Tone-Torial: The Guitar Tones of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’

When it comes to iconic rock albums, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon is one of the greats. Released in 1973, this album swept the music world by storm and made Pink Floyd a household name. From start to finish, it’s a masterclass in production, songwriting, and of course, guitar tone. A member of Pink Floyd since 1968, David Gilmour was already making his mark with the band. However, when the time came to record The Dark Side Of The Moon, his legend was cemented. Let’s take a dive and see what he was using and how we can create the sounds heard on one of the biggest rock albums of all time.

Fender Stratocaster

Starting with the guitar, David Gilmour’s main electric on the album was his iconic Black Fender Stratocaster. Purchased new at the legendary Manny’s Music in 1970, this Stratocaster started life with a maple cap neck featuring the large CBS-era headstock. However, by the time recording began for Dark Side of the Moon, Gilmour had begun modifying the instrument. Photos from around the time of the session show the instrument still bearing its white pickguard. However, the neck was swapped for an earlier Fender neck with a rosewood fingerboard. Swapped neck aside, the guitar was mostly stock. Like all Stratocasters from this time period, it has a scooped and biting sound, delivering glassy cleans and aggressive distortion. This shaped the core sounds of the album.

If you want to capture the sound of Gilmour’s Stratocaster during this period, my recommendation would be the Fender Vintera III Late 60s Stratocaster. This guitar is designed to capture the look, feel, and sound of the guitars from the same era. However, it does so at a more affordable price point. Any good Stratocaster will do, but the specially voiced pickups in this model will give you a strong foundation to build on.

Hiwatt Amps

When it comes to amplifiers, there is one name that is most associated with David Gilmour: Hiwatt. Known for their clean headroom and clear, punchy sound, Hiwatt amps have been Gilmour’s main choice since he began using them in 1969. The model he used on the album, and for most of his career, was the 100-watt DR103 head. This head was paired with a WEM 4×12 cabinet loaded with Fane speakers. This amp acted as the perfect platform for the effect pedals he used during this period and provided beautiful clean tones that could keep up with the band without being pushed into overdrive.

If you want to capture this sound, you can still buy a DR103 head and WEM 4×12 cabinet from Hiwatt. However, for the modern player, that may not be the most practical route to take. Luckily, Hiwatt manufactures many different amps and speaker cabinet options with the modern player in mind. I would recommend going with one of their 20-watt heads with a 1×12 or 2×12 cabinet or a combo variant. This will give you the iconic sound, without the cripplingly loud volume of the originals

Effects Pedals

With a late 60s Stratocaster and a Hiwatt amp, the last thing to discuss is the effects pedals. Like Jimi Hendrix, Gilmour was very progressive and embraced effects. Constantly experimenting, he often adopted effects as they came out and loved to combine them to create groundbreaking new sounds. Simple yet effective, here is what he was using to create the groundbreaking sounds found throughout the album.

Fuzz Face

For all of the solos and some rhythm parts, the star of the show is his Fuzz Face. Using the later silicon variant, loaded with BC108 transistors, this pedal delivered a bright, searing sound loaded with sustain. This is what you hear on iconic tracks like “Time” and “Money”.

When chasing down a Fuzz Face, my recommendation is always the ones produced by Dunlop. The FFM1 and Hendrix FFM3 variants deliver that iconic late 60s/early 70s Fuzz Face tone without taking up a lot of room on your pedalboard. However, if you want to be authentic, the JHF1 Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face will do the trick. It’s handwired, the enclosure is large like the originals, and it only runs on a 9-volt battery.

Binson Echorec

For all of the delay on the album, the Binson Echorec was Gilmour’s secret weapon. Unlike tape-echo units like the Echoplex, the Echorec utilized a magnetic stainless-steel drum instead of tape to achieve the effect. It featured 4 playback heads that gave players access to 12 different rhythmic delay patterns, and they could even be combined to create a washed-out reverb effect. Extremely fragile and rare, these vintage original units fetch a premium, but a couple of modern options exist.

The best one, in my opinion, is the Catalinbread Echorec. Digitally emulating this iconic effect, it has all of the features without the high cost, maintenance, and size of an original. If you want to take it a step further, and budget is no option, the Binson Echorec Drum Delay from T-Rex is a strong choice. All-analog and featuring the same magnetic drum mechanism, this is as close to an original as you can get without buying a vintage unit.

Univibe

For all of the modulation heard on the album, Gilmour used a Univibe. Gaining popularity with players like Jimi Hendrix in the late 60s, the Univibe’s unique chorus and vibrato circuit provided a rich, swirling effect that sounded similar to a rotary speaker. This created a beautiful watery texture for songs like “Breathe,” “Breathe (Reprise),” “Us And Them,” and “Any Colour You Like”.

There are many Univibe pedals on the market. The two that capture the classic sound without breaking the bank are the Behringer 69 Vibe and the MXR Univibe. Similar to the Echorec, original units are expensive and require lots of maintenance. These pedals deliver the iconic sound of the originals but keep it in a smaller, more reliable footprint at a fraction of the cost.

Closing Thoughts

Although this album was just a chapter in Gilmour’s story, for many players, myself included, this was their introduction to him. As influential now as it was in 1973, the groundbreaking sounds Gilmour created on The Dark Side Of The Moon still feel fresh. Continuing to influence players and the music they create today. 

Photo by Jorgen Angel/Redferns

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