Tone library / Pink Floyd / Comfortably Numb

Comfortably Numb amp settings — Fractal Audio FM9

The Pink Floyd guitar tone for “Comfortably Numb”, dialed in for a Fractal Audio FM9 with a Charvel Guthrie Govan Signature. Live, Pulse tour (Earls Court, 1994) — iconic outro solo

Original rig

Fender Stratocaster (EMG-SA + SPC mid boost) into Sovtek 'Civil War' Big Muff, BK Butler Tube Driver, Boss CE-2 chorus, digital delay, and Hiwatt DR103 heads with WEM/Fane 4x12 cabs

Massive, singing, violin-like fuzz sustain with polished mids, gentle stereo modulation, and cavernous delay

Amp settings — Fractal Audio FM9

CHANNELHiwatt DR103 (Fractal 'HiPower Normal' or 'HiPower Brilliant' model) + 4x12 Fane Crescendo IRBRIGHToffBOOSToff

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	3
Bass	6
Mid	5
Treble	5
Presence	5
Reverb	4
Master	6

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Fractal Drive Block ('Tube Driver' or 'FET Boost')

Used as warm EQ/pre-boost into the fuzz per Gilmour's 1994 setup

Drive 3 · Tone 6 · Level 7

02Big Muff

Primary gain source; run into clean HiPower model amp block

Volume 6 · Tone 4 · Sustain 8

03Fractal Chorus Block ('Analog Stereo / CE-2')

Replicates the Boss CE-2 and Yamaha rotating horn swirl

Rate 3 · Depth 5 · Mix 35

04Fractal Delay Block ('Digital Delay')

Set tempo to ~480ms or dotted-eighth delay in post-amp FX loop

Time 6 · Feedback 4 · Mix 30

Why these settings

Your owned Big Muff is dialed as the primary gain source running into the clean HiPower model, so the Fractal amp block gain is pulled down to 3 to prevent muddy double-gain. Because your Charvel Guthrie Govan has custom passive humbuckers rather than Gilmour's active EMG-SA with active mid-boost, the bridge humbucker naturally brings the needed mid thickness, so roll tone back slightly to 8 to avoid sharp highs. The Fractal handles the subtle CE-2 modulation and 480ms repeat delays seamlessly in the post-amp section.

PRO TIPGilmour's sustain comes from heavy left-hand vibrato and controlled string feedback; face your studio monitors while holding sustained notes so the speaker resonance keeps the note singing infinitely without needing extra gain.

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These settings are for a Fractal Audio FM9. 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.