Putting the SSL-5 into your guitar is a surefire way to take a step towards the Gilmour sound. The pickup in that guitar was called an “SSL-1C” (with the C standing for custom), but the pickup eventually went into production as the SSL-5. The neck and bridge pickups on the black Strat are the pickups that came with the guitar, but the bridge pickup is a custom pickup that Seymour wound especially for David, an overwound version of the SSL-1. The Fender David Gilmour Signature Strat is a painstakingly accurate replica of the original guitar, right down to the bodged repair work. It includes all the wear and all the dodgy repair work – but if that’s not your style, they also do a guitar of the same spec but in “as new” (NOS – “new old stock”) condition. These days you can own an incredibly accurate replica of this guitar, by buying the Fender David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster. These changes have been reversed with varying degrees of cosmetic success. Over the years David and his tech Phil Taylor made other modifications that were eventually decided against- for example, fitting a Kahler tremolo, adding a humbucker between two of the pickups, and installing an XLR socket. Modifications to the guitar include a shortened tremolo arm, internal shielding, and a small recessed switch that adds the neck pickup to any selected configuration. This is the guitar you are hearing on the classic Pink Floyd albums of the seventies and early eighties. Guitarĭavid’s most famous guitar is his black Strat. I can’t promise that by the end of reading this article you’ll be throwing out the perfect Comfortably Numb tone and technique, but there certainly are many things you can do in order to get that Gilmour vibe into your playing. Rumor is he’s been back in the studio recently, so it seems like a good time to look at his sound. From iconic releases like Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall through to 2006’s dreamy, reflective On An Island, great guitar tone and playing has been a hallmark of all his work. He regularly appears in the top 3 (often at number 1) when guitar publications hold “best solo ever” polls. David Gilmour is an amazing player, known for both incredible tone and highly emotive technique and note choice. What a challenge I’ve set myself with this article’s title.

David gilmour guitar rig