Read more: settings and setups
David Gilmour wrote and recorded his first solo album during a short period in late 1977 and early 1978 at the Super Bear studios in France. It’s an honest documentation of David’s playing and live tone at the time and a strong homage to his roots and idols like Peter Green and Hank Marvin.
David’s using most of the Animals rig including the Pete Cornish pedal board and Yamaha RA200 rotating speaker cabinets. He’s also employing a wide range of different guitars in addition to the Black Strat.
Although David never toured with he album, five songs were performed with a full band and filmed for promotional use. The original demo for Comfortably Numb was written during the sessions and later completed for The Wall.
Pete Cornish pedal board and additional effects recording sessions
Pedal board effects listed as in chain
Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face (BC109)
Electro Harmonix Big Muff (Ram’s Head)
MXR Phase 90
Electro Harmonix Small Stone
Electro Harmonix Electric Mistress
Pete Cornish (ST-2) Treble and Bass Boost
Cry Baby wah wah
MXR Dynacomp
(send/return for additional effects)
Pete Cornish Tone pedal
Pete Cornish volume pedal
(send/return for MXR DDL)
MXR Noise Gate/Line Driver
Additional units
MXR Digital Delay System I
UniVox Uni-Vibe
Note: The Pete Cornish board went through a major update right after the Animals tour in October 1977. Among many modifications the UniVibe was taken out of the board but David would use a single unit on Cry From The Street. See this feature for more on David Gilmour’s Pete Cornish Animals pedalboard.
Guitars and amps recording sessions and 1978 live film clips
Fender Stratocaster The Black Strat
– 1969 black alder body with a black pickguard, 1963 rosewood neck and Fender 1971 neck and middle pickups and a DiMarzio FS-1 bridge pickup.
Fender Esquire
– 1955 sunburst ash body with black pickguard, maple neck and fitted with a custom Seymour Duncan neck pickup.
Gretsch Duo Jet
– 1950s model with Bigsby tremolo system.
Fender Stratocaster 1954 #0001
Fender Stratocaster
– 1959 sunburst body with stock Fender pickups, white pickguard and a 1969 maple neck (original Black Strat neck).
Jedson lap steel guitar
Acoustic steel string guitar
Hiwatt DR103 All Purpose 100W heads
– with Mullard 4xEL34 power tubes and 4xECC83 pre-amp tubes.
Fender Dual Showman 100W head
– 4x6L6GC, 2x12AT7 and 12AX7A tubes. Seen used on the promo clips.
Yamaha RA-200 revolving speaker cabinet
– Recording sessions only.
Alembic F-2B tube preamp
– Yamaha preamp. Recording sessions only.
WEM Super Starfinder 200 cabinets
– with 4×12? Fane Crescendo speakers.
Acknowledgements and credits
David Gilmour (album 1978), promotional concert videos (The Roxy, London 1978), Sound Magazine (Guitar Heroes 1983), Allthingsguitar.com, Guitarist Magazine (1986), Beat International Magazine (1978) and The Black Strat A History of David Gilmour’s black Fender Stratocaster by Phil Taylor. Thanks to Pete Cornish. See feature for other references.