Delicate Sound of Thunder 1987-90

Read more: settings and setups

The Momentary Lapse of Reason/Delicate Sound of Thunder tour lasted from September 1987 to July 1989 with a grand finale in 1990 at the Knebworth Festival, UK June 30 1990. David’s rig started out as a continuance of the About Face setup with mostly Boss pedals and Fender amps but as the tour progressed the rig grew not only bigger but closer to his old 70’s setups.

As for the guitars, David would start out the tour in 1987, with his blonde Stratocaster and occasionally using a Charvel before settling with the red Stratocaster, which became his main guitar for the next couple of decades.

The Delicate Sound of Thunder concert film and live album are great documents of David’s super smooth late 80s tones.

Effect pedals and additional units 1987 tour rehearsals

Pedals were placed on top of the racks. All effects are controlled by the Bob Bradshaw foot board.

Boss CS-2 compressor
Boss HM-2 distortion
TC Electronics Booster+ (Line Driver/Distortion)
Electro Harmonix Big Muff (Ram’s Head)
TC Electronic Sustain and Parametric Equalizer
– for Boss HM-2
TC Electronic Sustain and Parametric Equalizer
– for TC Booster
TC Electronic Dual Parametric Equalizer
– for Big Muff

Note: The list of pedals above is based on pictures of David’s rack during the tour rehearsals in Toronto, Canada August 1987. It is possible that David would try different pedals and change stuff constantly during the rehearsals.

The first version of the Momentary/Delicate pedal setup pictured at the tour rehearsals in Toronto, Canada August 1987.
L-R: Boss CS-2, Boss HM-2, TC Electronics Booster+, Electro Harmonix Big Muff ram’s head, TC Electronic Sustain and Parametric Equalizer, TC Electronic Sustain and Parametric Equalizer, TC Electronic Dual Parametric Equalizer

Effect pedals, racks and additional units 1987 live performances

Pedals were placed on top of the racks. All effects are controlled by the Bob Bradshaw foot board.

Boss CS-2 compressor
Boss HM-2 distortion
TC Electronics Booster+ (Line Driver/Distortion)
Electro Harmonix Big Muff (Ram’s Head)
4 Boss GE-7 equalizers

Effect rack 1 (left)
Furman PL-8 power conditioner and light controller
– used only for lighting the rack
2 Yamaha SPX-90 II Digital Effects Processors
Roland DEV-5 Digital Delay
Rane SM-26 Splitter Mixer
TC Electronics TC-2290 Dynamic Digital Delay
– main delay unit
Korg DRV-3000 Digital Delay
Lexicon PCM70 Digital Effects Processor
– for Binson type delays
2 Rane SM-26 Splitter Mixers
Pete Cornish VCA Controller
Rocktron HUSH II Noise Reduction Systems
Bob Bradshaw Remote Switching System

Effect rack 2 (right)
Furman PL-8 power conditioner and light controller
– used only for lighting the rack
MXR Digital Delay System II
– for Run Like Hell
Mesa/Boogie Mark III Simul-Class mini amp head
– for overdrives with a Boss HM-2 in front

Additional units

Chaeffer Vega Wireless system
2 Conn Strobo tuners
Ernie Ball volume pedals

David’s rig during the 1987 leg of the Momentary/Delicate tour.
Pedals L-R: Boss CS-2, Boss HM-2, TC Electronics Booster+, Electro Harmonix Big Muff (Ram’s Head), 4 Boss GE-7. See detailed list for the racks above.

Effect pedals, racks and additional units 1988-90 live performances

Pedals were placed on top of the racks. All effects are controlled by the Bob Bradshaw foot board.

2 Boss CS-2 compressors
Boss HM-2 distortion
Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer (1989)
3 Boss GE-7 equalizers (left side of the board)
TC Electronics Booster+ (Line Driver/Distortion)
Electro Harmonix Big Muff (1988)
Pete Cornish P2 (1989)
3 Boss GE-7 equalizers (right side of the board)
2 Boss CE-2 chorus

Effect rack 1 (left)
Furman PL-8 power conditioner and light controller
– used only for lighting the rack
Pete Cornish routing system
Alembic F-2B tube preamp
Mesa/Boogie Mark III Simul-Class mini amp head
– for overdrives with a Boss HM-2 in front

Effect rack 2 (right)
Furman PL-8 power conditioner and light controller
– used only for lighting the rack
TC Electronics TC-2290 Dynamic Digital Delay
– main delay unit
Lexicon PCM70 Digital Effects Processor
– for Binson type delays
MXR Digital Delay System II
– for Run Like Hell

Additional units

Chaeffer Vega Wireless system
2 Conn Strobo tuners
Ernie Ball volume pedals

The pedal setup seen on the Delicate Sound of Thunder concert film August 1988.
Pedals L-R: 2 Boss CS-2, Boss HM-2, 3 Boss GE-7 (left side), TC Electronics Booster+, Electro Harmonix Big Muff, (unknown unit), 3 Boss GE-7 (right side), 2 Boss CE-2. See detailed list for the racks above.
The pedal setup seen at the outdoor show in Venice, Italy July 15 1989.
Pedals L-R: 2 Boss CS-2, Ibanez TS10, 3 Boss GE-7 (left side), TC Electronics Booster+, Pete Cornish P2, Boss HM-2, Boss CE-2, 3 Boss GE-7 (right side), Boss CE-2. See detailed list for the racks above.

Guitars and amps 1987-90 live performances

Fender Stratocaster
– 1983 57 reissue, candy apple red alder body, white pickguard, maple neck, EMG-SA active pickups (with EMG-EXG expander and SPC midrange presence controls) and shortened tremolo arm.
Fender Stratocaster
– 1983 57 reissue, blonde alder body, white pickguard, maple neck, EMG-SA active pickups (with EMG-EXG expander and SPC midrange presence controls) and shortened tremolo arm (not used on the 1988-89 leg of the tour as apparently David grew tired of its colour).
Fender Telecaster
– 1952 reissue, butterscotch blonde ash body, black pickguard and maple neck. D drop tuning for Run Like Hell.
Charvel San Dimas
– EMG bridge humbucker (New York, USA, October 1987)
Jedson lap steel (red)
– Fitted with a white EMG-H pickup. Open Em chord tuning (E B E G B E) for One of These Days.
Jedson lap steel (blonde)
– Fitted with a white EMG-H pickup. Open G chord tuning (D G D G B E) for Great Gig in The Sky.
Takamine FP400S acoustic 12-string guitar
– Welcome to the Machine.
Takamine acoustic steel 6-string guitar
– Wish You Were Here.
Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty
– World Club, New York US, October 11. 1987, after a show jamming with members of Floyd.

David pictured with the candy apple red 1983 Fender 57 reissue Stratocaster with the EMG SA pickups and a Fender 1952 reissue Telecaster.
David pictured with a Takamine FP400S 12-string performing Welcome to the Machine and the red Jedson lap steel performing One of These Days.

3 Fender Twin Reverb II 1983 105W heads
– 4x6L6 tubes. Two mains and one head was a spare. Only used for 1987 tour rehearsals and main tour.
3 Hiwatt DR103 All Purpose 100W heads
– with Mullard 4xEL34 power tubes and 4xECC83 pre-amp tubes and modified for linked normal and brilliance inputs and additional input points allowing to bypass the preamp stage (one head was a spare). Replaced the Fender Twins in early 1988.
Mesa/Boogie Mark III Simul-Class 85W head
– 2xEL34 and 2x6L6 tubes. Connected via send/return to main board for boost/overdrive.
Alembic F-2B tube preamp
– Main preamp for the rig.
2 WEM Super Starfinder 200 cabinets
– with 4×12? Fane Crescendo speakers.
2 Hiwatt SE-4123 cabinets
– with 4×12? Fane Crescendo speakers.

Acknowledgements and credits
A Momentary Lapse of Reason (album 1987), Delicate Sound of Thunder (album 1988), Delicate Sound of Thunder (concert film 1989), Pink Floyd Live in Venice (TV-broadcast Venice Italy July 1989), The Pink Floyd Encyclopedia by Vernon Fitch, The Black Strat A History of David Gilmour’s black Fender Stratocaster by Phil Taylor, Guitar World Magazine (1988), Guitar Magazine (1988), Guitar World Magazine (1993), emginc.com. Thanks to Rafal Zychal, John Roscoe and Richard Mahon for help with research. See feature for other references.