Tone library / Pink floyd / Comfortably numb

Comfortably numb amp settings — Helix Line 6

The Pink floyd guitar tone for “Comfortably numb”, dialed in for a Helix Line 6 with a Tagima Tg530. Studio version outro solo, The Wall (1979)

Original rig

1969 'Black Strat' with DiMarzio FS-1 bridge pickup, 1973-74 100W Hiwatt DR103, WEM 4x12 (Fane Crescendo speakers), Yamaha RA-200 rotary cabinet, 1973 EHX 'Ram's Head' Big Muff Pi, MXR Dyna Comp, Electric Mistress flanger, digital/tape delay

Smooth, singing high-gain fuzz with rich harmonic sustain and lush rotary/flange modulation
Amp settings — Helix Line 6
CHANNELWhoWatt 100 block + 4x12 WhoWatt 100 (Fane) CabBRIGHTonBOOSToff
GAIN 3 BASS 6 MID 5 TREBLE 5 PRESENCE 6 REVERB 3 MASTER 7
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain3
Bass6
Mid5
Treble5
Presence6
Reverb3
Master7
Don’t have a Helix Line 6? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →
Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Red Squeeze (MXR Dyna Comp block)

Compressor block in front

Sensitivity 4 · Level 7

02Triangle Fuzz (EHX Big Muff block)

Main distortion block

Sustain 7 · Tone 5 · Volume 6

03Courtesan Flange (EHX Electric Mistress block)

Set slow to emulate rotary/flange modulation

Speed 3 · Range 6 · Color 4

04Simple Delay

480ms quarter-note delay

Time 5 · Feedback 4 · Mix 3

05Plate Reverb

Post-amp studio space ambience

Decay 5 · Predelay 2 · Mix 3
Why these settings

The Line 6 Helix WhoWatt 100 model faithfully replicates the high-headroom Hiwatt DR103 clean platform, so drive is provided entirely by the Triangle Fuzz block while the amp gain stays clean at 3. The Tagima TG530 single-coil bridge pickup has lower output than Gilmour's custom overwound DiMarzio FS-1, compensated for by adding the Red Squeeze compressor upfront and running the fuzz sustain slightly higher. The Courtesan Flange block captures the spatial swirl created by Gilmour's Yamaha RA-200 rotary cabinet blend.

PRO TIPGilmour creates his endless, vocal sustain by lightly resting his picking hand against adjacent unplayed strings to kill unwanted noise while aggressively digging into full-step bends with heavy, wide index-finger vibrato.

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These settings are for a Helix Line 6. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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