clip - In this order: Ram's Head Big Muff, P-2, Civil War Muff
Comparison Clip - Leads. In this order: Ram's Head Big Muff and P-2 playing leads.
Comparison Clip - Chords/Rhythm. In this order: Ram's Head Big Muff and P-2 playing rhythm/chords.
TONE BUILDING WITH VINTAGE STYLE SINGLE COIL PICKUPS - When I use vintage style pickups I can get a very similar sound to the EMG SA active pickups in David's red strats used on the Momentary Lapse of Reason and Division Bell tours by adding a Boss GE-7 equalizer set for a mids boost. Depending on how the mids are voiced in your amp and the mids in the pedals used, you may want to add a mid boost to create this tone, or in some cases it is better to remove some of the mids from the tone and bring up the bottom end with an EQ.
MIDS BOOST - Below is a typical mid boost "hump" setting on the BOSS GE-7 to mimic the mid boost sound of the EMG SA pickups with the SPC control set at about 50%.
MIDS CUT - This example also has the mids boost sound, but I am actually cutting the mids back because the amp I am using is set with the mids high. Clips with Fender American Std Stratocaster with Seymour Duncan SSL-5 bridge pickup, which is a replica of the custom wound SSL-1 pickup in David's Black Strat. All clips are played with a Fender Stratocaster through a clean, loud Fender Twin Reverb.
Pedals used, listed in chain order - Guitar > Boss CS-2 compressor > Red Army Overdrive (early Sovtek Big Muff, same as Civil War Muff) > B.K. Butler Tube Driver > Boss GE-7 equalizer (pictured with mids scooped rather than boosted) > Boss CE-2 chorus > TC Electronic Nova delay > Amp
In 2006 David Gilmour's third solo album, On an Island, gave us some new guitar tones and some incredible guitar solos. David's live performances during the OAI tour, featured in the Remember That Night DVD and the Live In Gdansk CD and DVD, were stellar and showcase his playing in top form. I like the tones from the tour better than what I hear on the studio recording for On and Island, though the studio recording features some very interesting work. Overall, David's solos were very unmodulated this time around. This was a stark contrast to much of his previous work which featured chorus, flanger, vibe, and other modulations. David's trademark wet delayed sound was still present. The album had a more of an acoustic feel than previous work, but there were still plenty of overdrive and distortion guitar solo tones, especially on the subsequent tour. The Pete Cornish G-2 seems to have been the feature pedal for most of David's guitar solos, and David's trusty B.K. Butler Tube Driver was the primary overdrive pedal. The Cornish P-1, which is a high quality Ram's Head Big Muff circuit, was also used for some solos.
See my page of sound clips and gear I use for getting the On and Island studio and live lead tones HERE.
Below are sound clips of some of the pedals David Gilmour gear has used for his lead fuzz/distortion solo tones from the Animals era to today: Ram's Head and Civil War Big Muffs, the BK Butler Tube Driver, and the Pete Cornish G-2 and P-2. This section is designed to illustrate what the differences are so it can be determined which effect was used on which song. Descriptions of each pedal are in this section.
BK BUTLER TUBE DRIVER, RAM'S HEAD BIG MUFF, CORNISH G-2 - Clips play in that order. The Tube Driver drive is set to max to get it into distorted overdrive territory. The Ram's Head is pure vintage Big Muff tone, and the G-2 brings a tone that is sort of in between the two. Strat with SSL-5 bridge pickup and CS'69 neck pickup into a Fender Twin Reverb.
RAM'S HEAD BIG MUFF and CORNISH P-2 - The Ram's Head is a darker and grittier tone with the mids scooped out of the tone by the circuit, perfect for David's late 1970's tone through the 1980s. The P-2 is a much smoother and brighter tone with more mids, good for David's late 1980's though 1990s tones. Strat with EMG-DG20 pickups into a Fender Twin Reverb.
Leads. Clips in this order: Ram's Head Big Muff then P-2
Chords/Rhythm. Clips in this order: Ram's Head Big Muff then P-2
RAM'S HEAD BIG MUFF, CORNISH P-2, and CIVIL WAR SOVTEK BIG MUFF - Same pedals as above but adding the "Civil War" Sovtek pedal. It is darker sounding like the Ram's Head, but with more bottom end, and more mids, but not as much as the P-2. Strat with EMG-DG20 pickups into a Fender Twin Reverb.
Comparison Clip - Clips in this order: Ram's Head Big Muff, P-2, then Civil War Muff
PETE CORNISH PEDAL COMPARISONS - Here are clips comparisng the P-1, P-2, and G-2, using the settings shown above. Strat with SSL-5 bridge pickup and CS'69 neck pickup into a Fender Twin Reverb. The P-1 has been used on The original Wall tour and the On an Island tour. The G-2 was used for the On an Island studio recording and tour. The P-2 was in David's touring board for the second half of the Momentary Lapse of reason tour, likely as a backup for David's "Civil War" Big Muff, which was his primary disyortion pedal. Read my reviews of these three pedasl here.
Gilmour Licks - P1, P2, G2. Bridge pickup, then neck pickup at end
More Gilmour Licks - P1, P2, G2. Bridge pickup.
Big Muffs like to be driven hard and like a loud, clean tube amp to sound their best. Sometimes that is not enough for lead playing or solos, especially with modern Big Muffs. A Tube Driver, or similar overdrive pedal, can be used as a light boost before or after a Big Muff in the signal chain. I am not referring to a volume boost, but rather a gain boost, or more accurately a blend of the gain and tone from the two different pedals. Driving or blending a Muff with an overdrive pedal can make the Big Muff tone come alive. It can smooth out the fizzy harshness of the tone while adding some gain and mids, add dirt and grit to the tone, or help it cut through in a band mix better. While it is not necessary for a good David Gilmour tone, some modern Big Muffs and some vintage Muffs can really benefit from this type of boost. It is unknown if or when Gilmour used a booster for his Big Muffs in the studio, but he certainly did use them live during the Division Bell and On an Island tours, and most likely on the Animals tour. Both his gear tech, Phil Taylor, and pedal board builder, Pete Cornish, have noted that David likes to drive his Big Muffs with a booster pedal. One thing I must point out though is that, based on David's effect settings and his tone, the boost effect as David used it was typically very minimal. It is definitely not necessary or required to get his Big Muff or G-2 tones, but it can slightly smooth out a Big Muff tone.
It is debatable, but David Gilmour may have used his Colosound Power Boost (the pedal later changed to the Colorsound Overdriver, with more gain on tap) as a booster for his Ram's Head Big Muff in the late 1970's. The distortion tone David used during the 1977 Animals/In the Flesh tour, and on the 1978 Columbia Records promotional videos David made for his first solo record, and possibly on the record itself, sound like a Big Muff with the Colorsound placed after it in the signal chain. The dry treble and fuzz from the Colorsound are very distinct. David also had a Pete Cornish ST-2 Power Boost clone around 1978, and later a TC Electronic Booster + (discontinued) in his 1987-1990 Momentary Lapse of Reason tour rig which he may have used to boost his Muffs. He changed to a B.K. Butler Tube Driver for his 1994 Division Bell tour pedal arsenal, which he used to boost his Sovtek "Civil War" Big Muff and as a light overdrive pedal. In the Pulse DVD you can see the active pedals on during Comfortably Numb, including the TD (Boss CS-2 > Tube Driver #1 > Big Muff > TC 220 delay). For the 2006 David Gilmour tour he had two new B.K. Butler Tube Drivers in his board, one used as a Muff booster, one for overdrive. See my Tube Driver page HERE for more info about using one.
I have used Tube Screamers, a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, the Colorsound Overdriver, Colorsound clones like the Color Drive, and various Tube Drivers for boosting Big Muffs. My favorites are the SMS Earth Drive, BD-2, BK Butler four knob Tube Driver, and the Colorsound Overdriver. Each has a unique effect on the Big Muff. I never had much luck getting a sound I liked when using a Tubescreamer type pedal to boost, simply because they were too bright and hollow sounding and drastically altered the tone of the Big Muff in a way that did not suit my tastes. The best boosters are the ones that are transparent sounding, so as to not alter the tone of your Big Muff or Muff clone too much, or the ones that offer a pleasing mix of the two tones. Some people that are not happy with the tone of their Big Muff may prefer boosters that alter or improve the tone.
HOW TO BOOST - What the boost does really depends on the settings of the booster pedal and the Muff and where the booster is placed in the chain, before or after the Muff. Putting most drivers after the Muff seems to be a bit smoother, and before the Muff usually has more crunch and attack, but some boosters do the opposite. You can get harsh top end, smooth top end, boomy lows, light lows, or whatever you want if the booster has a tone control, or better, a bass and treble control. Also which one is "driving" which has an effect on the tone - meaning which has the high gain and which the low. The Muff sustain can be set high and the drive on the booster pedal low, or vise versa. Each yields a slightly different tone. Set the booster pedal's bass and treble or tone knob to be as transparent as possible, in that the clean tone is not colored when the booster is switched on. I suggest starting with the booster placed after the Big Muff. Set the Big Muff sustain and booster drive both at 50%. Then adjust the Muff sustain up, booster drive down until you get the tone you want. You may also want to try it the other way around, with the drive pedal having the high gain and the Muff low gain. If the sound craps out and sounds farty, or drops out when playing the low E string, there is too much gain from one pedal or the other causing the signal to overload and break up. Experiment with the gain/drive of each pedal until you have a sound that is almost to the point of breaking up. If you can't find a suitable sound with the booster placed after the Big Muff, try the procedure again with the boost in front of the Muff. Keep in mind, some vintage and boutique Big Muffs sound so good at high gain that you may not see much improvement by boosting.
I typically use my Tube Driver to drive the gain of the Big Muff. It creates a very subtle difference to the Big Muff tone. My Muffs are usually set to around 65-70% sustain and my Tube Driver (BKB/Chandler version) set to around 10% drive. The bass and treble controls of the Tube Driver are set to be very similar to the Muff tone, so when switching it on or off, there is very little change to my Muff's tone color. On the other hand, I use the Colorsound Overdriver to color the tone of my Big Muffs by placing it after the Muff in the signal chain, so the Overdriver circuit laters the tone and gain of the Big Muff signal entering it. I also like to use a Boss CS-2 or MXR Dynacomp for light compression before a Muff to sharpen the clarity and attack of the notes, but adding these to a boosted Muff also adds more noise from the gain stacking up from all of these pedals.
BOOSTED BIG MUFF VS. BIG MUFF WITH HIGH SUSTAIN - These sound clips illustrate the difference between the tone of a Big Muff with the sustain set rather high vs. a Big Muff with the sustain at 40% and a boost Tube Driver placed after the Big Muf to add gain and smooth out the tone. As you can hear, the boosted Big Muff has a slightly smoother tone. Strat with Seymour Duncan SSL-5 bridge pickup into a Reeves Custom 50 (Hiwatt clone) with Vintage Purple (Fane clone) speakers.
OVERDRIVE BOOST
SMOOTH BOOST
BOOST POSITION IN SIGNAL CHAIN - Driving the Big Muff with the booster pedal and driving the booster pedal with the Big Muff
MY FAVORITE BOOST/BLEND SETUPS
Tube Driver - Placed before the Muff in signal chain. Hi EQ at 4, lo EQ at 6, drive at approximately 1 to 1.5
Muff sustain at about 65-70%, tone about 35%, or whatever tone setting works on your rig in the Gilmour range.
Colorsound Overdriver - Placed after the Muff in signal chain. Treble at 70%, bass at 40%, drive at 90-95%
Muff sustain at about 30-35%, tone about 35%, or whatever tone setting works on your rig in the Gilmour range.
Boss BD-2 Blues Driver - Placed after the Big Muff in the signal chain for a super smooth boost, almost to the point of breakup. BD-2 Tone at 70% (2:00), gain at 20% (9:00).
Muff sustain at about 40% (11:00), tone about 35%, or whatever tone setting works on your rig in the Gilmour range.
The Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress flanger is a signature part of David Gilmour's liquidy modulated tones from The Wall and The Final Cut era, as well as David's first solo album. It is also heard during the In The Flesh tour for the 1977 Animals album, and was used heavily in The Wall live shows. The Mistress is unique among flangers, and no other flanger sounds quite like it. At the right settings it sounds like a very deep chorus, other settings can sound like a mix of the swirl of a Univibe mixed with a Phaser, or the common "jet" sound. The Mistress also sounds very good when used with a vintage Electro-Harmonix Big Muff. The two circuits seem to work hand in hand, creating a very mean, but liquidy smooth distortion tone. Add some warm analog or digital delay to that and you have classic Gilmour. David used the Mistress in a similar way to how he used the Univibe, rotating speaker cabinets like the Leslie and Yamaha RA-200, and the Boss CE-2 - to add a swirly modulation to his guitar tone and add to the feeling of space and depth.
David's first Electric Mistress was old green 18v version from around 1976. These sound slightly different than the later Deluxe Electric Mistress, but both create a very similar flanged modulation. The old green Mistress, or a clone like the Hartman Flanger, are more accurate for this early Gilmour tone than the Deluxe version. The Deluxe is a bit too swirly and dominant, though some may prefer it to the older one. The later Stereo Electric Mistress is a very different sound to both earlier Mistress circuits, more like a chorus. I don't recommend it, but it can work as a substitute.
Vintage Electro-Harmonix 18v green Electic Mistress flanger used by David Gilmour in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the Deluxe Electric Mistress that replaced it
Visit Ralf Metzger's Mistress Mystery Page for information on all versions of the Electric Mistress and Deluxe Electric Mistress
VINTAGE GREEN ELECTRIC MISTRESS - Here are sound clip using a vintage violet "Ram's Head" Big Muff and a vintage 18v green Electric Mistress. Stratocaster with Seymour Duncan SSL-5 bridge pickup into a Fender Twin Reverb and Reeves Custom 50PS (Hiwatt replica).
Final Cut solo - Original David Gilmour The Final Cut solo studio recording
Young Lust solo , no Mistress - For reference with "Ram's Head" Big Muff only
Young Lust solo, with Mistress - "Ram's Head" Big Muff with vintage 18v Green Electric Mistress
DELUXE ELECTRIC MISTRESS - Here are sound clips using a vintage "Ram's Head" Big Muff, the Deluxe Electric Mistress. Stratocaster with Seymour Duncan SSL-5 bridge pickup into a Fender Twin Reverb. The Mistress is mixed into Big Muff signal about 75% using a blend pedal. Pedal settings are shown above.
Final Cut solo - Original David Gilmour The Final Cut solo studio recording
Shine on Blues demo with Ram's Head Big Muff and Deluxe Electric Mistress - backing track is based on the Shine on You Crazy Daimond chords and can be found at Gilmourish.com. It's a great blues track to jam too.
HARTMAN FLANGER - Here is a sound clip using a Hartman Flanger, a high quality replica of the old green Electric Mistress (non deluxe). It sounds nearly identical to my green Electric Mistress. Compare this Mistress sound to the sound from the Final Cut studio recording, which I beleieve to be the Yamaha RA-200 rotary speaker cabinet powered by an Alembic F-2B preamp (a Fender Twin premap clone) and the Hiwatt DR103 with WEM Super Starfinder cab. This is the same setup from The Wall. The Mistress modulation is very similar to the rotary speaker/Hiwatt cobo, though not quite as smooth and warm. Strat with Seymour Duncan SSL-5 bridge pickup into a Reeves Custom 50. Mistress mixed into Bug Muff signal about 75%. Backing track can be found at Gilmourish.com.
Final Cut solo - '73 Ram's Head Big Muff replica from Stomp Under Foot and Hartman Flanger
WHY CAN'T I GET MY ELECTRIC MISTRESS TO SOUND LIKE GILMOUR? - Many times when people think they are hearing the Electric Mistress they are actually hearing David recording with rotating speaker cabinets like the Leslie and Yamaha RA-200. That is the case with the many of the Animals solos, the Comfortably Numb solos, and the Final Cut solo. The Mistress is a close approximation however, and even David used one in place of the rotary speaker cabs when playing live. When I listen to The Wall and the Final Cut, I do not hear this type of modulation mixed into the tone of the Big Muff solos 100%. It is much too dominant for most of those tones for my taste. In fact, I don't hear the Mistress 100% in much at all from that era. Sure there are a few exceptions here and there, like some of the solos on David's first solo album, and the original Wall concerts, but overall I believe David always blended the Mistress. Based on all the interview comments from David and his recording/engineering crew over the years, and listening to the 5.1 mixes, David typically recorded through more than one amp or speaker cabinet, then fine tuned the level of the modulated and unmodulated tracks, or even delayed and non delayed guitar in the final mix. Comfortably Numb is one example of this. For clean tones it is not a problem using the Mistress full on, but a blend pedal is almost a necessity with the Mistress for when using any distortion, in my opinion. My Mistress is never more than 50-75% in the mix. If you start with your Mistress at 50% in the mix, then adjust the knobs for the correct modulation, you will find you get much closer to those recorded modulations you hear in many of the studio tracks than 100% in the mix. I use a Barge VB Jr. blend pedal to mix in the signal from my modulation pedals in a bypass loop with my distortion signal. The Boss LS-2 is another pedal that features the blend function, but there are many others.
More Electric Mistress clips and information on David's modulated tone can be found on this page
“A bit of delay can smooth out the unpleasant, raw frequencies you get from a fuzz box. I have two units, and I have different echo settings on both. There are times when I have both running at the same time for certain effects. During solos, I usually try to set the delays to have some rhythmic time signature in common with the tune. I usually set them to a triplet—the notes all intertwine, so it doesn’t really matter anyway, but I find that a triplet delay is very melodic.” - David Gilmour
David often uses long echo delays to help create a his big, liquidy solo tones, and these delays are usually set in time with the song tempo. Typical delay times are 310, 380, 440, 540, and 620 milliseconds. David often uses two separate delays with different delay times to create a larger sound. This effect seems like reverb, but it is much different and less tone robbing than reverb. Two delays running at different times fill in gaps between delay repeats, making the delay sound smoother with less obvious repeats. A key to the way David has done this is to run each delay in separate parallel channels of the individual echo repeats only. This way the echo repeat from one delay is not repeating the echo repeat of the other. These are blended back together with the original dry signal at the end of the signal chain. Read an explanation about how this is achieved here. Any delay with a 100% wet signal output can be set up in a parallel signal chain to do this. It also allows you to mix the original signal, unaltered by the delay circuits, with the delayed signals.
Some songs require softer, warm analog tape sounding delays, and others require sharper, brighter digital sounding delays. Delay times typically range from 300ms-550 ms, with 5-8 repeats, but some songs require specific delay times. See the Delays section for an explanation of the different delay types - analog and digital.
DELAY TIMES - Below are some of the delay settings I use. Some are to duplicate the studio album delays and some to duplicate the live delays.
Some Standard Delay Times: 310, 380, 440, 540, 620ms delay level around 20%, with around 3-6 repeats.
Another Brick in the Wall Part 1:
delay time: 450ms -- feedback: 50-60% -- delay level: 25% -- delay type: analog/digital mix
Another Brick in the Wall Part II solo:
delay time: 440ms -- feedback: 15-20% -- delay level: 18-20% -- delay type: analog
Coming Back to Life intro:
delay time: 630ms -- feedback: 10-20% -- delay level: 17% -- delay type: analog
Comfortably Numb (Studio version):
delay time: 480ms -- feedback: 15-20% -- delay level: 20% -- delay type: analog
Comfortably Numb (DB tour and Pulse version):
delay time: 480ms for DB tour and 540ms for Pulse -- feedback: 15-20% -- delay level: 20% (30-35% for waving part) -- delay type: analog
Castellorizon, Money, Young Lust, and other songs:
delay time: 310ms -- feedback: 15-20% - delay level: 18% -- delay type: analog
Echoes - live Gdansk Version:
standard delay time: 440ms -- feedback: 15-20% - delay level: 15% -- delay type: analog
buildup and arpeggio delay time: 300-310ms -- feedback: 60-70% - delay level: 40% -- delay type: analog/digital
On an Island:
delay time: 540ms -- feedback: 15-20% - delay level: 15% -- delay type: analog
Run like Hell:
delay time: 380ms -- feedback 60-80% - delay level: 40% -- delay type: digital
Shine On You Crazy Diamond:
delay time: 370ms -- feedback: 15-20% -- delay level: 20% -- delay type: analog
Shine On – Syd’s theme:
delay time: 290 ms -- feedback: 50-60% - delay level: 20% -- delay type: analog
WHY CAN'T I HEAR THE ECHO REPEATS IN SOME GILMOUR/PINK FLOYD SOLOS? - David often has a big, wet, reverb-like delay tone, as if he were playing in a large hall, but the actual audible echo repeats in his solos are almost absent in many cases. It makes for a sound that really has some space, but is not cluttered by delay repeats. This is something us Gilmour fans have sought to recreate in our own playing. Using spring or digital reverb does not get even get close, but some people find using a delay pedal does not sound right either. So why don't you hear the repeats most of the time? There are several reasons.
1. The delay volume is often not very loud in the studio recordings, so in a full band context, the other instruments mask the repeats. It is especially hard to hear the repeats when they echo in time with the tempo of the song.
2. David is often using very long delays, so the repeats are not as obvious because David is playing the next bit of a solo phrase right when the repeats from the previous notes start.
3. Often, you are hearing delay and reverb, not just delay. An examination of the individual tracks from some of the 5.1 surround sound studio album releases reveals both were used. The reverb could have been added in the mixing stage, or it could be reverb from mics positioned in the recording studio to capture the natural room sound. Regardless, it is the combination of both delay and reverb that makes the delay sound so smooth.
4. The official live recordings often have an even larger delay sound than the studio versions. You should keep in mind that these official recordings have been sweetened to sound as good as possible. I'm not saying David sounds nothing like this live, but you are hearing the natural reverb of the venue in these recordings and in many cases, studio reverb added in the mixing stage. Listen to some of the 5.1 live tracks separately and you can clearly hear this. If you listen to some of the better bootleg recordings and compare them to the official live releases, you will find David's real live sound is typically much drier, with less delay. Often during the live songs that do have very loud delays, you do hear the repeats clearly.
5. If you are playing at home on your amp with delay, the delay sound will come across much different than when you are playing with a full band, where the delay repeats will blend in the mix much better.
For the studio recordings, reverb has definitely been added, and in some cases much more so than delay. For example, I have split the On an Island solo apart and I hear a guitar recorded dry, a reverb only track, and a long delay only track. The delay and reverb are not mixed particularly loud, but the overall combined wet delay effect very effective. Compare the second On an Island solo with the solo in Castellorizon, both from Gilmour's 2006 solo recording, On an Island. Based on what I hear in the 5.1 breakdowns the guitar delay levels are not much different in either song, but notice the delay repeats are very clear in Castellorizon, but you barely hear them in OAI . The orchestra is not loud enough to mask the repeats in Castellorizon, but the band playing inder the solo in On an Island certainly is. If you listen to a song where the band is not playing at all, like intro to Pink Floyd's Coming Back to Life, and the delay repeats are very clear.
Based on listening to some of Gilmour's isolated guitar tracks, the delays in those songs often have very long repeats, so even when David stops playing in between phrases, the echo usually does not repeat until he starts playing the next phrase. Shorter delay times are more obvious because the repeats are heard in between notes and phrases. Try playing the Comfortably Numb solo with a 380ms delay with 4-6 repeats, versus a longer 540-600ms delay to hear the difference. Occasionally David may be using a long repeat time on one delay, and a shorter repeat time on another delay, both simultaneously. The shorter delay fills in the gaps between the longer delay repeats, creating a smooth delay sound if the levels are not too loud.
HOW DO I REPLICATE THAT SMOOTH GILMOUR DELAY SOUND? - Be sure to read the section above. The best way I have found to create the smoothest delay sound is to use both a delay, and a small amount of reverb. I use a slight amount of spring reverb from my Fender twin along with my digital delay pedal. Spring reverb sounds best, but you can also use a reverb pedal. They key is to use just a hint of reverb. If you drench your sound in it, you will get an unpleasant tone that does not sound very Gilmourish. The delay level needs to be more dominant than the reverb, but again, you don't need a lot of delay volume in most cases either. Longer delay times (440ms to 620ms) will sound smoother than shorter delay times (310ms to 380ms). Another option is to run two delay pedals simultaneously. One set for a slighly shorter delay time, and a lower echo repeat volume, running into a longer delay with a slightly louder echo repeat will give you a very smooth, reverby delay. It helps to have the echo repeats of the first delay fall right in between the repeats of the second delay. Too much volume from the first delay will make a mess of double tapped delay sounds, so be careful not to overdo it.
HOW TO FIND THE PROPER DELAY TIMES - It is easy to find a delay time that works with a song tempo, even if you can't clearly hear the echo repeats when listening. I'll keep this simple rather than going into an explanation of time signatures. Turn the feedback on your delay up to around 80% or so, so the repeats are almost infinite. If you have a subdivisions setting (quarter notes, eighth notes, dotted eighth notes, et cetera) set it to quarter notes, or the normal setting. Set the delay time so the repeats are in time with the song tempo or drum beat, approximately one repeat for every beat. You can check this by mute picking a single note simultaneous with a drum beat, then listen to the repeats. The repeats should go on for a long while, and if the repeats sound faster or slower than the drum beat / tempo, you need to fine tune the delay time up or down. You will find the exact tempo time when you hear the repeats are in sync with the song beat / tempo because there will be no drift. Once you have that, turn the feedback down so there are only about 3-6 repeats, adjust the delay volume to suit the song, and you are ready to go with a 4/4 time delay.
FINDING THE TRIPLET TIME DELAY FOR A SONG - If you want a "triplet" time feel, or 3/4 time as David has often used in songs like Another Brick in the Wall I and Run Like Hell, and you have a delay that shows the time in milliseconds, follow these steps. Find the delay time for the song as described above. Divide that by 4, then multiply that number by 3 to get the triplet time delay. Example: You determine the 4/4 beat song tempo is 600ms, or 600ms between beats. Divide 600 by 4 to get 150ms. Multiply 150 x 3 to get the triplet time delay of 450ms. You can change the feel of the delay repeats by cutting the 600ms delay time in half to 300ms, 1/4 for 150ms, double it to 1200ms, et cetera.
If you don't have a delay with a millisecond display, it is still possible to find the proper 3/4 delay time in a 4/4 time signature. Find the song tempo delay time as described above, so your delay is making one repeat per song beat, exactly in time with the beat. Note or mark that time setting on your delay. Next cut that delay time in half so you hear two repeats per beat, or 2/4 time. Note that setting. The 3/4 "triplet" time will be inbetween in between these 4/4 and 2/4 settings on your delay. If you adjust the delay time in that in-between zone while listening to the song, you will hear when it is right in 3/4 time. In four beats you will hear 5 repeats (including the pick), and and that fifth repeat will time right on the fourth beat. Again, if you mute pick with the repeats set almost infinite, the repeats will be perfectly in time with the song beat on every 5th repeat.
BOSS DD-2 DELAY - The 1983 Boss DD-2 was one of the first, and best sounding digital delays to come out of the early days of digital effects pedals, and still holds up well today. Even though the DD-2 delay chip only produced a 12 bit sample, the circuit blended part of the clean signal back in, producing a crisp, accurate digital repeat. It still retained the warmth of the original signal rather well, but it is by no means as warm as typical analog delays. When using both the mono and stereo outputs together (each running to a separate amp) the DD-2 produceds a very defined stereo field, with one channel being the dry signal only, and one being the delayed signal only. The early Boss DD-3 pedal was exactly the same delay, sold at a lower price when the chips became less expensive to manufacture. Later versions of the DD-3 have different circuits. David used the DD-2 extensively in the mid to late 1980s, as well as using a Pete Cornish Tape Echo Simulator (TES), which included the Boss DD-2 circuit. Shown below are some typical Gilmour DD-2 delay times. The Effect Level (volume) and Feedback (number of repeats) will vary. Mode should always be set at 800ms.
RUN LIKE HELL - This is one of the standout tracks from Pink Floyd's The Wall double album, with music written by David Gilmour. It is a great example of David's "triplet time" delay playing. It sounds very complex because the delay is filling in and creating a guitar rhythm in between the notes David does not play, and it is actaully rather simple to do. David could play a chord while the delay rhythm repeated, and jump back to the delay rhythm before the repeats stopped, almost as if there were two guitars playing. It takes some practice, and you have to be very precise with your timing or you can easily get out of step with the song tempo. This also means the delay time must be precisely in time with the song tempo. To recreate this delay, all you really need is one delay set for 380ms, 7-8 repeats, with the delay volume almost equal to the signal volume. It helps to have a delay with a digital display to set the exact delay time.
David has stated he used two delays for the studio recording of Run Like Hell, one in 3/4 time and one in 4/4 time. He likely used the MXR Digital Delay System 1. The main 3/4 time delay is 380ms, or what David calls "triplet" time, and the second 4/4 delay time is 507ms, or one repeat on every beat. The second delay thickens space between the main delay repeats by double tapping your 3/4 repeat with a 4/4, creating a huge delay rhythm. When using one amp, it is best to place the second 507ms delay after the main 380ms delay in your signal chain, and set the second delay repeat volume MUCH lower, with roughly half the repeats of the main delay. That second delay is just barely there, and too much volume can make a double tapped mess of the main delay. If using a 2 amp setup, you can try running one 380ms delay to each amp and keep the volume and delay repeats about the same for each, or you can run the 380ms delay to one amp and the 507ms dealy to the other for a slightly different feel. To figure a 4/4 dealy time to work with any 3/4 triplet delay time, you can split the 3/4 time delay into thirds. For example, 380ms is your triplet time. 380 divided by 3 = 126.7ms. To get the 4/4 time delay, simply multiply 126.7 x 4 = 506.8.
You may also want to try setting the second delay at 760ms, double the triplet time delay (380 x 2 = 760ms). Sort of a triplet on top of a triplet time delay. This creates a bouncy feel to the delay rhythm. You can also set the second delay to 254ms, which gives three repeats for every beat and adds a shorter double tap sound to the main 380ms delay. There are lots of different ways to use two delays at once for an integrated rhythm, so use your ears and experiment.
Run Like Hell Demo Instrumental - excerpt from The Wall demos
Run Like Hell - original studio recording excerpt from The Wall
"It's all on a D pedal. That came from an old trick I'd been using, which is having a DDL in triplet time to the actual beat. When you play across it, it helps you to double-track yourself. It has a certain feel, which sounds boring and ordinary if you put it in 4/4. If you put it in a 3/4 time it has an interesting bounce to it. Because the DDL keeps running along, you've got time to leave the pedal playing and play a couple of chords while the effects carry on" - David Gilmour from Guitar for the Practicing Musician, January 1995
To create the tone on the studio recording David used an Electric Mistress flanger to add some modulation and a spacious feel to the delay tone. I use an old green 18v Electric Mistress or the Hartman Flanger, which is a clone of the old Mistress. A good chorus like the Boss CE-2 or CS-5 can also be used in place of the flanger. There is a also bit of light overdrive in the tone. I use a compressor or a Tube Driver for this. I use a Boss DD-2 for the 3/4 time delay and a DD-3 for the 4/4 time delay.
Run Like Hell Tone Building - Boss CS-2 compressor, Hartman Flanger, and two Boss DD-2 delays.
Shown below are my Boss delay time settings to replicate the Run Like Hell studio recording sound. The first is set in 3/4 time for about 8 echo repeats at exactly 380ms, or three repeats for every song beat. This is the primary delay time you hear in the song. The other delay is set at 507ms, or one repeat on every beat. It is not absolutely necessary to have the second delay, but it makes the delay rhythm pattern sound thicker and fuller, and also adds some fullness to the verse chords. Gear used: Telecaster into a fender twin Reverb and Reeves Custom 50, Boss CS-2 Compressor, Tube Driver set for light overdrive, Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress, TC Nova delay.
Playing the RLH Rhythm Fills - with and without the delay
Playing the RLH Verse Chords - with and without delay
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL PART I - This one is very similar to Run Like Hell, played in D, with a 450ms delay, around 7 repeats, with the repeat volume equal to the signal volume. The tempo is much slower, but the delay is played in triplet time exactly like RLH. In the studio recording I hear one guitar playing the single note triplet time rhythm, a second guitar playing the fills, and a third guitar playing occasional accents on top of the fills. However, it is possible to play this one one guitar. You simply have to practice your timing so you can play the fills and get back to the D rhythm note exactly in time with the delay repeats. You can also add a second delay to thicken the sound, similar to what was done with RLH, with both the 3/4 time and 4/4 time delays. The exact delay times would be 450ms for the 3/4 time and 600ms for the 4/4 time. The 450ms delay should come before the 600ms delay in your signal chain. Set the 600ms dealy to half the repeats of the main delay, with a MUCH lower delay volume. That keeps you from getting a loud, double-tappy mess. The second delay should just be accenting the first, filling the space between the 3/4 repeats. Depending on your second delay EQ, you may need to experiment with the number of repeats and repeat volume. To figure a 4/4 dealy time to work with any 3/4 triplet delay time, you can split the 3/4 time delay into thirds. For example, take 450ms divided by 3 = 150ms. Exact 3/4 time is 150 x 3 = 450ms, which is our main delay time. To get the second delay in 4/4 time, multiply 150 x 4 = 600ms.
David also used the triplet delay setup on many other songs such as Another Brick in the Wall parts I and III from The Wall, Short and Sweet from his first solo album, Give Blood from Pete Townshend's White City, Blue Light from David's second solo album, About Face, The Hero's Return from Pink Floyd's The Final Cut, One Slip from A Momentary Lapse of Reason, and Take It Back from The Division Bell, among others. Here is a clip of a single 330ms delay playing the Blue Light riff. In this example I am showing how just using a single triplet 330ms delay is sufficient for this effect, but a second 4/4 feeling delay of 440ms or even a double triplet delay time to 660ms, could be added to enhance the space.
It's almost cliche to say this, but majority of what is percieved as Gilmour's tone and sound really does come from his fingers and playing. Gear selection helps, but much of the tone comes from the way the strings are played. Note choice is obviously key, but you really need to invest the time to learn the techniques and phrasing to have this solo sound. David rarely lets a note just sit still. It is always moving or changing. Much of what people think is the gear making a solo sound good is simply the fingers making the gear sound good. For example, Big Muff's tend to be a bit harsh and fizzy, but when you add some fluidity and subtle harmonics to your playing like Gilmour does it makes the Muff sound very un-Muff like, and brings something out of the Muff that you can't get with any other fuzz pedal. Add a sweet chorus and some long delay over that and you are in tonal heaven. I won't go into the blues scales David uses or the mechanics and theory of the type of music he plays, but below are are a few pointers about the style and tecniques of playing.
Though this section of the website is dedicated to a study of David Gilmour's tone and playing, I suggest you use this as a jumping point for your own tone and style. I do suggest you also study other artists you like and learn their techniques as well, then mix them together to create you own unique signature sound and playing style. Any style you study will filter through your brain and come out in your own playing.
GILMOUR PLAYING STYLE
It sure sounds better when you use the right gear, guitar, pickups, amp, and settings - but you still won't have that sound and style unless you take the time to learn that style of playing. Most of that "tone" is the playing. Using the right gear just colors and accents it.
I remember when I was first learning some Gilmour songs back in the About Face (1984) days. I went out and got basically the same pedals David had at the time and a Strat style guitar, but I was frustrated I could not get that sound at all. I learned the solos note for note, but I was just pressing frets, not actually playing in that style. Years later when I actually took the time to learn the subtleties of that style - finger and whammy tremolo, the subtle harmonics that are on just about every note, nailing those bends, and phrasing - it all came together rather easily. The correct gear was just tonal icing on top of that. That's why David says he can go into any music store and with basic gear he could still sound like him - the gear does not make the sound.
FINGER AND WHAMMY BAR TREMOLO - David does not just shake a note when he adds tremolo. He sometimes lets the note sit before slowly starting the tremolo, other times starts it fast. Sometimes he uses finger tremolo, other times he uses the whammy bar, and sometimes he goes from one right into the other on the same note. The tempo of the tremolo is important. It really should be as close in time with the beat as possible, but study the time as well. Really slow tremolo is hard to master, but it is key to this style of playing. Being able to go from subtle slow one note, to short and fast tremolo the next really adds dynamics to your playing. This was probably the most important part of playing in this style that I learned. Playing standard one speed tremolo on every note like 90% of other players do does not have even half the feeling that David can get out of one note with his style. Much of the beauty and soul of David's playing comes from his use of tremolo. David's whammy bar tremolo is very smooth like his finger tremolo. He typically pushes down when vibrating the bar, though at times I believe David has had a floating tremolo as he can be seen pulling up on many occasions. My tremolo is floating, so I vibrate in between, gently pulling up and down. It helps to have your tremolo bar cut short so you can hold it in your plam when playing. Some information on how to do this can be found here.
NOTE BENDS - Practice those bends! The Another Brick in the Wall II solo is a great one to study and master. David can bend and hold notes in exact pitch fluidly, and his bends are precise and in time with the song. He often bends a whole or half step, holds, the bends up or down another note, then back to the original bend position, before bringing the bend back down - sometimes adding his subtle tremolo to a few areas of these notes in mid bend! David also mixes slow bends with fast bends, but all in very precise time with the song tempo. It is rather easy once you get it down, and adds some great phrasing to your playing, but practice, practice, practice. Being slightly off key or out of time in a bend can ruin the effect.
HARMONICS AND NASAL TONE - If you listen to David playing you will occasionally hear him add a pinch harmonic squeal to a note - such as the very first note in the Comfortably Numb outro solo, or many times in the Young Lust solo. Those pinch squeals are important to learn, and David's sound very unique and subtle compared to other players, but if you listen to David's playing closely you will find that there are subtle harmonics in most of the other notes in his solos as well, not just those squeals. Many people mistake this as something the effects he uses are adding to the sound. Effects like chorus and the Big Muff can accent these harmonics, but David's fingers are where the sound is coming from. He uses his thumb a lot when picking, letting his flesh touch the string as he picks to add those subtle harmonic tonal variations to the notes. This harmonic phrasing and coloring is all over David's playing - to the extreme on just about every note in the Young Lust solo, and more of a subtle harmonic coloring in the Coming Back to Life or On an Island solos. Some refer to this tone coloring as a "nasal" sounding. It is very evident on David's playing for the On an Island tour, featured in Live in Gdansk.
MORE NOTES VERSUS LESS - You will notice that David is not a very fast player, but at times he can sound more intense that someone playing a barrage of notes at light speed. That is because David adds all of these elements described above to just about every note. Each note is always moving and doing something, adding to the complex feel some of his solos have. Just playing the individual notes of those solos you will find there is nothing very complicated. When you add the tremolo, harmonics, bends, and other elements of David's playing, and how he plays over the music it becomes something very complex and moving.
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