Tone library / Pink Floyd / Comfortably numb

Comfortably numb amp settings — Marshall Studio Vintage SV20H

The Pink Floyd guitar tone for “Comfortably numb”, dialed in for a Marshall Studio Vintage SV20H with a Epiphone Les Paul Standard 50s. Studio version outro solo, The Wall (1979)

Original rig

Fender Stratocaster ('Black Strat' with DiMarzio FS-1 bridge pickup) -> MXR Dyna Comp -> EHX 'Ram's Head' Big Muff Pi -> Hiwatt DR103 100W Head & Yamaha RA-200 rotary cabinet

Smooth, singing violin-like fuzz sustain with slight rotary swirl and long ambient decay

Amp settings — Marshall Studio Vintage SV20H

CHANNELNormal (Input 2 Low)

Knob	Setting (0–10)
Gain	2
Bass	6
Mid	7
Treble	5
Presence	4
Reverb	0
Master	4

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Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01Boss MT-2 Metal Zone

Gain source — dialed smooth and mid-focused to emulate a Ram's Head Big Muff

Level 7 · High 4 · Low 6 · Middle 7 · Mid Freq 4 · Dist 6

02Reverb

Run direct into amp input — set for a lush hall-style ambient wash

Mix 4 · Decay 6 · Tone 5

03EHX Ram's Head Big Muff Pi

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned; key to Gilmour's signature violin sustain

Volume 7 · Tone 5 · Sustain 8

Why these settings

The SV20H is set to its clean Normal input at low gain to act as a high-headroom pedal platform mimicking Gilmour's Hiwatt DR103. Using your MT-2 as the primary gain source, the parametric mid controls are dialed to boost low-mids around 500Hz while softening harsh highs, turning the pedal's clipping into smooth Muff-style sustain. The Les Paul's tone knob is backed off slightly to smooth out humbucker bite and achieve that singing, vocal violin quality. Clean verse: bypass the MT-2 and switch to the neck pickup.

PRO TIPUse a light, sweeping pick attack combined with wide, slow index-finger vibrato and precise pitch-matched bends to let the sustained notes sing cleanly without extraneous string noise.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Marshall Studio Vintage SV20H. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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