Tone library / Pink Floyd / Comfortably numb

Comfortably numb amp settings — Fender M80 tube emulator

The Pink Floyd guitar tone for “Comfortably numb”, dialed in for a Fender M80 tube emulator with a Squire by fender Classic 70s vibe stratocaster. Studio version, The Wall (1979) — second solo tone

Original rig

1969 Fender Stratocaster (DiMarzio FS-1 bridge) → MXR Dyna Comp → EHX Big Muff Pi (Ram's Head) → Hiwatt DR103 100W (linked channels, near-clean) → WEM 4x12 + Yamaha RA-200 rotating speaker

Singing, vocal-like sustain with warm midrange bloom, smooth fuzz saturation, endless sustain with no harshness

Amp settings — Fender M80 tube emulator

CHANNELClean channel (tube emulator engaged)BRIGHToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	5
Mid	6
Treble	4
Presence	5
Reverb	0
Master	6

Don’t have a Fender M80 tube emulator? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPneck TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Behringer TO800 (Tube Screamer clone) — used as compressor/boost substitute

Gilmour used MXR Dyna Comp; your TO800 set with minimal drive and high level acts as a clean boost to push the fuzz and add sustain. This is NOT for distortion — keep drive at 1.

Drive 1 · Tone 5 · Level 7

02Joyo Baatsin (Big Muff mode if available, or highest-gain fuzz/distortion voice)

Critical: Gilmour's Big Muff Sustain was set LOW (~25-35%), not maxed. Select the smoothest, most sustained voice on the Baatsin. Tone warm (3/10) to avoid ice-pick highs. If Baatsin has a Big Muff or fuzz mode, use it.

Gain/Drive 4 · Tone 3 · Level 7

03Behringer FX600 (Delay mode)

Set to analog delay or tape delay mode if available. Aim for ~400-500ms delay time. Feedback moderate — you want trails that bloom, not runaway oscillation. This adds the depth and sustain tail Gilmour's tone is known for.

Time 5 · Feedback/Repeats 4 · Level/Mix 4 · Mode 0

Why these settings

The Fender M80 is a solid-state amp with tube emulation — it lacks the power amp compression of a real Hiwatt, so your sustain and bloom will come entirely from the pedals. Amp gain at 2 keeps it clean; the Baatsin is your saturation source. Gilmour used bridge+neck together (custom switch) but your Squier's neck pickup alone gets closer to that warm, vocal midrange than bridge alone. Treble dropped to 4 because the M80's solid-state treble can get harsh where a Hiwatt stays smooth.

PRO TIPGilmour's secret is slow, deliberate vibrato applied AFTER the note blooms — let the fuzz and delay sustain build for a half-second before adding vibrato. Also, try rolling your guitar's tone knob down to 5-6 during the held bends for an even creamier, more vocal quality.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Fender M80 tube emulator. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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Song, artist and gear names are used to identify the tone being matched; ToneAdapt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the artists or manufacturers mentioned. Settings are AI-generated starting points — trust your ears.