Comfortably numb amp settings — Zoom G5N
The Pink Floyd guitar tone for “Comfortably numb”, dialed in for a Zoom G5N with a Fender David Gilmour Stratocaster. Studio version, The Wall (1979) — second solo (outro), the tone the song is famous for
1969 Fender Stratocaster (Black Strat) with DiMarzio FS-1 bridge pickup, Hiwatt DR103 100W head (linked channels, Normal Vol 7, Brilliant Vol 4.5), WEM Super Starfinder 4x12 with Fane Crescendo speakers, Yamaha RA-200 rotary speaker, MXR Dyna Comp, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (Ram's Head c.1974)
| Knob | Setting (0–10) |
|---|---|
| Gain | 4 |
| Bass | 6 |
| Mid | 5 |
| Treble | 4 |
| Presence | 6 |
| Reverb | 0 |
| Master | 7 |
01Zoom G5N Compressor block (DynaComp type)
Smooths pick attack, adds sustain — essential for the singing quality
02Zoom G5N Big Muff model (NYC Muff or FZ BigMuff)
Sustain LOW is critical — Gilmour used ~25-35% on the original; tone warm-of-center
03Zoom G5N Rotary Speaker / Chorus block (RotaryCab or VintageCE)
Subtle modulation simulating Yamaha RA-200 rotary — slow speed, not obvious
04Zoom G5N Delay block (Tape Echo or Carbon Delay)
~380-440ms slapback with moderate repeats — sits behind the notes, not on top
Your Gilmour Signature Strat has the same custom switching as the original Black Strat, but with modern Fender pickups rather than the hotter DiMarzio FS-1 — compensate by raising the Big Muff Volume to 7 and keeping Sustain low (3) to prevent mud. The Hiwatt model on the G5N stays clean with gain at 4; the fuzz does all the saturation work. Rolled-back tone (7) warms the bridge pickup closer to the original's neck+bridge blend.
Get this tone on your amp
These settings are for a Zoom G5N. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.
Get ToneAdapt on Google PlaySong, 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.