Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb - Main Solo - Guitar Lesson

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Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb - Main Solo - Guitar Lesson

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Comfortably Numb - Main Solo


"Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd is one of the most celebrated tracks from their 1979 concept album, The Wall. The main solo, performed by David Gilmour, is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar solos in rock history, known for its emotional phrasing, expressive bends, and lyrical tone. For electric guitarists, learning this solo offers deep insight into melodic soloing, sustain control, and how to convey feeling through restrained, carefully chosen notes rather than technical speed.

  • The song features two solos by David Gilmour, the main outro solo is the one most guitarists focus on learning.
  • Gilmour primarily used a black Fender Stratocaster through a Hiwatt amp to achieve the solo's iconic, singing tone.
  • "Comfortably Numb" was released as a single in 1980, with "Hey You" as the B-side.
Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Gilmour's 1969 Black Strat is his primary instrument, offering glassy neck pickup tones perfect for his singing bends and the warm, rounded character that defines Pink Floyd's melodic solos without harsh brightness.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

This workhorse guitar provided Gilmour with a brighter, more cutting tone for rhythm work and alternative textures, offering the snap and clarity needed for Pink Floyd's diverse sonic palette across studio and live performances.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Gilmour's 1955 Les Paul Goldtop, fitted with original P-90 pickups, delivers the thick, gritty midrange essential for iconic solos like Comfortably Numb's outro, providing tonal weight and sustain that Strats cannot match.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Though less documented than the Goldtop, this model would offer similar thick, sustained tones with enhanced versatility through multiple pickup switching, supporting Gilmour's need for varied textures within complex Pink Floyd arrangements.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

Gilmour used Twin Reverbs for their exceptional clean headroom and built-in reverb, creating spacious, shimmering textures that complement his delay-heavy effects chain and define Pink Floyd's atmospheric, three-dimensional soundscapes.

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Pedal

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

The Cry Baby opens Gilmour's effects chain, allowing expressive vocal-like phrasing on solos, integral to Pink Floyd's emotional delivery and creating dynamic dynamic tonal sweeps that enhance the band's psychedelic and progressive character.