Tone library / Pink Floyd / Comfortably Numb

Comfortably Numb amp settings — Vox AC30C2

The Pink Floyd guitar tone for “Comfortably Numb”, dialed in for a Vox AC30C2 with a Fender American Original 60s Stratocaster. Studio version, The Wall (1979) — second solo tone (the iconic outro lead)

Original rig

1969 Fender Stratocaster (Black Strat) with DiMarzio FS-1 bridge pickup, custom Hiwatt DR103 100W head (linked channels), WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 with Fane Crescendo speakers, Yamaha RA-200 rotary speaker in parallel; MXR Dyna Comp, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (Ram's Head c.1974), delay (Echorec/tape)

Soaring, violin-like sustain with warm fuzz saturation, vocal midrange, subtle modulation bloom, and ambient delay trails

Amp settings — Vox AC30C2

CHANNELNormalBRIGHToffBOOSToff

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

Don’t have a Vox AC30C2? See this song on other amps → Match your own rig →

Guitar

PICKUPbridge TONE7 VOLUME10

Signal chain

01TC Electronic PolyTune 3

Tuner — bypass when playing

02Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer

Replaces MXR Dyna Comp — smooths pick attack, adds bloom before the fuzz

Level 7 · Tone 5 · Attack 4 · Sustain 6

03EHX Big Muff Pi

THE gain source — Sustain lower than expected is the secret; Tone rolled warm to tame fizz

Volume 7 · Tone 4 · Sustain 4

04Boss CE-2W Chorus

Standard mode; emulates Yamaha RA-200 rotary modulation — slow, subtle swirl

Rate 3 · Depth 5

05Boss DD-8 Digital Delay

Mode: Standard; ~440ms delay time; mix low for ambient wash, not slapback

E.Level 4 · F.Back 4 · Time 6 · Mode 0

Why these settings

The AC30 has less clean headroom than Gilmour's Hiwatt, so keep gain at 3 to stay clean — the Big Muff provides all saturation. The AC30's mid-forward chime actually suits this tone well; kept treble flat at 5 rather than the Hiwatt's slight cut because the Vox is naturally warmer in the highs. AC30C2 has no presence knob — that voicing is baked in. Bright switch off prevents ice-pick frequencies competing with the Big Muff's fuzz.

PRO TIPGilmour's secret is the Big Muff Sustain set LOW (around 3-4) — most players max it and get fizzy mush. The compression stacking (CS-3 into Big Muff into amp compression at volume) creates the violin-like bloom. Let notes ring and use slow, deliberate vibrato from the wrist, not fast finger wiggle.

Get this tone on your amp

These settings are for a Vox AC30C2. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

Get ToneAdapt on Google Play

More tones for the Vox AC30C2

Don’t SmileSabrina Carpenter Master of puppetsMetallica Basket CaseGreen Day Seek and destroyMetallica Brocher in armsDirestrait A ForestThe Cure

Find your amp

Browse

Vox AC30C2 settingsALL SONGS FOR THIS AMP Comfortably Numb on other ampsSAME SONG, YOUR AMP Pink Floyd tonesALL SONGS Fender American Original 60s Stratocaster tonesSAME GUITAR Tone libraryEVERYTHING

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.