Rattle That Lock tour 2015-16

David’s new stage setup is a surprising departure from the Pete Cornish pedalboards that’s been his main effects arsenal for the past couple of decades, and a return to the more elaborate systems similar to what we saw in the 80s and 90s.

David Gilmour is no doubt experimenting with both new and old sounds and the setlist also require versatility and a wide range of different tones.

The biggest surprises, gearwise, must be the return of the Electric Mistress flanger and the ’55 “Workmate” Fender Esquire.

See the Rattle That Lock 2015 gear guide for a detailed rundown of David’s recording setup.

Pedals, racks and additional units

Top of rack – top row
Electro Harmonix Big Muff (ram’s head)
Lehle parallel L (mixer for Electric Mistress?)
Electro Harmonix 1976/77 Electric Mistress
1 Chandler Tube Driver
2 BK Butler Tube Drivers

Top of rack – bottom row
Effectrode PC-2A Compressor
Demeter Compulator
Origin Effects Slide Rig Compact Deluxe Compressor
Origin Effects Cali 76 Compact Compressor (added summer 2016, replacing the Deluxe)
Sovtek Civil War Big Muff (added December 2015 for South America)
3 Boss GE-7 Equalizers (probably assigned to each Tube Driver)
3 Source Audio Programmable EQ (Royal Albert Hall 2016, replacing the Boss GE-7s)
2 Providence Chrono Delays
2 Free The Tone Flight Time Digital Delays
Dawner Prince Boonar (Royal Albert Hall 2016)

Changes and updates of the effect rack

As on previous tours, David’s effects setup went through several changes along the tour. During early rehearsals in 2015, a number of different pedals can be seen being tested but not used for the tour.
– September 2015 Brighton opening night, the Digitech Whammy WH-1 is not working and is later replaced by a Whammy 5.
– December 2015 South America, a Sovtek “Civil War” Big Muff Pi is added. One Source Audio Programable EQ has replaced one Boss GE7.
– July 2016 Pompeii, the Origin Effects Slide Rig compressor is replaced by a Cali ’76 Compact. Two of the Boss GE-7s are now replaced by Source Audio programable EQs and a third can be seen lying spare on the rack.
– September 2016 Royal Albert Hall, all three Boss GE7s are now replaced by Source Audio programable EQ units. A Dawner Prince Boonar Binson type echo is added, while the MXR delay rack system is removed, possibly replaced by the Boonar.

Top row: EHX ram’s head Big Muff, Lehle parallel L, EHX Electric Mistress, Chandler Tube Driver, 2 BK Butler Tube Drivers, Providence Chrono Delay, Free The Tone Flight Time Digital Delay
Front row: Effectrode PC-2A Compressor, Demeter Compulator, Origin Effects Slide Rig Compact Deluxe Compressor, 3 Boss GE-7 Equalizers, Providence Chrono Delay, Free The Tone Flight Time Digital Delay
Left rack: Skrydstrup MR10 Looper, MXR DDL II, UniVibe, Peterson Autostrobe 490 tuner
Right rack: Skrydstrup MR10 Looper, Skrydstrup tuner splitter, Skrydstrup SC1 Interface, Skrydstrup Amp splitter / Interface
(picture used with permission – Francesco Marinelli)
David Gilmour pictured at Allianz Parque, Sao Paulo, Brazil December 2015. Note the addition of the Sovtek Civil War Big Muff underneath the Tube Drivers. A Source Audio Programmable EQ has also replaced one of the Boss GE-7s.
(picture by Andre BaSil)
David picture at London’s Royal Albert Hall in September 2016. All three Boss GE7s are now replaced by Source Audio EQs and a Dawner Prince Boonar Binson type echo is added. Note also that the MXR delay rack system is removed, possibly replaced by the Boonar.

Additional units

Skrydstrup SC1 Midi System Controller
Skrydstrup XT+ Module
– main pedalboard, controlling the pedals and rack units, with options for either single effect switching or multiple effect patches.

Digitech WH-1 Whammy (Brighton September 5 2015 only)
Digitech Whammy 5
Peterson Stomp Classic tuner
Pete Cornish line selector (main guitars/slides)
Ernie Ball volume pedal main
Ernie Ball volume pedal for slides

Effect rack (left)
Skrydstrup MR10 Loop System
MXR Digital Delay System model II (removed in September 2016)
Univox/Shin-ei Uni-Vibe (custom rack unit)
Peterson Autostrobe 490 tuner

Effect rack (right)
Skrydstrup MR10 Loop System
Skrydstrup tuner splitter
Skrydstrup SC1 Interface
Skrydstrup Amp splitter / Interface

David’s Skrydstrup SC1 Midi Controller and XT+ extension module switcher board, as seen during the rehearsals for the tour. Note the Digitech WH-1 Whammy for The Blue, the Ernie Ball volume pedal and a Peterson Stomp Classic tuner. The small on/off switch in front says “talk back” and is probably connected to the vocal mic.

Guitars and amps

Fender Stratocaster The Black Strat
– 1969 black alder body with black pickguard, Fender 1983 57 reissue maple neck and Fender 1971 neck and middle pickups and a Seymour Duncan custom SSL-1 bridge pickup.
Gibson Les Paul Gold Top
– 1956 model with Gibson P-90 pickups and Bigsby tremolo system.
Fender Esquire Workmate
– 1955 sunburst ash body with black pickguard and maple neck. Fitted with a custom Seymour Duncan neck pickup.
Jedson lap steel
– Red, fitted with an EMG-H pickup. Open Em chord tuning (E B E G B E) for High Hopes and One of these Days.
Fender Deluxe lap steel (blonde)
– Blonde, stock pickups. Open G chord tuning (D G D G B E) for Great Gig in the Sky and A Boat Lies Waiting. Also used for High Hopes, with an open Em chord tuning (E B E G B E) during the summer 2016 shows.
Gibson Western 1959 acoustic steel string guitar
– With a L.R. Baggs M1 active pickup.
Taylor NS74 acoustic nylon string guitar

David pictured at Brighton Centre, Brighton, UK, September 5th 2015 with his two main guitars for the tour, the ’55 Fender Esquire and the Black Strat.

2 Hiwatt Custom 50W heads
– With Mullard 2xEL34 power tubes and 4xECC83 pre-amp tubes. Modified for linked normal and brilliance inputs. David’s only using one head. The other is a spare.
Alessandro Bluetick 20w tube head
Alessandro Redbone Special 55w tube head
3 WEM Super Starfinder 200 cabinets
– with 4×12? Fane Crescendo metal dust cap speakers

David Gilmour’s amp setup as seen at Brighton Centre, September 5th 2015. Two Hiwatt Custom 50 heads, with two Alessandro heads on top. The three WEM cabinets are each mic’ed with a Shure KSM 32 mic. (photo used with permission – Troy S).

Guitar and amp setup

David’s current stage setup is in mono – all effects fed right into each amp. Only one Hiwatt Custom 50 head (reportedly cranked to get more grit) and one of the Alessandro heads in combination. The Alessandro is also used alone for certain tones.

All pedals, racks and amps are connected with Evidence Audio Lyric HC cables. Guitars to pedalboard are connected with Evidence Audio Forte cables. David’s using a wide range of different picks, depending on guitars, including Herco Flex Nylon 75s 1.01mm.

All WEM speaker cabinets are mic’ed with Shure KSM 32 mics slightly off centre of the cone.

See the Rattle That Lock 2015 gear guide for a detailed rundown of David’s recording setup.

Acknowledgements and credits
Official Rattle That Lock EPK, video and photographs from rehearsals, Brighton Centre pre-tour warm up gig September 5th 2015, European tour 2015, David Gilmour Gear Forum. Thanks to Troy S and Francesco Marinelli for pictures.