Kit’s Secret Guitar, Gear, and Music Page
Guitar stuff, guitar effects stuff, soundclips, videos, David Gilmour / Pink Floyd stuff, photos and more.
Feel free to email me with any questions or comments here: nasnandos@kitrae.net
Copyright 2008 Kit Rae.

VISIT MY SWORDS, KNIVES and FANTASY ART WEBSITE www.kitrae.net

I am a fantasy artist and fantasy weapon designer by trade, but my hobby is guitar playing and guitar and gear collecting. Hearing Pink Floyd's 1979 album, The Wall, made me want to learn to play the guitar. Specifically David Gilmour's two incredible guitar solos on Comfortably Numb were the catalyst, though the album is full of a range of great guitar sounds. There is something magical about Gilmour's beautiful tones and playing style that is like heaven to my ears. The Wall led me to all of the other Floyd albums, each full of different and wonderful guitar tones. I have tried to find those tones with my guitars and gear over the years. That gear seach led me to Gilmour's Electro-Harmonix Big Muff sound, which ignited my passion for all things Big Muff, spawning my huge Big Muff website. My first guitar was a crappy G&L SC3 strat, purchased in 1985, which I still have. I moved on to collect a wide variety of guitars - Gibsons, Gretsch, Fenders, Rickenbackers - but the Fender strat was always my favorite one to play. Currently I play and collect different effects and gear. This website was made to showcase various guitars and gear I have owned in the past, and my passion for David Gilmour / Pink Floyd guitar tones and effects. There are audio and video clips for reference and learning, as well as some of my own music. Enjoy!

A great David Gilmour resource is Gilmourish.Com, hosted by Bjorn Riis. A site for all things Gilmour and some great gear reviews as well. Album by album gear breakdowns are the most complete here. I gained much knowledge from this site. Some good backing tracks too. Most of the backing tracks used in my audio clips came from this site.

Check out the Gilmourish.Com YouTube page HERE

Another good David Gilmour resource is The Tone from Heaven. A great site for Gilmour's Division Bell tones and gear, as well as info on Gilmour's custom Pete Cornish effects boards.

A good Italian Gilmour gear website is Giampolo Noto Blog. There is a tranlator to view in English on of the page.

And don't forget the Gilmour Gear Forum, a discussion of all Gilmour gear, guitars, amps, and music.

Check out my YouTube page HERE

Want to know how to create custom pedal graphics? I created a page showing how I do it HERE

Pink Floyd Bootlegs - Pink Floyd is one of the most bootlegged bands in history. A wonderfully comprehensive source for Pink Floyd live bootlegs is Yeeshkul.com. You need a bit torrent downloader and a player to play the boots, which are usually in .flac and .shn formats, much better than a lossy format like mp3 which reduces sound quality in compression. Utorrent and Limewire are two good downloaders. VLC media player and MacAmp Lite X are two good players. All of these are free on the web. NEVER PAY FOR BOOTLEGS! Bootleg concerts should be shared freely and openly. NEVER DOWNLOAD OFFICIAL RELEASES! That is stealing from the band and it's record company and we do not condone that.

January 2010 - I added a page on creating and applying custom graphics to you pedal HERE

November 2009 - The mystery is solved! The first Big Muff was manufatctured and sold in 1970. The actual date was never clear because of conflicting dates stated in various websites and books. Thanks to Carlos for the info and Manny's Music reciept. Another mystery has been clarified - Billy Corgan's huge sound on Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream was likely created with the much maligned V4 op-amp Big Muff. Biilly ran a stock V4 through a Marshall JCM 800 100 watt head with KT88 China tubes. Creative urban Muff legend has it that he used a black Russian Muff with a "creamy dreamer" mod. Billy has finally cleared this up and I have photos of his actual Big Muff with his typical settings in my Big Muff section. I have also verified that E-H did ship some early V9 reissue Muffs with old style V3 knobs as late as 2001. Later V9 Muff have the common flat topped knobs.

October 2009 - I added some sound clips to the On The Turning Away page and created a comprehensive Comfortably Numb page about the song and getting the tone. The Big Muff section was getting too large for one page so I have split it up into three sections - one for vintage USA Muffs, one for modern USA Muffs, and one for Russian made Sovtek Big Muffs. Rumor has it that the Sovtek's are being discontinued.

September 2009 - I added some soundclips to the Muff Inspired Pedals and Clones page. Marc Skreddy was kind enough to send me a prototype of his new Pig Mine pedal to test while I was waiting on the one I ordered from him to be made. Some of my demos can be found on thye Skreddy Pedals website.

August 2009 - I added a page about David Gilmour's "wet" modulation tones from The Wall.

July 2009 - I added a page on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album and guitar tones.

My main guitars now are my crimson 2004 customized American Deluxe Strat, a 2008 American Standard customized “Black Strat”, an American Telecaster, and a Gretch Duo Jet reissue. Below are pix of some of the other guitars I have owned in the past.

Fender '04 American Deluxe Mahogany Strat SSS w/SCN pups (50th anniversary), Fender American Standard '08 Strat with custom mods, Fender '91 American Strat Plus w/Lace Sensor pups, Fender '03 American Telecaster w/ash body

Guitars I have owned in the past: Fender '04 American Deluxe Strat SSS w/SCN pups(50th anniversary), Fender American Standard '08 Strat with custom mods, Fender '91 American Strat Plus w/Lace Sensor pups, Burns Brian May Red Special, Fender '03 American Telecaster w/ash body, Gibson SG Standard, 1957 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top Re-Issue, '99 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty, Gibson Les Paul Studio Plus, Gibson '89 Howard Roberts Fusion Lite, Gibson 1972 ES325, '82 Gibson Custom Shop ES335 Dot, G&L '83 SC-3, Paul Reed Smith Custom 24, Peavy EVH Wolfgang Quilt Top Special, '96 Rickenbacker 340

More guitars I have owned in the past: Gretch Nashville Jr. Model 6122JR, Gretsch Nashville Brian Setzer Model G6120 SSU, Gretsch White Falcon 1/ Model G7593, '57 Duo Jet re-issue with Bigsby Tremolo, '90s Ovation Celebrity Acoustic, Sigma DM 12 String Acoustic, early '80s Dobro Resonator Slide Guitar, '05 Martin DM Mahogany Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

In 2004 BC Rich asked to use some of my artwork for their Body Art series. Above is the art on their "V" model guitar.

Fender '65 Twin Re-issue amp (my main amp), Fender Cyber Twin Version 1 amp (great practice amp that sounds good with a wide variety of guitars), Vox Brian May Special VBM1 amp

MY PINK FLOYD / DAVID GILMOUR PEDAL BOARD AND EFFECTS

This is my pedal board and various pedals I own or have owned in the past, mostly set up to get David Gilmour/Pink Floyd tones. I find a lot of things on ebay, test them, and keep them if I like them or throw them back on ebay. My board is always changing and hopefully improving as I learn more about vintage effects. I try and sell anything I don't want at a profit if possible to make this hobby pay for itself.

2009 PEDALBOARD - I added a Red Army Overdrive and my old Boss HM-2 pedal to the board. Also swapped out one of the BK Butler Tube Drivers I had for an older Chandler BK Butler TD I acquired in a trade. I removed the Colorsound Overdriver. Great pedal but it did not get along with my compressors very well. Saving it for my "vintage" sound board. I removed the P-2, Pink Flesh, and BYOC Large Beaver Muffs. I had too many on the board anyway, and I frequently trade out Muffs from my collection. I have the whammy WH-1 in a bypass loop.

•Red Army Overdrive - This is the very first Russian Made Big Muff. Similar sound to a Civil war Big Muff. I use it for the later 1980s and 1990s Gilmour tones. I also found a second edition Red Army Overdrive that is exactly the same as a Civil War Big Muff.

•Boss HM-2 - This is an old discontinued Boss pedal. Gilmour used it on his second solo album and tour, About Face. It was the first distortion pedal I ever bought and I thought I would put it on the board again. Very good distortion tone.

Signal Chain

Guitar -> Evidence Audio Lyric cable -> MXR Dynacomp -> (SEND) Digitech Whammy Wh-1 (RETURN) -> Skreddy Lunar Module fuzz -> Digitech Brian May Red Special Distortion -> Boss CS-2 Compressor -> Boss HM-2 -> Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi (Ram's Head) -> Mike Matthews Red Army Overdrive -> Chandler BK Butler Tube Driver #1 (for light boost) -> BK Butler Tube Driver #2 (overdrive) -> Boss BD-2 Blues Driver with Keeley Phat mod -> Boss GE7 EQ -> Boss FV300L Volume Pedal -> ND-1 Nova Delay ->

RIGHT CHANNEL FROM DELAY INTO -> (SEND) EH Deluxe Electic Mistress Flanger -> MXR Phase 90 (RETURN) -> Fender '65 Twin Reissue.

LEFT CHANNEL FROM DELAY INTO -> Boss CE-2 Chorus -> Fender Cyber Twin version # 1 with Fender '65 Twin setting.

2008 PEDALBOARD Revision 2 - Trying out a second Tube Driver, the three knob Tube Works Tube Driver with a 12AU7 tube, and swapped the Sunface fuzz for a Skreddy Lunar Module fuzz. Still comparing the Lunar Module fuzz to the Sunface, but I like the LM better for Floyd Stuff. Also, comparing and original Digitech Whammy to the newer Whammy 4 for pitch shifting.

•The three Knob Tube Works Tube Driver turned out to be too harsh sounding. Not as good as the more expensive four knob BKB TD or Chandler/BKB TD.

•Skreddy Pedals Lunar Module vs Analogman Sunface BC108 (silicon Fuzz Face clone) - The Sunface sounds great, but it must be first in the signal chain or it sounds like crap, and it does not sound as good with the Boss buffered pedals on my board as it does all alone. Also, it must run on carbon batteries. They act as part of the circuit. Alkalines do not sound as good. The LM pedal can go anywhere in the signal chain and sounds good with all my other pedals. It does not produce exactly the same vintage fuzz tone as the Sunface, but it has a wider range and produces the tones I want, which are classic Pink Floyd/Dark Side of the Moon fuzz tones.

•Original Digitech Whammy WH-1 vs the newer WH-4 for pitch shifting - The WH-1 wins it, but barely. The tones are not that different. The WH-1 is just a bit smoother on pitching up and down and the foot pad treadle is a better. The WH-4 has a dead zone on the treadle so when you pitch up it does not do anything until you get past that. A rubber pencil eraser under the foot pad solved that problem, keeping the pad from touching bottom. For sound quality, the WH-4 has a slight bit more digital pinginess too the sound, but they are 95% the same pedal. Both suck tone from your board, so I'm putting mine in a bypass loop. The WH-1 is the smaller of the two units.

Signal Chain

Guitar -> Evidence Audio Lyric cable -> Skreddy Lunar Module fuzz -> Keeley Compressor -> Digitech Brian May Red Special Distortion -> Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi (green Sovtek version) -> Skreddy Pink Flesh ('73 Ram's Head Muff clone with a bit of Colorsound warmth thrown in) -> B.Y.O.C Large Beaver ('71 Triangle Muff clone) -> Colorsound Overdriver (always on) -> Butler Tube Driver with 12AX7 tube replaced with 12AU7 -> Tone Works Tube Driver with 12AU7 -> Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer -> Boss GE7 EQ -> Boss FV300L Volume Pedal -> TC Electronic ND1 Nova Delay -> EH Deluxe Electic Mistress Flanger -> MXR Phase 90 -> Electro Harmonix Small Stone EH4800 Phaser -> Boss DD20 Giga Delay -> Boss CE-5 Chorus ->

Fender '65 Twin Reissue.

2008 PEDALBOARD Revision 1 - Increased the size of my baord to add an Analogman Sunface BC108 silicon Fuzz Face clone, swapped the Boss DD-20 delay for a TC Elctronic Nova delay, swapped the MXR Dynacomp for a Keeley compressor, added a BYOC Large Beaver Triangle Big Muff clone, and swapped the AA Green Russian for my real green Sovtek Big Muff now that I have room for it. Also pulled out an old Electro-Harmonix Small Stone phaser, debating trading it out for my MXR Phase 90.

•B.Y.O.C (Build Your Own Clone) Large Beaver - This is a vintage Big Muff clone, probably the best one out ther for the money, $100- 150. I have the Triangle Big Muff version. Very good vintage Muff sound.

•Keeley Compressor vs MXR Dynacomp - The Keeley sounds good, but is a bit too harsh to work with other effects on my board.

•Absolutlery Analog Green Russian vs real Sovtek green Big muff - The AA Green Russian sounded really good, but I prefer my real Sovtek Big Muff.

•Boss DD-20 Giga Delay vs TC Electonic ND-1 Nova delay - The DD-20 sounds good for modern delay sounds and the interface is good, but four delay presets is not enough for me. The Nova sounds just as good for modern delay tones and has nin presets. User interface is not as easy, but you get used to it.

•MXR Phase 90 vs Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Phaser - Both are really good phasers. The MXR is a bit smoother, and takes up less room, so it will stay on my board.

Signal Chain

Guitar -> Evidence Audio Lyric cable -> Analogman Sunface fuzz with BC108 silicon transistor -> Keeley Compressor -> Digitech Brian May Red Special Distortion -> Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi (green Sovtek version) -> Skreddy Pink Flesh ('73 Ram's Head Muff clone with a bit of Colorsound warmth thrown in) -> B.Y.O.C Large Beaver ('71 Triangle Muff clone) -> Colorsound Overdriver (always on) -> Butler Tube Driver with 12AX7 tube replaced with 12AU7 -> Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer -> Boss GE7 EQ -> Boss FV300L Volume Pedal -> TC Electronic ND1 Nova Delay -> EH Deluxe Electic Mistress Flanger -> MXR Phase 90 -> Electro Harmonix Small Stone EH4800 Phaser -> Boss CE-5 Chorus ->

Fender '65 Twin Reissue

2007 PEDALBOARD - Added a Colorsound Overdriver, Skreddy Pink Flesh Ram's Head Big Muff clone and Absolutely Analog Green Russian Big Muff clone. They fit in my cramped pedalboard much better than the real Muffs.

•Colorsound Overdriver - Great vintage 1970s distortion for pre-Animals Pink floyd. I'm using it as a booster for the Big Muff and as a light overdrive.

•Skreddy Pedals Pink Flesh - This is a boutique Ram's Head Big Muff clone with a bit of booster thrown in. Very smooth David Gilmour sound from The Wall era.

•Absolutlery Analog Green Russian - Sovtek green Big Muff clone. Sounds really good. Very similar to my green Sovtek and takes up less space on the board.

Signal Chain

Guitar -> MXR DynaComp Compressor -> Digitech Brian May Red Special -> ProCo RAT distortion -> Boss DS1 -> Skreddy Pink Flesh Muff clone -> Absolutely Analog Green Russian Muff clone -> Colorsound Overdriver -> BK Tube Driver with 12AU7 tube -> Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer -> Boss GE7 EQ -> Boss FV300L Volume Pedal -> Boss DD-20 Giga Delay -> EH Electic Mistress -> MXR Phase 90 -> Boss CE-5 Chorus -> Boss DD3 Digital Delay ->

Fender '65 Twin Reissue

2006 PEDALBOARD - Using a Rat instead of a Big Muff on this board for space.

Signal Chain

Guitar -> MXR DynaComp Compressor -> Digitech Brian May Red Special -> ProCo RAT distortion -> Boss DS1 ->BK Tube Driver with 12AX7 tube -> Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer -> Boss GE7 EQ -> Boss FV300L Volume Pedal -> Boss DD-20 Giga Delay -> EH Electic Mistress -> MXR Phase 90 -> Boss CE-5 Chorus ->

Fender '65 Twin Reissue

1. COMPRESSION

MXR Dynacomp - Original script preferably, but the new ones are OK too.

Boss CS-2 Compressor

2. BOOSTS/RHYTHM

Colorsound Overdriver - Current ones are the same as the vintage Colorsound Power Boosts.

Chandler/BK Butler Tube Driver or current BK Butler Tube Driver

3. DISTORTION/FUZZ

Vintage Fuzzface or good clone like the Analogman Sunface (at head of chain) or Skreddy Lunar Module.

Ram's Head Big Muff or good clone like the BYOC Large Beaver - Triangle or Ram's version, for The Wall/Animals/Final Cut tones, or go with a Russian Big Muff like the Civil War or Green Russian models for the late 1980s and 1990s tones.

4. OVERDRIVES

Chandler/BK Butler Tube Driver or current BK Butler Tube Driver (12ax7 tubes)

Boss BD-2 Blues driver - preferably with Phat mod.

5. MODULATION

MXR Phase 90

Current Deluxe Electric Mistress or vintage green Electric Mistress

Boss CE-2 Chorus or CE-5 (not in this part of the chain. See 7)

6. VOLUME

Pretty much any volume pedal. I use a Boss FV 300-L. Always put before the delay in the chain so the delay naturally decays.

7. DELAY - preferably stereo, and programmable for presets.

TC Nova Delay or Boss DD-20 - R channel goes to Right amp.

Boss DD-2 - from L delay channel to Boss Chorus, then DD-2, to Left amp.

ADDITIONAL PEDALS ON A LOOP IN CHAIN AFTER BOOSTS

Vox Wah

Digitech WH-1 or WH-4

Sovtek Big Muff - Civil War, Green Russian, or Black Russian (large box)

Boss HM-2

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do

-Ephesians 2:10 NIV