Tone library / Pink Floyd / Comfortably Numb

Comfortably Numb amp settings — Marshall Valvestate 8080

The Pink Floyd guitar tone for “Comfortably Numb”, dialed in for a Marshall Valvestate 8080 with a Jay Turser Telecaster JT-LT-N. Studio version, The Wall (1979) — Outro Solo

Original rig

1969 Black Stratocaster (DiMarzio FS-1 bridge pickup) -> MXR Dyna Comp -> EHX Ram's Head Big Muff Pi -> Pete Cornish ST-2 Boost -> Hiwatt DR103 100W (linked channels) + Yamaha RA-200 rotary cabinet

Singing, violin-like high-sustain fuzz lead with smooth top-end and lush space
Amp settings — Marshall Valvestate 8080
CHANNELBoost Channel (OD2)BOOSTon
GAIN 8 BASS 6 MID 7 TREBLE 5 PRESENCE 4 REVERB 3 MASTER 5
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain8
Bass6
Mid7
Treble5
Presence4
Reverb3
Master5
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE8 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Behringer CS100 Compressor Sustainer

Placed first in chain to add compression and infinite singing sustain into the amp drive

Level 7 · Tone 5 · Attack 6 · Sustain 8

02Artec Chorus CHR3

Set subtle and slow to simulate Gilmour's Yamaha RA-200 rotating speaker cabinet

Speed 3 · Depth 4

03Ibanez Soundtank DL5 Digital Delay

Set for ~370ms warm repeats to match the studio quarter-note delay (run direct into amp input or FX loop)

Level 5 · Repeat 5 · Delay Time 6

04Electro-Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff Pi

RECOMMENDED — not currently owned

Volume 7 · Tone 5 · Sustain 8
Why these settings

Because you do not own a Big Muff fuzz, the Valvestate 8080's OD2 channel is driven hard at gain 8 with Contour set around 4 to replicate the saturated, singing lead character. The Telecaster bridge pickup is brighter than Gilmour's fat DiMarzio FS-1, so the guitar tone knob is rolled back to 8 and amp treble is kept moderate at 5. If you acquire a Ram's Head Big Muff, switch the amp to the Clean channel with gain at 2 and run the fuzz directly in front.

PRO TIPGilmour's violin-like sustain relies heavily on wide, exceptionally slow finger vibrato and smooth, precise whole-step string bends; pick firmly near the bridge with the compressor evening out the attack.

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